Perry County is a
county
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
located in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 11,511. The
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
is
New Augusta.
The county is named after the War of 1812 naval hero,
Oliver Hazard Perry.
Perry County is part of the
Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County (where it is the county seat and most populous city) and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 48,730 in 2020, making it the 5th m ...
, MS
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Until 1906, the county seat was the old town of
Augusta, near the center of the county on the east bank of the
Leaf River. At Old Augusta, the outlaw
James Copeland was executed by hanging on October 30, 1857. Old Augusta remains a small village today. New Augusta, two miles south of Old Augusta, was made the county seat of Perry County, because it was situated on the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City Railroad.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.5%) is water.
Major highways
*
U.S. Highway 98
*
Mississippi Highway 15
Mississippi Highway 15 (MS 15) is a state highway in Mississippi. At almost , it is the longest highway in the Mississippi Highway System. MS 15 is divided into two sections due to a large gap between Stone County and Perry County. The south ...
*
Mississippi Highway 29
*
Mississippi Highway 42
Adjacent counties
*
Wayne County (northeast)
*
Greene County (east)
*
George County (southeast)
*
Stone County (south)
*
Forrest County (west)
*
Jones County (northwest)
National protected area
*
De Soto National Forest (part)
*
Black Creek Wilderness
*
Leaf River Wildlife Management Area
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 11,511 people, 4,623 households, and 3,347 families residing in the county.
Communities
Towns
*
Beaumont
*
New Augusta (county seat)
*
Richton
Census-designated place
*
Runnelstown
Unincorporated communities
*
Corinth
Corinth ( ; , ) is a municipality in Corinthia in Greece. The successor to the ancient Corinth, ancient city of Corinth, it is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Sin ...
*
Good Hope
*
Hintonville
*
Janice
*
Mahned
*
Tallahala
*
Wingate
Notable people
*
John Prentiss Carter, American politician
*
Dale Goodin, American politician
*
Tristan Jackson, American football player
*
Brandon Sumrall, American football player
*
De'Lance Turner, American football player
Politics
Perry County is strongly Republican. It has selected the Republican presidential candidate in every election since 1976, often by large margins. Every election from 2016 through 2024 was the best subsequent Republican performance in the county since 1972.
Education
There are two school districts in the county:
Perry County Schools and
Richton School District.
The county is in the zone for
Jones College.
See also
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Perry County, Mississippi
References
External links
*
Mississippi Courthouses – Perry County
{{authority control
Mississippi counties
Hattiesburg metropolitan area
1820 establishments in Mississippi
Populated places established in 1820