Perry County, Ohio

Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,408.<ref name="2020 census">2020 census</ref> Its county seat is New Lexington.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> It was established on March 1, 1818, from parts of Fairfield, Washington and Muskingum counties. The county is named for Oliver Hazard Perry, a hero of the War of 1812.<ref name="osuedc">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Perry County is included in the Columbus, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. One of the poorest counties in the state, this is where the lawsuit challenging Ohio's school funding system, DeRolph v. State, began.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (1.1%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

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

2020 census

Perry County, Ohio – Racial and ethnic composition
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Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 1980<ref name=1980Census>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 1990<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 1980	% 1990	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	30,784	31,345	33,473	35,170	33,595	99.20%	99.33%	98.22%	97.54%	94.88%
Black or African American alone (NH)	64	57	73	92	90	0.21%	0.18%	0.21%	0.26%	0.25%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	16	45	93	86	94	0.05%	0.14%	0.27%	0.24%	0.27%
Asian alone (NH)	19	18	33	37	67	0.06%	0.06%	0.10%	0.10%	0.19%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)	x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census</ref>	x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census</ref>	1	6	0	x	x	0.00%	0.02%	0.00%
Other race alone (NH)	28	11	7	14	85	0.09%	0.03%	0.02%	0.04%	0.24%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	x <ref>not an option in the 1980 Census</ref>	x <ref>not an option in the 1990 Census</ref>	246	458	1,225	x	x	0.72%	1.27%	3.46%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	121	81	152	195	252	0.39%	0.26%	0.45%	0.54%	0.71%
Total	31,032	31,557	34,078	36,058	35,408	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

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.<ref name="census-dp1">Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 15,211 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name="census-density">Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 97.9% white, 0.3% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.5% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 25.4% were German, 14.9% were Irish, 10.4% were English, and 9.6% were American.<ref name="census-dp2">Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

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.<ref name="census-dp3">Template:Cite web</ref>

2000 census

As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 34,078 people, 12,500 households, and 9,350 families living in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 13,655 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. 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

Map of Perry County, Ohio with municipal and township labels

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

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Perry County, Ohio

Media

• Perry County has its own newspaper called the Perry County Tribune.

External links

• Perry County Official Website
• Perry County Chamber of Commerce

Further reading

• Thomas William Lewis, History of Southeastern Ohio and the Muskingum Valley, 1788-1928. In Three Volumes. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1928.