Perry, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Perry, Florida
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| City of Perry | ||
Perry City Hall and Fire Department
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| Motto(s):
North Florida's Shining Star
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Location in Taylor County and the state of Florida
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Florida |
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| County | Taylor | |
| Incorporated | 1903 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Council-Manager | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 9.43 sq mi (24.43 km2) | |
| • Land | 9.43 sq mi (24.43 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) | |
| Elevation | 46 ft (14 m) | |
| Population
(2023)
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| • Total | 7,059 | |
| • Density | 731.34/sq mi (282.37/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP codes |
32347-32348
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| Area code(s) | 850 | |
| FIPS code | 12-56150 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0288724 | |
Perry is a city and the county seat of Taylor County, Florida, United States. As of 2020[update], the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 6,898. The city was named for Madison Perry, fourth governor of the state of Florida and a Confederate colonel during the American Civil War.
Contents
History
In 1922, Perry was a very small town of less than 2,000 people.
In August 2023, Hurricane Idalia impacted Florida. Perry was in the path of the storm and suffered damage across the city. In September 2024, Hurricane Helene made a direct hit on Perry as a Category 4-strength storm.
Geography
The exact coordinates for Perry's location is at 30°06′52″N 83°34′57″W / 30.114311°N 83.582609°W.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.3 square miles (24 km2), all land.
Perry is approximately 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Tallahassee.
Climate
| Climate data for Perry, Florida, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1897–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 85 (29) |
87 (31) |
90 (32) |
95 (35) |
100 (38) |
103 (39) |
104 (40) |
102 (39) |
99 (37) |
95 (35) |
93 (34) |
89 (32) |
104 (40) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 79.0 (26.1) |
81.2 (27.3) |
85.0 (29.4) |
88.3 (31.3) |
93.7 (34.3) |
96.4 (35.8) |
96.8 (36.0) |
96.2 (35.7) |
94.1 (34.5) |
90.2 (32.3) |
85.2 (29.6) |
80.3 (26.8) |
98.3 (36.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 66.0 (18.9) |
69.3 (20.7) |
74.5 (23.6) |
79.9 (26.6) |
86.0 (30.0) |
89.2 (31.8) |
90.4 (32.4) |
89.9 (32.2) |
87.7 (30.9) |
81.7 (27.6) |
74.1 (23.4) |
68.3 (20.2) |
79.8 (26.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 54.7 (12.6) |
57.8 (14.3) |
62.6 (17.0) |
68.1 (20.1) |
74.9 (23.8) |
80.1 (26.7) |
81.8 (27.7) |
81.7 (27.6) |
79.0 (26.1) |
71.3 (21.8) |
62.4 (16.9) |
57.1 (13.9) |
69.3 (20.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 43.4 (6.3) |
46.4 (8.0) |
50.6 (10.3) |
56.3 (13.5) |
63.9 (17.7) |
71.0 (21.7) |
73.2 (22.9) |
73.5 (23.1) |
70.2 (21.2) |
60.8 (16.0) |
50.7 (10.4) |
46.0 (7.8) |
58.8 (14.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 21.9 (−5.6) |
25.2 (−3.8) |
29.1 (−1.6) |
38.0 (3.3) |
48.5 (9.2) |
61.9 (16.6) |
65.9 (18.8) |
66.4 (19.1) |
57.4 (14.1) |
40.0 (4.4) |
29.6 (−1.3) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
20.1 (−6.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 7 (−14) |
14 (−10) |
19 (−7) |
29 (−2) |
40 (4) |
46 (8) |
55 (13) |
57 (14) |
42 (6) |
28 (−2) |
14 (−10) |
10 (−12) |
7 (−14) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.76 (121) |
3.37 (86) |
4.74 (120) |
3.06 (78) |
3.52 (89) |
7.22 (183) |
7.09 (180) |
8.59 (218) |
4.81 (122) |
2.86 (73) |
2.20 (56) |
2.77 (70) |
54.99 (1,397) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.8 | 8.3 | 7.4 | 6.1 | 6.9 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.5 | 9.3 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 7.3 | 108.3 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 1,012 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,956 | 93.3% | |
| 1930 | 2,744 | 40.3% | |
| 1940 | 2,668 | −2.8% | |
| 1950 | 2,797 | 4.8% | |
| 1960 | 8,030 | 187.1% | |
| 1970 | 7,701 | −4.1% | |
| 1980 | 8,254 | 7.2% | |
| 1990 | 7,151 | −13.4% | |
| 2000 | 6,847 | −4.3% | |
| 2010 | 7,017 | 2.5% | |
| 2020 | 6,898 | −1.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 and 2020 census
| Race | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 3,804 | 3,554 | 54.21% | 51.52% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 2,803 | 2,694 | 39.95% | 39.05% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 34 | 26 | 0.48% | 0.38% |
| Asian (NH) | 96 | 153 | 1.37% | 2.22% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 1 | 0 | 0.01% | 0.00% |
| Some other race (NH) | 3 | 17 | 0.04% | 0.25% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 124 | 218 | 1.77% | 3.16% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 152 | 236 | 2.17% | 3.42% |
| Total | 7,017 | 6,898 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,898 people, 2,443 households, and 1,808 families residing in the city.
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 7,017 people, 2,366 households, and 1,618 families residing in the city.
Education
Students are served by the Taylor County School District. For the 2007–2008 school year, the Florida Department of Education gave the District a "B" grade, with each of its four schools earning a "B" as well.
Taylor County High School's Bulldogs were the 1977–1978 Class 3A football District 3, Region 2 and State Semi-final Champions, losing to Bartow HS in the championship game, 7–0. The 1978–1979 football team were the District 3 champions and lost to Milton HS in the Regional championship game. The 1980–1981 football team were the District 3 champions and Region 2 runner-up, losing to Milton HS in the Regional championship game. The football team won 1997–1998 Class 3A State Championship. In 2010, the Bulldogs completed an undefeated football season going 10–0, claiming the district championship.
Transportation
Perry–Foley Airport is a public-use airport located 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the central business district.
The city is served by Perry Shuttle, a bus route operated by Big Bend Transit.
Roads
U.S. Highways
US 19
US 27
US 27 Alt.
US 98
US 221
US 221 Truck
Law enforcement
The Perry Police Department (PPD) is a 24-person agency with four Patrol K-9 teams. To be certified, each handler and K-9 partner receive at least 500 hours of training and, in some instances, as many as 800 hours.
Notable people
- LeGarrette Blount, NFL player
- Ethel Cain, singer-songwriter and artist
- J. Broward Culpepper, university administrator
- Victoria Joyce Ely, World War I veteran and nurse
- O. W. Jones, politician
- Claude Pepper, law professor and politician
- Herbert St. John, NFL player
- Saucy Santana, American rapper
- Troy Sneed, gospel singer-songwriter
- Rick Tuten, NFL player
- C. Bette Wimbish, civil rights activist and politician
