Perry County, Missouri
Located in Missouri, Perry County has a population of 18,976 residents and a median age of 42.2 years, making it the #1,935 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.9%. The median home value is $188,200, and the median household income is $62,981, which is 16% below the national median.
Demographics
Perry County has a population of 18,976, making it the #1,935 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.2 years, which is 8.5% 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 $62,981, ranking #1,799 out of 3,222 counties — 16.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.9% and unemployment stands at 4.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Perry County is $188,200 (-33.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $923/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Perry County, 20.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 38.1% below the national average, ranking #1,854 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Perry County is 76.4 years. 18.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.0% of adults in Perry County smoke , 37.3% are obese , and 22.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 22.7 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 18.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.2 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
13.0% of children in Perry County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 19.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Perry County is 65.0%. The mean commute time is 23.6 min, which is 14.6% 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 63.4%. The vote was 17.9% Dem / 81.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +0.1 toward Democrats .
Vote Share Over Time
About Perry County, Missouri
Perry County, Missouri has a total population of 18,976, making it the 1,935th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Perry County is 42.2 years, which is 8.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Perry County is $62,981, which ranks #1,799 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 16.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.9%.
The median home value in Perry County is $188,200, 33.2% below the national median. Renters in Perry County pay a median gross rent of $923 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Perry County, 20.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 38.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.6 min.
Perry County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.4% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.5%).
All data for Perry County, Missouri 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.