Perry County, Tennessee

TN · FIPS 47135 Republican

Located in Tennessee, Perry County has a population of 8,697 residents and a median age of 43.3 years, making it the #2,591 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.1%. The median home value is $126,900, and the median household income is $55,972, which is 26% below the national median.

8,697
Population
#2,591 of 3,222
$55,972
Median Income
-25.5% #2,406 of 3,222
43.3 years
Median Age
+11.3% #1,132 of 3,222
18.1%
Poverty Rate
+43.4% #2,462 of 3,222

Demographics

Perry County has a population of 8,697, making it the #2,591 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.3 years, which is 11.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.9%
Native Born
2.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Perry County is $55,972, ranking #2,406 out of 3,222 counties — 25.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.1% and unemployment stands at 5.8%.

Income#2,406
$55,972
-25.5%
vs nation
25th percentile
Per Capita#2,560
$29,109
-29.5%
vs nation
21th percentile
Poverty#2,462
18.1%
+43.4%
vs nation
24th percentile
Unemployment#2,445
5.8%
+9.8%
vs nation
24th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Perry County is $126,900 (-55.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $758/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.8%.

Home Value#2,552
$126,900
-55.0%
vs nation
21th percentile
Rent#2,431
$758
-34.8%
vs nation
24th percentile
Homeownership#1,742
73.8%
+14.6%
vs nation
46th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Perry County, 14.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 58.0% below the national average, ranking #2,916 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
14.2% −58.0% vs nation
Rank #2,916 of 3,222
10th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Perry County is 73.2 years. 23.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 14.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,194
73.2
-2.6%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,504
23.5%
+20.1%
vs nation
20th percentile
Diabetes#2,427
12.7%
+14.1%
vs nation
23th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,302
40.0%
+7.2%
vs nation
27th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,078
6.9
+22.5%
vs nation
2th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,040
5.7
+28.8%
vs nation
3th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,584
14.4%
+37.6%
vs nation
18th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,514
30.7%
+16.4%
vs nation
20th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,380
16.7%
+15.9%
vs nation
24th percentile

Substance Use

23.3% of adults in Perry County smoke , 38.8% are obese , and 17.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 39.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,879
23.3%
+29.8%
vs nation
8th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,710
38.8%
+2.4%
vs nation
46th percentile
Excessive Drinking#825
17.9%
-10.0%
vs nation
74th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,589
39.6
+22.4%
vs nation
25th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 24.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 48.8 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,051
24.6
+24.8%
vs nation
20th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,073
25.1
+40.7%
vs nation
16th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,786
48.8
+141.2%
vs nation
1th percentile

Families & Children

26.1% of children in Perry County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 37.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,722
37.1
+69.9%
vs nation
9th percentile
Child Poverty#2,598
26.1%
+37.4%
vs nation
17th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Perry County is 56.0%. The mean commute time is 35.4 min, which is 28.3% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
56.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
35.4 min +28.3% vs nation
Rank #255 of 3,222
92th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Perry County voted Republican with a margin of 69.5%. The vote was 15% Dem / 84.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +69.5%
15% 84.5%
Dem 3,716 votes Rep
2020 REP +63.1%
17.9% 81%
Dem 3,428 votes Rep
2016 REP +55.0%
20.9% 75.9%
Dem 2,855 votes Rep
2012 REP +22.4%
37.8% 60.2%
Dem 2,621 votes Rep
2008 REP +8.9%
44.3% 53.2%
Dem 3,000 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Perry County, Tennessee

Perry County, Tennessee has a total population of 8,697, making it the 2,591st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Perry County is 43.3 years, which is 11.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Perry County is $55,972, which ranks #2,406 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 25.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.8%.

The median home value in Perry County is $126,900, 55.0% below the national median. Renters in Perry County pay a median gross rent of $758 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Perry County, 14.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 58.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 86.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 35.4 min.

Perry County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 89.0% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (7.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.4%).

All data for Perry County, Tennessee 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.