Perry County, Pennsylvania facts for kids

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Perry County

U.S. county

Saville Covered Bridge in Saville Township, October 2010

Flag

Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Pennsylvania

Founded

March 22, 1820

Largest Borough

Area

• Total

556 sq mi (1,440 km²)

• Land

551 sq mi (1,430 km²)

• Water

4.1 sq mi (11 km²) 0.7%%

Population

(2020)

• Total

45,842

• Density

82.45/sq mi (31.834/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

13th

Perry County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. In 2020, about 45,842 people lived there. The main town, or county seat, is New Bloomfield.

The county was created on March 22, 1820. It was named after Oliver Hazard Perry, a famous hero from the War of 1812. Perry County was originally part of Cumberland County. People wanted their own county because it was hard to travel over the mountains to Carlisle, which was the county seat of Cumberland County.

At first, Landisburg was the temporary county seat. Later, New Bloomfield was chosen as the permanent one. Perry County is part of the South Central Pennsylvania region. It is also part of the larger Harrisburg–York–Lebanon combined statistical area.

In 2010, the center of Pennsylvania's population was in eastern Perry County. Green Park is a small village that marks the middle point of the county. It's between the mountains in the west and the Susquehanna River in the east.

Geography of Perry County

Perry County's landscape is shaped by the Appalachian Mountain ridges. These ridges run from the southwest to the northeast. The highest point is on the Blue Mountain Ridge, which is the border with Cumberland County. This spot is about 2,269 feet (692 meters) above sea level.

The Susquehanna River flows south and forms most of the county's eastern border. The Juniata River enters from Juniata County and joins the Susquehanna River near Duncannon. Many smaller creeks and lakes are also found here. These waterways are great for fishing and boating, like canoeing and kayaking on Shermans Creek.

The county covers about 556 square miles (1,440 km²). Most of this area, 551 square miles (1,427 km²), is land. The rest is water.

The famous Appalachian Trail passes through Duncannon. Perry County is also known as the start of the Tuscarora Trail.

Climate and Nature

Perry County has a humid continental climate, meaning it has hot summers. Average temperatures in New Bloomfield range from about 28.5°F (-1.9°C) in January to 73.2°F (22.9°C) in July.

You can find many types of trees here, such as red maple, Virginia pine, oak, and eastern white pine. Other common trees include eastern hemlock, birch, and shagbark hickory. You might also see American sycamore, black walnut, and sassafras. Mosses and ferns are common, especially in shaded areas and along streams.

Neighboring Counties

Juniata County - north
Northumberland County - northeast
Dauphin County - east
Cumberland County - south
Franklin County - southwest

Main Roads

US 11 / US 15
US 22 / US 322
PA 17
PA 34
PA 74
PA 104
PA 233
PA 235
PA 274
PA 849
PA 850

Parks and Protected Areas

Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area
Fowlers Hollow State Park
Little Buffalo State Park
Colonel Denning State Park (part)
Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural Area
State Game Lands Number 88
State Game Lands Number 170
State Game Lands Number 256
State Game Lands Number 281
Tuscarora State Forest (part)

Population of Perry County

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	11,342	—
1830	14,261	25.7%
1840	17,096	19.9%
1850	20,088	17.5%
1860	22,793	13.5%
1870	25,447	11.6%
1880	27,522	8.2%
1890	26,276	−4.5%
1900	26,263	0.0%
1910	24,136	−8.1%
1920	22,875	−5.2%
1930	21,744	−4.9%
1940	23,213	6.8%
1950	24,782	6.8%
1960	26,582	7.3%
1970	28,615	7.6%
1980	35,718	24.8%
1990	41,172	15.3%
2000	43,609	5.9%
2010	45,969	5.4%
2020	45,842	−0.3%
2023 (est.)	46,083	0.2%
US Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2017 2010-2020

What the 2020 Census Shows

In 2020, the census counted 45,842 people in Perry County. Most people, about 93.4%, identified as White. Smaller groups included Black or African American people (0.63%), Asian people (0.3%), and Native American people (0.11%). About 2% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Perry County Racial Composition
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (NH)	42,838	93.4%
Black or African American (NH)	289	0.63%
Native American (NH)	50	0.11%
Asian (NH)	139	0.3%
Pacific Islander (NH)	3	0.01%
Other/Mixed (NH)	1,611	3.51%
Hispanic or Latino	912	2%

Metropolitan Areas

Perry County is part of the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). An MSA is a region with a large population center and nearby areas that are closely linked. This MSA was the 6th largest in Pennsylvania in 2010.

Perry County is also part of an even larger area called the Harrisburg–York–Lebanon combined statistical area (CSA). A CSA includes several MSAs that are connected. This CSA includes Perry, Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, and York Counties. It was the 5th largest in Pennsylvania in 2010.

