Perry County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Perry County has a population of 27,499 residents and a median age of 41.5 years, making it the #1,564 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 26.8%. The median home value is $91,800, and the median household income is $42,181, which is 44% below the national median.
Demographics
Perry County has a population of 27,499, making it the #1,564 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.5 years, which is 6.7% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Perry County is $42,181, ranking #3,024 out of 3,222 counties — 43.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 26.8% and unemployment stands at 5.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Perry County is $91,800 (-67.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $798/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.4%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Perry County, 14.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 56.2% below the national average, ranking #2,850 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Perry County is 65.7 years. 26.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
22.4% of adults in Perry County smoke , 41.0% are obese , and 14.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 94.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Perry County is 9.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 9.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 37.0 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
37.0% of children in Perry County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 39.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Perry County is 53.1%. The mean commute time is 26.4 min, which is 4.4% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Perry County voted Republican with a margin of 59.5%. The vote was 19.7% Dem / 79.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Perry County, Kentucky
Perry County, Kentucky has a total population of 27,499, making it the 1,564th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Perry County is 41.5 years, which is 6.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Perry County is $42,181, which ranks #3,024 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 43.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 26.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.8%.
The median home value in Perry County is $91,800, 67.4% below the national median. Renters in Perry County pay a median gross rent of $798 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Perry County, 14.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 56.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 97.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.4 min.
Perry County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.7% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.3%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (1.7%).
All data for Perry County, Kentucky comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.