Editing Perry County, Mississippi

{{short description|County in Mississippi, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Perry County 
 | state                = Mississippi 
 | seal                 = 
 | founded              = 1820 
 | seat wl              = New Augusta 
 | largest city wl      = Richton 
 | city type            = town 
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 650 
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 647 
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 3.0 
 | area percentage      = 0.5 
 | population_as_of     = 2020 
 | population_total     = 11511 
 | pop_est_as_of        = 
 | population_est       = 
 | population_density_sq_mi = auto 
 | web                  = 
 | ex image             = Perry County Mississippi Courthouse.jpg
 | ex image cap         = Perry County courthouse New Augusta
 | district             = 4th
 | time zone            = Central
 | named for            = [[Oliver Hazard Perry]]
}}

'''Perry County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Mississippi]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 11,511.<ref>{{cite web|title=Census - Geography Profile: Perry County, Mississippi|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Perry_County,_Mississippi?g=0500000US28111|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 14, 2023}}</ref> The [[county seat]] is [[New Augusta, Mississippi|New Augusta]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> The county is named after the War of 1812 naval hero, [[Oliver Hazard Perry]].

Perry County is part of the [[Hattiesburg, Mississippi|Hattiesburg]], MS [[Hattiesburg metropolitan area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

Until 1906, the county seat was the old town of [[Old Augusta Historic Site|Augusta]], near the center of the county on the east bank of the [[Leaf River (Mississippi)|Leaf River]]. At Old Augusta, the outlaw [[James Copeland (outlaw)|James Copeland]] was executed by hanging on October 30, 1857.<ref>[http://www.thepastwhispers.com/Copeland_Gang.html The Notorious Copeland Gang.]</ref>  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.<ref>[http://msgw.org/perry/public_html/History/History.html Perry County, Mississippi Genealogy and History]</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|650|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|647|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|3.0|sqmi}} (0.5%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_28.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 6, 2014|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928074019/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_28.txt|archive-date=September 28, 2013}}</ref>

===Major highways===
* [[Image:US 98.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 98]]
* [[Image:Circle sign 15.svg|20px]] [[Mississippi Highway 15]]
* [[Image:Circle sign 29.svg|20px]] [[Mississippi Highway 29]]
* [[Image:Circle sign 42.svg|20px]] [[Mississippi Highway 42]]

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Wayne County, Mississippi|Wayne County]] (northeast)
* [[Greene County, Mississippi|Greene County]] (east)
* [[George County, Mississippi|George County]] (southeast)
* [[Stone County, Mississippi|Stone County]] (south)
* [[Forrest County, Mississippi|Forrest County]] (west)
* [[Jones County, Mississippi|Jones County]] (northwest)

===National protected area===
* [[De Soto National Forest]] (part)
* [[Black Creek Wilderness]]
* [[Leaf River Wildlife Management Area]]

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1820= 2037
|1830= 2300
|1840= 1889
|1850= 2438
|1860= 2606
|1870= 2694
|1880= 3427
|1890= 6494
|1900= 14682
|1910= 7685
|1920= 8987
|1930= 8197
|1940= 9292
|1950= 9108
|1960= 8745
|1970= 9065
|1980= 9864
|1990= 10865
|2000= 12138
|2010= 12250
|2020= 11511
|estyear=2023
|estimate=11315
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 5, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 6, 2014}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=November 6, 2014}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ms190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 6, 2014}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 6, 2014}}</ref> 2010-2013<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/28/28111.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 5, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607051818/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/28/28111.html|archive-date=June 7, 2011}}</ref>
}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+Perry County racial composition as of 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US28111&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 16, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|8,868
|77.04%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|2,097
|18.22%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|45
|0.39%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|29
|0.25%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
|3
|0.03%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|315
|2.74%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|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, Mississippi|Beaumont]]
* [[New Augusta, Mississippi|New Augusta]] (county seat)
* [[Richton, Mississippi|Richton]]

===Census-designated place===
* [[Runnelstown, Mississippi|Runnelstown]]

===Unincorporated communities===
* [[Corinth, Perry County, Mississippi|Corinth]]
* [[Good Hope, Perry County, Mississippi|Good Hope]]
* [[Hintonville, Mississippi|Hintonville]]
* [[Janice, Mississippi|Janice]]
* [[Mahned, Mississippi|Mahned]]
* [[Tallahala, Mississippi|Tallahala]]
* [[Wingate, Mississippi|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==
Perry County is strongly Republican. It has selected the Republican presidential candidate in every election since 1976, often by large margins. Every election from 2016 through 2024 was the best subsequent Republican performance in the county since 1972.

{{PresHead|place=Perry County, Mississippi|whig=no|source1=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=February 7, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP/Whig vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|4,425|1,078|36|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|4,500|1,362|54|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|4,135|1,220|77|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|4,137|1,527|58|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|4,067|1,533|64|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|3,747|1,261|22|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|3,026|1,285|48|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|2,178|1,413|463|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|2,538|1,490|473|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|2,983|1,326|38|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|3,098|1,415|231|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|2,255|1,957|51|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|1,527|1,965|233|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|2,689|446|61|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1968|American Independent|227|439|2,541|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|1,775|279|0|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1960|Dixiecrat|274|514|556|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|347|581|172|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|511|782|0|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1948|Dixiecrat|25|87|765|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|44|796|0|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|18|828|0|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|16|737|0|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|15|523|4|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|277|283|0|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|55|383|17|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|69|271|5|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|32|395|23|Mississippi}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|4|257|53|Mississippi}}

==Education==
There are two school districts in the county: [[Perry County School District (Mississippi)|Perry County Schools]] and [[Richton School District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st28_ms/schooldistrict_maps/c28111_perry/DC20SD_C28111.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Perry County, MS|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-09-27}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st28_ms/schooldistrict_maps/c28111_perry/DC20SD_C28111_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>

The county is in the zone for [[Jones College (Mississippi)|Jones College]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jcjc.edu/about/profile.php|title=Profile|publisher=[[Jones College (Mississippi)|Jones College]]|access-date=2024-09-27}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Mississippi#Perry County|National Register of Historic Places listings in Perry County, Mississippi]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Perry County, Mississippi}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070310234904/http://www.mississippicourthouses.com/Perry/ Mississippi Courthouses – Perry County]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Perry County, Mississippi
|North     =
|Northeast = [[Wayne County, Mississippi|Wayne County]]
|East      = [[Greene County, Mississippi|Greene County]]
|Southeast = [[George County, Mississippi|George County]]
|South     = [[Stone County, Mississippi|Stone County]]
|Southwest =
|West      = [[Forrest County, Mississippi|Forrest County]]
|Northwest = [[Jones County, Mississippi|Jones County]]
}}

{{Perry County, Mississippi}}
{{Mississippi}}

{{coord|31.17|-88.99|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-MS_source:UScensus1990}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Perry County, Mississippi| ]]
[[Category:Mississippi counties]]
[[Category:Hattiesburg metropolitan area]]
[[Category:1820 establishments in Mississippi]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1820]]