Perry County is a county in Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 20,945. Its county seat is Pinckneyville. It is located in the southern portion of Illinois known as "Little Egypt".

History

Perry County was formed in 1827 out of Jackson and Randolph counties. It was named in honor of Oliver Hazard Perry who defeated the British fleet at the decisive Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.

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File:Perry County Illinois 1827.png|Perry County at the time of its creation in 1827

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In its early history, Perry County was mainly an inland pioneer outpost. Early settlers, including some Revolutionary War veterans bearing land grants, moved here from the Eastern United States. These were primarily Protestant settlers. Growth boomed in the 1850s for two reasons: construction of the Illinois Central Railroad through the eastern portion of the county, and the discovery of large coal reserves. Immigrants from Ireland, Poland, Germany, Italy and elsewhere steadily increased the county's population from 1850 through the 1920s. African Americans also were established in the county during northward migration following the Civil War.

Mining continued to be the dominant employment sector through the 1990s.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.2%) is water.

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Pinckneyville have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1912 and a record high of was recorded in July 1934. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in May.

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|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<br />1790-1960 1900-1990<br />1990-2000 2010

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2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 20,945. The median age was 42.0 years. 19.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 117.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 121.1 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 85.6% White, 8.0% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.9% from some other race, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.4% of the population.

28.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 71.7% lived in rural areas.

There were 8,014 households in the county, of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.5% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|-

|White alone (NH)

|21,138

|20,812

|20,563

|19,463

|style='background: #ffffe6; |17,779

|97.35%

|97.20%

|89.04%

|87.08%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |84.88%

|-

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|418

|387

|1,849

|1,856

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,653

|1.93%

|1.81%

|8.01%

|8.30%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |7.89%

|-

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|21

|23

|46

|43

|style='background: #ffffe6; |34

|0.10%

|0.11%

|0.20%

|0.19%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.16%

|-

|Asian alone (NH)

|33

|63

|63

|87

|style='background: #ffffe6; |125

|0.15%

|0.29%

|0.27%

|0.39%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.60%

|-

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|x

|x

|4

|8

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1

|x

|x

|0.02%

|0.04%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%

|-

|Other race alone (NH)

|26

|7

|7

|16

|style='background: #ffffe6; |34

|0.12%

|0.03%

|0.03%

|0.07%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.16%

|-

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|x

|x

|156

|278

|style='background: #ffffe6; |605

|x

|x

|0.68%

|1.24%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.89%

|-

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|78

|120

|406

|599

|style='background: #ffffe6; |714

|0.36%

|0.56%

|1.76%

|2.68%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.41%

|-

|Total

|21,714

|21,412

|23,094

|22,350

|style='background: #ffffe6; |20,945

|100.00%

|100.00%

|100.00%

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

|}

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 22,350&nbsp;people, 8,335&nbsp;households, and 5,622&nbsp;families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 9,426 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 87.9% white, 8.3% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.6% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.7% of the population.

Of the 8,335&nbsp;households, 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.5% were non-families, and 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 39.4 years.

Communities

Perry County never adopted a township form of government. Federal township plats were prepared for each township which include legal descriptions of 14 townships.

Perry County has been divided into precincts: Beaucoup, Cutler, Denmark, DuQuoin, Paradise, Pinckneyville, Sunfield, Swanwick, Tamaroa and Willisville. To provide election precincts of similar population based on recent census data, precincts are divided or combined to form election precincts. The election precincts in 2020 were: Beaucoup, Cutler, Du Quoin Number 1, Du Quoin Number 2, Du Quoin Number 3, Du Quoin Number 4, Du Quoin Number 5, Du Quoin Number 6, Du Quoin Number 7, Du Quoin Number 8, Du Quoin Number 9, Du Quoin Number 10, Du Quoin Number 11, Du Quoin Number 12, Pinckneyville Number 1, Pinckneyville Number 2, Pinckneyville Number 3, Pinckneyville Number 4, Pinckneyville Number 5, Pinckneyville Number 6, Pinckneyville Number 7, Pinckneyville Number 8, Sunfield, Swanwick, Tamaroa Number 1, Tamaroa Number 2, and Willisville.

Cities

  • Du Quoin
  • Pinckneyville

Villages

  • Cutler
  • St. Johns
  • Tamaroa
  • Willisville

Unincorporated communities

  • Conant
  • Denmark
  • Denny
  • Layfield
  • Matthews
  • Old Du Quoin
  • Pyatts
  • Rice
  • Sunfield
  • Swanwick
  • Todds Mill
  • Winkle

Politics

Perry County has been reliably Republican county since 2012, when it backed Mitt Romney (R) by nearly 18 points over Illinois native Barack Obama, even as Obama won both Illinois and the country. By 2020 it was so heavily Republican that incumbent Donald Trump beat Democrat Joe Biden by nearly 45 points in his bid for reelection, even as Biden won the race nationally (and Illinois). The county last voted blue, by a very narrow margin of 0.6%, in 2000. The table below includes a list of Perry County's election results at the presidential level.

As of February 2025, the county is one of 7 that voted to join the state of Indiana.

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See also

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Perry County

References