Perry County, Mississippi

Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,511.^[1] The county seat is New Augusta.^[2] The county is named after the War of 1812 naval hero, Oliver Hazard Perry.

Perry County
County
Perry County courthouse New Augusta
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°10′N 88°59′W
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
Founded	1820
Named for	Oliver Hazard Perry
Seat	New Augusta
Largest town	Richton
Area
• Total	650 sq mi (1,700 km2)
• Land	647 sq mi (1,680 km2)
• Water	3.0 sq mi (8 km2)  0.5%
Population  (2020)
• Total	11,511
• Density	18/sq mi (6.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	4th

Perry County is part of the Hattiesburg, MS Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Until 1906, the county seat was the old town of Augusta, near the center of the county on the east bank of the Leaf River. At Old Augusta, the outlaw James Copeland was executed by hanging on October 30, 1857.^[3] Old Augusta remains a small village today. New Augusta, two miles south of Old Augusta, was made the county seat of Perry County, because it was situated on the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City Railroad.^[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 650 square miles (1,700 km²), of which 647 square miles (1,680 km²) is land and 3.0 square miles (7.8 km²) (0.5%) is water.^[5]

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 98
• Mississippi Highway 15
• Mississippi Highway 29
• Mississippi Highway 42

Adjacent counties

• Wayne County (northeast)
• Greene County (east)
• George County (southeast)
• Stone County (south)
• Forrest County (west)
• Jones County (northwest)

National protected area

• De Soto National Forest (part)
• Black Creek Wilderness
• Leaf River Wildlife Management Area

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1820	2,037		—
1830	2,300		12.9%
1840	1,889		−17.9%
1850	2,438		29.1%
1860	2,606		6.9%
1870	2,694		3.4%
1880	3,427		27.2%
1890	6,494		89.5%
1900	14,682		126.1%
1910	7,685		−47.7%
1920	8,987		16.9%
1930	8,197		−8.8%
1940	9,292		13.4%
1950	9,108		−2.0%
1960	8,745		−4.0%
1970	9,065		3.7%
1980	9,864		8.8%
1990	10,865		10.1%
2000	12,138		11.7%
2010	12,250		0.9%
2020	11,511		−6.0%
2023 (est.)	11,315	[6]	−1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2013[11]

Perry County racial composition as of 2020^[12]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	8,868	77.04%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	2,097	18.22%
Native American	45	0.39%
Asian	29	0.25%
Pacific Islander	3	0.03%
Other/Mixed	315	2.74%
Hispanic or Latino	154	1.34%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 11,511 people, 4,623 households, and 3,347 families residing in the county.

Communities

Towns

• Beaumont
• New Augusta (county seat)
• Richton

Census-designated place

• Runnelstown

Unincorporated communities

• Corinth
• Good Hope
• Hintonville
• Janice
• Mahned
• Tallahala
• Wingate

Notable people

• John Prentiss Carter, American politician
• Dale Goodin, American politician
• Tristan Jackson, American football player
• Brandon Sumrall, American football player
• De'Lance Turner, American football player

Politics

United States presidential election results for Perry County, Mississippi^[13]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	4,500	76.06%	1,362	23.02%	54	0.91%
2016	4,135	76.12%	1,220	22.46%	77	1.42%
2012	4,137	72.30%	1,527	26.69%	58	1.01%
2008	4,067	71.80%	1,533	27.07%	64	1.13%
2004	3,747	74.49%	1,261	25.07%	22	0.44%
2000	3,026	69.42%	1,285	29.48%	48	1.10%
1996	2,178	53.72%	1,413	34.85%	463	11.42%
1992	2,538	56.39%	1,490	33.10%	473	10.51%
1988	2,983	68.62%	1,326	30.50%	38	0.87%
1984	3,098	65.30%	1,415	29.83%	231	4.87%
1980	2,255	52.90%	1,957	45.91%	51	1.20%
1976	1,527	40.99%	1,965	52.75%	233	6.26%
1972	2,689	84.14%	446	13.95%	61	1.91%
1968	227	7.08%	439	13.69%	2,541	79.23%
1964	1,775	86.42%	279	13.58%	0	0.00%
1960	274	20.39%	514	38.24%	556	41.37%
1956	347	31.55%	581	52.82%	172	15.64%
1952	511	39.52%	782	60.48%	0	0.00%
1948	25	2.85%	87	9.92%	765	87.23%
1944	44	5.24%	796	94.76%	0	0.00%
1940	18	2.13%	828	97.87%	0	0.00%
1936	16	2.12%	737	97.88%	0	0.00%
1932	15	2.77%	523	96.49%	4	0.74%
1928	277	49.46%	283	50.54%	0	0.00%
1924	55	12.09%	383	84.18%	17	3.74%
1920	69	20.00%	271	78.55%	5	1.45%
1916	32	7.11%	395	87.78%	23	5.11%
1912	4	1.27%	257	81.85%	53	16.88%

See also

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

References

1. "Census - Geography Profile: Perry County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. The Notorious Copeland Gang.
4. Perry County, Mississippi Genealogy and History
5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
6. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
9. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
10. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
11. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
12. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
13. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved February 7, 2018.

External links

• Media related to Perry County, Mississippi at Wikimedia Commons
• Mississippi Courthouses – Perry County

31.17°N 88.99°W / 31.17; -88.99