Perry County, Arkansas
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county
Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Its population was 10,019 at the 2020 United States census.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat is Perryville.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was formed on December 18, 1840, and named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, naval hero in the War of 1812. It is an alcohol prohibition or dry county.
Perry County is included in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway metropolitan area.
Geography
[edit]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 (1.6%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> It is the fourth-smallest county in Arkansas by land area and third-smallest by total area.
Major highways
[edit]- File:Arkansas 7.svg Highway 7
- File:Arkansas 9.svg Highway 9
- File:Arkansas 10.svg Highway 10
- File:Arkansas 60.svg Highway 60
- File:Arkansas 113.svg Highway 113
- File:Arkansas 300.svg Highway 300
Adjacent counties
[edit]- Conway County (north)
- Faulkner County (northeast)
- Pulaski County (east)
- Saline County (southeast)
- Garland County (southwest)
- Yell County (west)
National protected area
[edit]- Ouachita National Forest (part)
Demographics
[edit]
2020 census
[edit]| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 9,069 | 90.52% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 107 | 1.07% |
| Native American | 43 | 0.43% |
| Asian | 12 | 0.12% |
| Other/Mixed | 502 | 5.01% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 286 | 2.85% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,019 people, 3,668 households, and 2,824 families residing in the county.
2000 census
[edit]As of the 2000 census,<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> there were 10,209 people, 3,989 households, and 2,939 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 4,702 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 95.62% White, 1.73% Black or African American, 0.98% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. 1.18% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,989 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.10% were married couples living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were non-families. 23.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.30% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,083, and the median income for a family was $37,170. Males had a median income of $28,254 versus $21,462 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,216. About 10.50% of families and 14.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.00% of those under age 18 and 15.00% of those age 65 or over.
Government and Politics
[edit]Government
[edit]The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Arkansas and the Arkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called justices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Perry County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief executive officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Position | Officeholder | Party |
|---|---|---|
| County Judge | Larry Blackmon | Republican |
| County/Circuit Clerk | Renee Rainey | Republican |
| Sheriff/Collector | Ricky Don Jones | Republican |
| Treasurer | Jessica Spinks | Republican |
| Assessor | Amanda Hawkins | Democratic |
| Coroner | Wes Harris | Republican |
The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 8 Republicans and 1 Democrat. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- District 1: Travis Bentley (R)
- District 2: Dale Payne (R)
- District 3: Ronnie Lee (R)
- District 4: Shane Treadway (R)
- District 5: Edward Evans (D)
- District 6: Charlie Clements (R)
- District 7: David Hoyt (R)
- District 8: Benjamin D. Lee (R)
- District 9: Scott Skinkle (R)
Additionally, the townships of Perry County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by the Constitution of Arkansas. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Houston: Randall E. Luyet (R)
- Perry: Bart Hight (R)
Cherry Hill Township also elects its own committee board. The committee board member at-large is Phylis McMoran (D).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Politics
[edit]Over the past few election cycles Perry County has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democrat (as of 2024) to carry this county was Bill Clinton in 1996. Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot
Tourism
[edit]Just west of the Little Rock Metro Area, Perry County is a rural area set in the Ouachita Mountains with much of the county is within the Ouachita National Forest. Multiple points of interest of the National Forest are located within Perry County, to include the Flatside Wilderness Area, the Ouachita National Recreation Trail, Flatside Pinnacle Mountain, Lake Sylvia Recreation Area, the Hollis CCC Camp, the South Fourche Recreation Area and multiple watershed lakes and streams. Other popular outdoor recreation-related points of interest in the county include Nimrod Lake, Harris Brake Lake, Toad Suck Park, the Arkansas River, the Fourche LaFave River, and the South Fourche LaFave River.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
For history buffs, the Perry County Museum in Perryville's Historic Commercial District provides several exhibits on the history of Perry County and its communities. The Hollis Country Store in Hollis is a popular roadside stop for travelers on Scenic Highway 7 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Perry County's most popular annual event is the Arkansas Goat Festival<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> held in the Fall drawing thousands of tourists from around the country. Perry County is also the location of Heifer Ranch, an arm of Heifer International, a nonprofit which provides food and agricultural training for people all across the globe.
Communities
[edit]Cities
[edit]- Adona
- Perryville (county seat)
Towns
[edit]Census-designated place
[edit]Other unincorporated communities
[edit]Townships
[edit]Template:Arkansas Townships About <ref>Template:Cite map</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Aplin
- Casa (Casa)
- Cherry Hill
- Fourche Lafavre (most of Perryville)
- Houston (Houston)
- Kenney
- Lake (Perry)
- Maumelle
- New Tennessee
- Perry (Bigelow, Fourche)
- Petit Jean (Adona)
- Rankin
- Rose Creek
- Tyler
- Union
- Union Valley (small part of Perryville)
- Wye
Notable people
[edit]- Mary Elizabeth Bentley (born 1961), Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives since 2015
- Len E. Blaylock (1918–2012), Republican politician from Nimrod in Perry County
- Bob Dorough (1923–2018), American bebop and jazz pianist most recognizable from Schoolhouse Rock! fame.
See also
[edit]- List of lakes in Perry County, Arkansas
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Perry County, Arkansas
References
[edit]<references />