Perry County, Tennessee

Infobox U.S. County
county = Perry County
state = Tennessee


seallink =
founded = 1819
seat = Linden
largest city = Linden
area_total_sq_mi = 423
area_total_km2 = 1095
area_land_sq_mi = 415
area_land_km2 = 1075
area_water_sq_mi = 8
area_water_km2 = 21
area percentage = 1.89%
census yr = 2000
pop = 7631
density_sq_mi = 18
density_km2 = 7
time zone = Central
UTC offset = -6
DST offset= -7
footnotes =
web = |

Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It was named after the War of 1812 naval hero, Oliver Hazard Perry. As of 2000, the population is 7,631. Its county seat is LindenGR|6.

Perry County is served by Perry County Airport near Linden, Tennessee.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 423 square miles (1,095 km²), of which, 415 square miles (1,075 km²) of it is land and 8 square miles (21 km²) of it (1.89%) is water. Perry County is bordered on the west by the Tennessee River (Kentucky Lake), and is bisected (north-south) by the Buffalo River.

Adjacent counties

*Humphreys County (north)
*Hickman County (northeast)
*Lewis County (southeast)
*Wayne County (south)
*Decatur County (west)
*Benton County (northwest)

History

Perry County was formed in 1819 from parts of Humphreys and Hickman counties. It is named in honor of Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819), American War of 1812 naval officer who, after his flagship was damaged, continued the fight from another ship and forced the surrender of the British fleet. Decatur County was formed from the portions of Perry County west of the Tennessee River.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 7,631 people, 3,023 households, and 2,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 18 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 4,115 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.55% White, 1.70% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 3,023 households out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.30% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.40% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the county, the population was spread out with 24.40% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 25.40% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 16.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,061, and the median income for a family was $34,792. Males had a median income of $26,626 versus $21,053 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,969. About 12.60% of families and 15.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.00% of those under age 18 and 19.60% of those age 65 or over.

Perry County is notable for having the lowest population density in the state of Tennessee.

Localities

Municipalities

*Linden — town
*Lobelville — city

Other communities

*Chestnut Grove
*Flat Woods
*Pine View

References

External links

*dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Tennessee/Counties/Perry/|Perry County