United States › Illinois › Perry County COUNTY
Perry County Illinois · 20,160 residents (2025 est.) · 442 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Perry County is a county of 20,639 people in Illinois. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 14% of adults. Owners hold 81% of the housing stock. The typical home is worth $112,600, having more than doubled since 2000. 1% of people here were born outside the United States. Renters pay $728 a month at the median.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
14% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 23,094 in 2000
20,160 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 51 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 37.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
20K 21K 22K 23K 23K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Perry County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $62,118
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,281 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $15,935 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 17.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 13.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.395 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 6.2%
Professional, scientific, technical 5.3%
Public administration 2.8%
Transportation & warehousing 1.4%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.1%
Education & health services 1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$112,600
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $54,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$728
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $370 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 78.6% in 2000
19.1% rent
from 11.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.30 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.30 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 18.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 35.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 1.9 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 89%(20,563)
Hispanic / Latino 1.8%(406)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 84.9%(17,530)
Hispanic / Latino 3.7%(760)
from 28 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 37 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 17 more ancestry groups with data from 10.1% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 72.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 2.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 16.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 82.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 10.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 8.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 53.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 70.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 14.7% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 26.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 16.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 12.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 68.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 87.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 88.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 97.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 1.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 40.8%(3,975)
Women 15+
Never married 20.5%(1,576)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 12.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 54.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 14.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 24.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 29.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 66.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 49.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 28.4%(369)
Share of the 1,299 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Perry County Head to head
Compare Perry County to nearby counties PERRY COUNTY VS
Washington County
Income $78,224 +26%
Home value $155,700 +38%
Population 13,564 −33%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PERRY COUNTY VS
Jackson County
Income $48,763 −21%
Home value $137,300 +22%
Population 52,501 +160%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PERRY COUNTY VS
Randolph County
Income $68,131 +10%
Home value $135,100 +20%
Population 29,921 +48%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PERRY COUNTY VS
Franklin County
Income $56,740 −9%
Home value $89,000 −21%
Population 36,916 +83%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Perry County, Illinois? Perry County, Illinois has about 20,639 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Perry County, Illinois? The typical household in Perry County, Illinois earns about $62,118 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Perry County, Illinois expensive? In Perry County, Illinois, the median home is worth about $112,600, and the typical rent is about $728 a month.
How educated are people in Perry County, Illinois? About 13.7% of adults age 25 and over in Perry County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Perry County, Illinois? About 16.9% of people in Perry County, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.
Has Perry County, Illinois grown since 1990? Yes, Perry County, Illinois has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 773 residents, a change of about -4 percent over that period.
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