Not to be confused with Perry, Ohio.
Perry County, Ohio
CountyPerry County
StateOhio
Founded year1818[1]
Founded dateMarch 1
Seat wlNew Lexington
Largest city wlNew Lexington
City typeCity
Area total412 sq mi
Area land408 sq mi
Area water4.5 sq mi
Area percentage1.1%
Census yr2020
Pop35408
Pop est as of2025
Population est35918
Density86 sq mi
Time zoneEastern
Webhttps://perrycountyohio.gov/
Ex imagePerry County Courthouse (2) — New Lexington, Ohio.jpg
Ex image capPerry County Courthouse
Named forOliver Hazard Perry
District12th

Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,408.[2] Its county seat is New Lexington.[3] 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.[4] 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 412 square miles (1,070 km2), of which 408 square miles (1,060 km2) is land and 4.5 square miles (12 km2) (1.1%) is water.[5]

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

Perry County, Ohio – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980[6]Pop 1990[7]Pop 2000[8]Pop 2010[9]Pop 2020[10]% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone (NH)30,78431,34533,47335,170style='background: #ffffe6; |33,59599.20%99.33%98.22%97.54%style='background: #ffffe6; |94.88%
Black or African American alone (NH)64577392style='background: #ffffe6; |900.21%0.18%0.21%0.26%style='background: #ffffe6; |0.25%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)16459386style='background: #ffffe6; |940.05%0.14%0.27%0.24%style='background: #ffffe6; |0.27%
Asian alone (NH)19183337style='background: #ffffe6; |670.06%0.06%0.10%0.10%style='background: #ffffe6; |0.19%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x [11]x [12]16style='background: #ffffe6; |0xx0.00%0.02%style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%
Other race alone (NH)2811714style='background: #ffffe6; |850.09%0.03%0.02%0.04%style='background: #ffffe6; |0.24%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x [13]x [14]246458style='background: #ffffe6; |1,225xx0.72%1.27%style='background: #ffffe6; |3.46%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)12181152195style='background: #ffffe6; |2520.39%0.26%0.45%0.54%style='background: #ffffe6; |0.71%
Total31,03231,55734,07836,058style='background: #ffffe6; |35,408 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

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.[15][16]

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, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.3% from some other race, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 0.7% of the population.[16]

19.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 80.5% lived in rural areas.[17]

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.[15]

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%.[15]

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.[18] The population density was 88.4 inhabitants per square mile (34.1 /km2). There were 15,211 housing units at an average density of 37.3 /mi2.[19] 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.[18] In terms of ancestry, 25.4% were German, 14.9% were Irish, 10.4% were English, and 9.6% were American.[20]

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.[18]

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.[21]

2000 census

As of the census[22] 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.

Communities

Villages

Townships

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

See also

Media

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

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Ohio County Profiles: Perry County". Ohio Department of Development. Archived from the original on June 21, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
  2. ^ 2020 census
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ "Perry County data". Ohio State University Extension Data Center. Retrieved April 28, 2007.[dead link]
  5. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on May 4, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  6. ^ "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". United States Census Bureau. p. 49-67 and 27-47.
  7. ^ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Ohio: Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Origin". United States Census Bureau. p. 21-95.
  8. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Perry County, Ohio". United States Census Bureau
  9. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Perry County, Ohio". United States Census Bureau
  10. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Perry County, Ohio". United States Census Bureau
  11. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  12. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  13. ^ not an option in the 1980 Census
  14. ^ not an option in the 1990 Census
  15. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  16. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  17. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  18. ^ "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  19. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  20. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  21. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  22. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.

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.