# Perry County, Mississippi

Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,511. The county seat is New Augusta. 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. 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.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 650 square miles (1,700 km$^2$), of which 647 square miles (1,680 km$^2$) is land and 3.0 square miles (7.8 km$^2$) (0.5%) is water.

### Major highways

* U.S. Highway 98
* Mississippi Highway 15
* Mississippi Highway 29
* Mississippi Highway 42

### Adjacent counties

* Wayne County (northeast)
* Greene County (east)
* George County (southeast)
* Stone County (south)
* Forrest County (west)
* Jones County (northwest)

### National protected area

* De Soto National Forest (part)
* Black Creek Wilderness
* Leaf River Wildlife Management Area

## Demographics

Perry County racial composition as of 2020 :
| 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
### Towns

* Beaumont
* New Augusta (county seat)
* Richton

### Census-designated place

* Runnelstown

### Unincorporated communities

* Corinth
* Good Hope
* Hintonville
* Janice
* Mahned
* Tallahala
* 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

United States presidential election results for Perry County, Mississippi :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 4,425 | 79.89% | 1,078 | 19.46% | 36 | 0.65% |
| 2020 | 4,500 | 76.06% | 1,362 | 23.02% | 54 | 0.91% |
| 2016 | 4,135 | 76.12% | 1,220 | 22.46% | 77 | 1.42% |
| 2012 | 4,137 | 72.30% | 1,527 | 26.69% | 58 | 1.01% |
| 2008 | 4,067 | 71.80% | 1,533 | 27.07% | 64 | 1.13% |
| 2004 | 3,747 | 74.49% | 1,261 | 25.07% | 22 | 0.44% |
| 2000 | 3,026 | 69.42% | 1,285 | 29.48% | 48 | 1.10% |
| 1996 | 2,178 | 53.72% | 1,413 | 34.85% | 463 | 11.42% |
| 1992 | 2,538 | 56.39% | 1,490 | 33.10% | 473 | 10.51% |
| 1988 | 2,983 | 68.62% | 1,326 | 30.50% | 38 | 0.87% |
| 1984 | 3,098 | 65.30% | 1,415 | 29.83% | 231 | 4.87% |
| 1980 | 2,255 | 52.90% | 1,957 | 45.91% | 51 | 1.20% |
| 1976 | 1,527 | 40.99% | 1,965 | 52.75% | 233 | 6.26% |
| 1972 | 2,689 | 84.14% | 446 | 13.95% | 61 | 1.91% |
| 1968 | 227 | 7.08% | 439 | 13.69% | 2,541 | 79.23% |
| 1964 | 1,775 | 86.42% | 279 | 13.58% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 274 | 20.39% | 514 | 38.24% | 556 | 41.37% |
| 1956 | 347 | 31.55% | 581 | 52.82% | 172 | 15.64% |
| 1952 | 511 | 39.52% | 782 | 60.48% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 25 | 2.85% | 87 | 9.92% | 765 | 87.23% |
| 1944 | 44 | 5.24% | 796 | 94.76% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 18 | 2.13% | 828 | 97.87% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 16 | 2.12% | 737 | 97.88% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 15 | 2.77% | 523 | 96.49% | 4 | 0.74% |
| 1928 | 277 | 49.46% | 283 | 50.54% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 55 | 12.09% | 383 | 84.18% | 17 | 3.74% |
| 1920 | 69 | 20.00% | 271 | 78.55% | 5 | 1.45% |
| 1916 | 32 | 7.11% | 395 | 87.78% | 23 | 5.11% |
| 1912 | 4 | 1.27% | 257 | 81.85% | 53 | 16.88% |

## Education

There are two school districts in the county: Perry County Schools and Richton School District.
The county is in the zone for Jones College.