Perry County, Mississippi
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county
Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,511.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat is New Augusta.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county is named after the War of 1812 naval hero, Oliver Hazard Perry.
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.<ref>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>Perry County, Mississippi Genealogy and History</ref>
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 (0.5%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>
Major highways
[edit]- File:US 98.svg U.S. Highway 98
- File:Circle sign 15.svg Mississippi Highway 15
- File:Circle sign 29.svg Mississippi Highway 29
- File:Circle sign 42.svg Mississippi Highway 42
Adjacent counties
[edit]- Wayne County (northeast)
- Greene County (east)
- George County (southeast)
- Stone County (south)
- Forrest County (west)
- Jones County (northwest)
National protected area
[edit]Demographics
[edit]| 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
[edit]Towns
[edit]- Beaumont
- New Augusta (county seat)
- Richton
Census-designated place
[edit]Unincorporated communities
[edit]Notable people
[edit]- 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
[edit]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.
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Education
[edit]There are two school districts in the county: Perry County Schools and Richton School District.<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>
The county is in the zone for Jones College.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>