Emergency Services

Perry County's emergency services are located in the basement of the Perry County Courthouse. The 911 center helps people in almost all of Perry County. It also covers parts of Juniata and Dauphin counties.

Education in Perry County

Public Schools

Perry County has several public school districts:

Greenwood School District (also serves parts of Juniata County)
Newport School District
Susquenita School District (also serves parts of Dauphin County)
West Perry School District
Fannett-Metal School District (located in Franklin County, but covers parts of Perry County)

The Capital Area Intermediate Unit 15 helps these school districts. It provides services like K-12 curriculum, shared resources, and special education support.

Private Schools

Many private schools are also in Perry County:

Blue Goose Children's Learning Center, Inc – Newport
Carson Long Military Institute
Clarks Run Parochial School – Blain
Community Christian Academy – Newport
Farm Lane School – Ickesburg
Fowlers Hollow School – Blain
Heritage Christian School – West Perry
Honeysuckle Ridge School – Elliotsburg
Kuddly Bear Child Care Center Inc. – Duncannon
Loysville Youth Development Center – Loysville
Manassa School – Blain
Messiah Day Care Center – Elliottsburg
Mountain View Parochial School – Ickesburg
Perry View Parochial School – Landisburg
Raccoon Valley Amish School – Millerstown
Shermans View School – Loysville
Stony Point School – Loysville
Sunset Valley School – Millerstown

Trade Schools

Central Pennsylvania Diesel Institute – Liverpool

Public Libraries

New Bloomfield Public Library
Community Library of Western Perry County
Marysville-Rye Public Library
Newport Public Library

Media and Books

Newspapers

Perry County has four weekly newspapers. Three are published by Advance Publications: the Duncannon Record, The News-Sun, and Perry County Times. The Perry County Weekly is published by The Sentinel in Carlisle.

Books about Perry County

Many historical books have been written about Perry County. You can find them at the Council of the Arts in Newport and other places. These books cover topics like the history of the Blain area and the lives of early settlers along Shermans Creek. Some books even describe a Civil War battle that happened at Sterrett's Gap. A local author, Roy F. Chandler, wrote many books about the county.

Communities in Perry County

Map of Perry County, with Boroughs (red) and Townships (white)

In Pennsylvania, there are different types of towns and areas. These include cities, boroughs, and townships. Here are the main communities in Perry County:

Boroughs

Boroughs are like small towns with their own local government.

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller places that are not officially part of a borough or city.

Acker
Andersonburg
Alinda
Amity Hall
Aqueduct
Bailey
Bixler
Bridgeport
Centre
Center Square
Cisna Run
Couchtown
Cove
Crums Corners
Dellville
Donnally Mills
Dromgold
Elliottsburg
Erly
Eshcol
Everhartville
Falling Spring
Fort Robertson
Glenvale
Gramere
Green Park
Half Falls
Ickesburg
Juniata Furnace
Keystone
Kinkora Heights
Kistler
Little Germany
Losh Run
Loysville
Mannsville
Marklesville
McKee
Mecks Corner
Milltown
Montebello
Montgomery Ferry
Mount Patrick
Mount Pleasant
Nekoda
New Germantown
Oakgrove
Old Ferry
Perdix
Pine Grove
Pfoutz Valley
Reward
Rose Glen
Roseburg
Saville
Seyoc
Shermans Dale
Stony Point
Sundy Place
Wahneta
Walnut Grove
Wardville
Wila

Townships

Townships are larger areas that often include smaller villages or rural areas.

Buffalo
Carroll
Centre
Greenwood
Howe
Jackson
Juniata
Liverpool
Miller
Northeast Madison
Oliver
Penn
Rye
Saville
Southwest Madison
Spring
Toboyne
Tuscarora
Tyrone
Watts
Wheatfield

Largest Communities by Population

Here are the largest communities in Perry County based on the 2010 census:

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2010 Census)
1	Marysville	Borough	2,534
2	Newport	Borough	1,574
3	Duncannon	Borough	1,522
4	† New Bloomfield	Borough	1,247
5	Liverpool	Borough	955
6	Millerstown	Borough	673
7	Blain	Borough	263
8	Landisburg	Borough	218
9	New Buffalo	Borough	129

Economy and History

A barn near Duncannon

Perry County's economy is mostly based on farming. You can find many farmers markets, roadside stands, and farm stores throughout the county. Two well-known farms are Spiral Path Farm and Yeehaw Farm. About 38% of the county's land is farmland.

In the past, mills were very important here. They used water power to grind grain or saw wood. There are still 21 old mills standing today. Early settlers weren't allowed in the area until 1755. Even then, it wasn't safe, and many pioneers had to leave because of Native American attacks. They could safely return in 1762. The first mill was taxed in 1763.

Almost every stream had a sawmill. These mills provided wood for the first buildings and boardwalks in the county.