Perry County, Alabama facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Perry County
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Perry County courthouse in Marion
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Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
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 Alabama's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Alabama |
| Founded | December 13, 1819 |
| Named for | Oliver Hazard Perry |
| Seat | Marion |
| Largest city | Marion |
| Area | |
| • Total | 724 sq mi (1,880 km2) |
| • Land | 720 sq mi (1,900 km2) |
| • Water | 4.2 sq mi (11 km2) 0.6% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 8,511 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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7,738  |
| • Density | 11.756/sq mi (4.539/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 7th |
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Perry County is a county located in the Black Belt region in the central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,511. Its county seat is Marion. The county was established in 1819 and is named in honor of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry of Rhode Island and the United States Navy. As of 2020[update] Perry County was the only county in Alabama, and one of 40 in the United States, not to have access to any wired broadband connections.
Contents
History
The Perry County town of Marion was the site of a 1965 killing of an unarmed black man, Jimmie Lee Jackson, by a white state trooper, James Bonard Fowler, which sparked the Selma to Montgomery marches. In 2008, the county voted to establish a Barack Obama Day, a legal holiday, every second Monday of November.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 724 square miles (1,880 km2), of which 720 square miles (1,900 km2) is land and 4.2 square miles (11 km2) (0.6%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 80
State Route 5
State Route 14
State Route 61
State Route 175
State Route 183
State Route 219
State Route 289
Adjacent counties
- Bibb County (north)
- Chilton County (northeast)
- Dallas County (east)
- Marengo County (southwest)
- Hale County (west)
National protected area
- Talladega National Forest (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 3,646 | — | |
| 1830 | 11,490 | 215.1% | |
| 1840 | 19,086 | 66.1% | |
| 1850 | 22,285 | 16.8% | |
| 1860 | 27,724 | 24.4% | |
| 1870 | 24,975 | −9.9% | |
| 1880 | 30,741 | 23.1% | |
| 1890 | 29,332 | −4.6% | |
| 1900 | 31,783 | 8.4% | |
| 1910 | 31,222 | −1.8% | |
| 1920 | 25,373 | −18.7% | |
| 1930 | 26,385 | 4.0% | |
| 1940 | 26,610 | 0.9% | |
| 1950 | 20,439 | −23.2% | |
| 1960 | 17,358 | −15.1% | |
| 1970 | 15,388 | −11.3% | |
| 1980 | 15,012 | −2.4% | |
| 1990 | 12,759 | −15.0% | |
| 2000 | 11,861 | −7.0% | |
| 2010 | 10,591 | −10.7% | |
| 2020 | 8,511 | −19.6% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 7,738 | −26.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,345 | 27.55% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 5,914 | 69.49% |
| Native American | 15 | 0.18% |
| Asian | 10 | 0.12% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 137 | 1.61% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 89 | 1.05% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,511 people, 3,070 households, and 1,476 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 10,591 people living in the county. 68.7% were Black or African American, 30.3% White, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% of some other race and 0.4% of two or more races. 1.1% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).
Communities
Cities
Unincorporated communities
Places of interest
Perry County is home to Perry Lakes Park, part of the Talladega National Forest, the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame located at Judson College, and Marion Military Institute.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Perry (Alabama) para niños
