According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 561 square miles (1,450 km2), of which 551 square miles (1,430 km2) is land and 9.1 square miles (24 km2) (1.6%) is water.[3] It is the fourth-smallest county in Arkansas by land area and third-smallest by total area.
As of the2000 census,[12] there were 10,209 people, 3,989 households, and 2,939 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 18 people per square mile (6.9 people/km2). There were 4,702 housing units at an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.62%White, 1.73%Black orAfrican American, 0.98%Native American, 0.15%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.39% fromother races, and 1.11% from two or more races. 1.18% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 3,989 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.10% weremarried couples living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were non-families. 23.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.30% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,083, and the median income for a family was $37,170. Males had a median income of $28,254 versus $21,462 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $16,216. About 10.50% of families and 14.00% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 17.00% of those under age 18 and 15.00% of those age 65 or over.
The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by theConstitution of Arkansas and theArkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called justices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Perry County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief executive officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions.[13][14]
Perry County, Arkansas Elected countywide officials[15][16][17]
The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 8Republicans and 1 Democrat. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:[18][19]
District 1: Travis Bentley (R)
District 2: Dale Payne (R)
District 3: Ronnie Lee (R)
District 4: Shane Treadway (R)
District 5: Edward Evans (D)
District 6: Charlie Clements (R)
District 7: David Hoyt (R)
District 8: Benjamin D. Lee (R)
District 9: Scott Skinkle (R)
Additionally, the townships of Perry County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by theConstitution of Arkansas. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult.[20] The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:[21]
Houston: Randall E. Luyet (R)
Perry: Bart Hight (R)
Cherry Hill Township also elects its own committee board. The committee board member at-large is Phylis McMoran (D).[22]
Over the past few election cycles Perry County has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democrat (as of 2024) to carry this county was Bill Clinton in 1996.
United States presidential election results for Perry County, Arkansas[23]
Just west of the Little Rock Metro Area, Perry County is a rural area set in the Ouachita Mountains with much of the county is within the Ouachita National Forest. Multiple points of interest of the National Forest are located within Perry County, to include the Flatside Wilderness Area, the Ouachita National Recreation Trail, Flatside Pinnacle Mountain, Lake Sylvia Recreation Area, the Hollis CCC Camp, the South Fourche Recreation Area and multiple watershed lakes and streams. Other popular outdoor recreation-related points of interest in the county include Nimrod Lake, Harris Brake Lake, Toad Suck Park, the Arkansas River, the Fourche LaFave River, and the South Fourche LaFave River.[24]
For history buffs, the Perry County Museum inPerryville's Historic Commercial District provides several exhibits on the history of Perry County and its communities. TheHollis Country Store in Hollis is a popular roadside stop for travelers on Scenic Highway 7 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Perry County's most popular annual event is the Arkansas Goat Festival[25] held in the Fall drawing thousands of tourists from around the country.Perry County is also the location ofHeifer Ranch, an arm ofHeifer International, a nonprofit which provides food and agricultural training for people all across the globe.
Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, theUnited States census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. The townships of Perry County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/orcensus-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.[26][27]
