Perry County, Ohio

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 412 sqmi, of which 408 sqmi is land and 4.5 sqmi (1.1%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Licking County (north)
• Muskingum County (northeast)
• Morgan County (southeast)
• Athens County (south)
• Hocking County (southwest)
• Fairfield County (west)

National protected area

• Wayne National Forest (part)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2020

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 35,408. The median age was 41.0 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.0 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 95.2% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian,

19.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 80.5% lived in rural areas.

There were 13,592 households in the county, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.3% were married-couple households, 17.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 14,962 housing units, of which 9.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.7% were owner-occupied and 25.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.0%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 36,058 people, 13,576 households, and 9,738 families living in the county.{{cite web |access-date=December 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213033816/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US39127 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213185241/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US39127 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213031426/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US39127 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead

Of the 13,576 households, 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.3% were non-families, and 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age was 38.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,388 and the median income for a family was $50,489. Males had a median income of $39,305 versus $31,112 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,916. About 14.2% of families and 18.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.4% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.{{cite web |access-date=December 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213031208/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US39127 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 34,078 people, 12,500 households, and 9,350 families living in the county. The population density was 83 /mi2. There were 13,655 housing units at an average density of 33 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 98.54% White, 0.22% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.09% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 0.45% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 12,500 households, out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,383, and the median income for a family was $40,294. Males had a median income of $31,664 versus $21,147 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,674. About 9.4% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 12.70% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Perry County tended to be a swing county prior to 2016. Bill Clinton was the last Democrat to win this county, a distinction shared with 16 other Ohio counties, in 1996. In 2020, Donald Trump won the largest percentage of votes in the county of any Republican nominee since the party's founding, a feat surpassed by more than two percentage points in 2024.

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Communities

Villages

• Corning
• Crooksville
• Glenford
• Hemlock
• Junction City
• New Lexington (county seat)
• New Straitsville
• Rendville
• Roseville (partial)
• Shawnee
• Somerset (former county seat)
• Thornville

Townships

• Bearfield
• Clayton
• Coal
• Harrison
• Hopewell
• Jackson
• Madison
• Monday Creek
• Monroe
• Pike
• Pleasant
• Reading
• Salt Lick
• Thorn

Census-designated places

• Rose Farm
• Thornport

Unincorporated communities

• Bristol
• Buckingham
• Chalfants
• Chapel Hill
• Clarksville
• Crossenville
• McCuneville
• McLuney
• Millertown
• Milligan
• Mount Perry
• Moxahala
• New Reading
• Oakfield
• Portersville, Ohio
• Rehoboth
• Saltillo
• Sego
• Sulphur Springs

Ghost towns

• Dicksonton
• San Toy

Footnotes

References

1. "Ohio County Profiles: Perry County". Ohio Department of Development.
2. [https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html 2020 census]
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
4. (June 2016). "Perry County data". [[Ohio State University]] Extension Data Center }}{{dead link.
5. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
6. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
8. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
9. (April 2, 2001). "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
10. "1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - Ohio- Table 59 - Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980 AND Table 58 - Race by Sex: 1980".
11. "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Ohio: Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Origin".
12. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Perry County, Ohio".
13. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Perry County, Ohio".
14. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Perry County, Ohio".
15. included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
16. included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
17. not an option in the 1980 Census
18. not an option in the 1990 Census
19. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
20. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
21. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
22. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
23. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
24. (November 5, 2024). "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)".