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Perry County, Alabama facts for kids

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Perry County
Perry County courthouse in Marion
Perry County courthouse in Marion
Map of Alabama highlighting Perry County
Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
Map of the United States highlighting Alabama
Alabama's location within the U.S.
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)
 • Total 8,511
 • Estimate 
(2021)
8,355 Decrease
 • Density 11.756/sq mi (4.539/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 7th
  • County Number 53 on Alabama Licence Plates

Perry County is a county located in the central portion 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.

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

  • US 80.svg U.S. Highway 80
  • Alabama 5.svg State Route 5
  • Alabama 14.svg State Route 14
  • Alabama 61.svg State Route 61
  • Alabama 175.svg State Route 175
  • Alabama 183.svg State Route 183
  • Alabama 219.svg State Route 219
  • Alabama 289.svg State Route 289

Adjacent counties

National protected area

  • Talladega National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population
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%
2021 (est.) 8,355 −21.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2020

2020 census

Perry County racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
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, and the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame located at Judson College. Perry County is home to Marion Military Institute and Judson College.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Perry (Alabama) para niños

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