Perry County, Illinois Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Perry County, Illinois, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Perry County, Illinois. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Perry County, Illinois. The estimated population of Perry County, Illinois is 21,158 people, with a median age of 41.5.

We can look at the total population in Perry County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
21,158
+0.31%
-1.44%
2020
21,092
 -0.75% -
2019
21,251
 -0.62% -
2018
21,384
 -0.39% -
2017
21,467
 - -

Population of Perry County, Illinois by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
85.5%
86.3%
 -0.93%
Black/African American
8.5%
8.7%
 -2.30%
Native
0.1%
0.3%
 -66.67%
Hispanic
3.3%
3%
 +10.00%
Asian
0.6%
0.6%
 0.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.1%
1.1%
 +90.91%
Other
0%
0.1%
 -100.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Perry County, Illinois by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 41.5 -0.95% 39.8 -0.25% 44.3 -1.12%
2020 41.9 -0.71% 39.9 0% 44.8 -0.22%
2019 42.2 +1.2% 39.9 +0.76% 44.9 +0.22%
2018 41.7 -0.24% 39.6 -0.25% 44.8 +0.45%
2017 41.8 - 39.7 - 44.6 -

The median age of Perry County, Illinois gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 988 +6.12% 1,055 +12.63% 1,038 1,194
10 to 19 1,424 -6.54% 1,150 -12.29% 1,331 1,012
20 to 29 1,999 -10.48% 1,026 +2.82% 1,795 1,054
30 to 39 1,558 +10.06% 1,042 +1.79% 1,716 1,055
40 to 49 1,840 -11.47% 1,200 -4.83% 1,636 1,129
50 to 59 1,553 +5.54% 1,437 -14.31% 1,638 1,240
60 to 69 1,269 0.31% 1,240 +7.29% 1,266 1,329
70+ 1,201 +2.9% 1,485 +0.48% 1,236 1,489

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Perry County, Illinois is $53,108.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Perry County.

  • Under 25
    $50,281.00
  • 25 to 44
    $62,670.00
  • 45 to 64
    $62,581.00
  • 65 and over
    $42,878.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Perry County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Perry County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Perry County, Illinois is currently $65,926.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

2.18% of households in Perry County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Perry County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    24.51%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    21.89%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    19.60%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    11.64%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    16.02%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    4.16%
  • $200,000 or more
    2.18%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Perry County is $25,903.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Perry County by the total population of Perry County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Perry County, Illinois, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Perry County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    5.41%
  • Bachelor's degree
    16.23%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    18.97%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    54.49%
  • Less than high school diploma
    4.91%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Perry County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Perry County over the age of 16 is 17,601.

Of those people, a total of 47.30% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Perry County is 45.10%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 1,018 44.40% 13.70%
20 to 24 years 1,319 64.70% 10.90%
25 to 29 years 1,530 53.30% 4.20%
30 to 34 years 1,344 58.90% 1.90%
35 to 44 years 2,871 62.50% 8.00%
45 to 54 years 2,717 61.20% 1.70%
55 to 59 years 1,482 57.20% 0.10%
60 to 64 years 1,389 49.50% 1.90%
65 to 74 years 2,288 16.40% 0.00%
75 years and over 1,643 2.60% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Perry County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 15,167 51.70% 4.60%
Black or African American 1,754 7.20% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 18 27.80% 0.00%
Asian 95 82.10% 34.60%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 211 59.20% 0.00%
Two or more races 356 41.60% 0.00%
Hispanic or Latino 646 23.70% 3.90%
Not Hispanic or Latino 14,887 52.50% 4.60%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Perry County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Perry County is 7,932, with median earnings of $37,526.00.

Women in Perry County, Illinois earning approximately 57.60% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 7,932 $37,526.00
Male 4,180 $50,484.00
Female 3,752 $29,089.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 704 $62,500.00
Business and Financial 144 $64,821.00
Computer and Mathematical 37 $47,292.00
Architecture and Engineering 63 $83,098.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 42 $52,167.00
Community and Social Service 261 $51,412.00
Legal 8 $0.00
Educational and Library 419 $45,268.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 72 $28,462.00
Healthcare Practitioners 644 $47,639.00
Healthcare Support 279 $14,844.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 152 $47,455.00
Law Enforcement 312 $68,438.00
Food Preparation and Serving 403 $11,125.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 315 $15,855.00
Personal Care and Service 310 $16,154.00
Sales 597 $24,125.00
Office and Administrative Support 782 $27,048.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 90 $34,054.00
Construction and Extraction 557 $54,769.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 343 $57,813.00
Production 672 $37,056.00
Transportation and Material Moving 387 $39,219.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 420 $73,906.00 284 $41,014.00
Business and Financial 92 $83,690.00 52 $43,636.00
Computer and Mathematical 17 $36,875.00 20 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 63 $83,098.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 7 $0.00 35 $51,583.00
Community and Social Service 76 $29,886.00 185 $51,510.00
Legal 0 $0.00 8 $0.00
Educational and Library 110 $45,536.00 309 $44,861.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 14 $0.00 58 $21,875.00
Healthcare Practitioners 83 $95,685.00 561 $46,829.00
Healthcare Support 11 $14,792.00 268 $14,853.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 136 $65,603.00 16 $0.00
Law Enforcement 262 $67,917.00 50 $72,083.00
Food Preparation and Serving 218 $9,559.00 185 $14,250.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 119 $47,596.00 196 $8,857.00
Personal Care and Service 49 $50,417.00 261 $15,558.00
Sales 253 $23,750.00 344 $24,286.00
Office and Administrative Support 143 $25,347.00 639 $27,578.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 90 $34,054.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 528 $60,300.00 29 $14,107.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 343 $57,813.00 0 $0.00
Production 553 $38,459.00 119 $31,050.00
Transportation and Material Moving 285 $55,856.00 102 $4,118.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 8,108 households in Perry County, with an average household size of 2.29 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 5,262 families in Perry County with an average family size of 2.81 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 3,886 352 1,024 2,846
Average Household Size 2.82 3.08 3.16 1.16
Total Families 3,886 352 1,024 0
Average Household Size 2.8 2.72 2.9 0

Poverty

Of the 5,262 families in Perry County, 14.10% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Perry County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 9,166 housing units in Perry County, Illinois.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 8,108 88.46%
Vacant 1,058 11.54%

17.97% of the total 9,166 housing units in Perry County are rental units. This is approximately 1,647 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 6,068 are occupied by the owner - or 66.20% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Perry County is $610.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Perry County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    393
  • Less than $500
    574
  • $500 to $999
    947
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    90
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    36
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Perry County is $85,800.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Perry County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    1,345
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    2,164
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    969
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    688
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    625
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    213
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    64
  • $1,000,000 or more
    0

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Perry County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Perry County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    2,006
  • 1940 to 1949
    740
  • 1950 to 1959
    711
  • 1960 to 1969
    688
  • 1970 to 1979
    1,459
  • 1980 to 1989
    1,601
  • 1990 to 1999
    711
  • 2000 to 2009
    915
  • 2010 to 2013
    330
  • 2014 or later
    5

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Perry County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    590
  • 1 vehicle available
    2,304
  • 2 vehicles available
    3,279
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    1,935

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Perry County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Perry County that commute to work in a particular way.

24.2 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Perry County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    743
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    1,298
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    718
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    727
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    623
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    413
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    807
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    472
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    382
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    794
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    447
  • 90 or more minutes
    104

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Perry County, Illinois in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Perry County, Illinois

We have data for 31 places in Perry County, Illinois. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.