Perry County, Tennessee
Selected Statistical Information
I.  Geography & Demographics Tennessee Perry County County Rank Percent of State
Total Land Area (sq. mi.)                 41,217                415 55th  1.0%
Farmland (2007)          
Acres of Farmland            10,969,798           50,884  77th   0.5%
Number of Farms                 79,280                257  91st   0.3%
Average Size of Farms (Acres)                     138                198  14th   143.5%
Population            
2008 Estimate 6,214,888 7,753 90th  0.1%
2000 Census 5,689,283 7,631 90th  0.1%
1990 Census 4,877,203 6,612 91st  0.1%
Gain (1990 to 2000) 812,080 1,019 87th  0.1%
Growth Rate (1990 to 2000) 16.7% 15.4% 49th  92.6%
Population Density (per sq. mi.)         Comparison to State Figure
2008 Estimate                   150.8               18.7 90th  12.4%
2000 Census                   138.0               18.4 95th  13.3%
1990 Census                   118.3               15.9 95th  13.5%
Urban Population         Percent of State
2000 Census            3,618,968                  -   71st  0.0%
1990 Census            2,969,948                  -   72nd  0.0%
Growth Rate (1990 to 2000) 21.9% n/a n/a n/a
Percent of Population in Urban Areas
2000 Census 63.6% 0.0% 71st  0.0%
1990 Census 60.9% 0.0% 72nd  0.0%
Median Age            
2000 Census 36 40 12th  110.9%
1990 Census 34 38 9th  112.2%
Population Percentages by Age Bracket        
2000 Census
under 18 24.6% 24.4% 34th 
18-24 9.6% 7.5% 82nd 
25-44 30.2% 25.4% 93rd 
45-64 23.2% 26.3% 16th 
65 & over 12.4% 16.4% 11th 
1990 Census
under 18 25.1% 25.2% 42nd 
18-24 10.9% 8.0% 94th 
25-44 31.8% 27.0% 90th 
45-64 19.6% 23.3% 3rd 
65 & over 12.6% 16.4% 14th 
Population Growth by Age Bracket, 1990 to 2000  
Population Percentages by Race/Ethnicity (2000 Census)  
Tennessee Perry County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
Males per 100 Females (2007) 95.4 114.4 2nd  120.0%
Marriages Recorded per 1,000 Population in 2006 10.7 9.8 16th  91.6%
Divorces Recorded per 1,000 Population in 2006 4.7 3.5 15th  74.5%
*A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
II.  Income & Poverty Tennessee Perry County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
Per Capita Personal Income          
2006 $32,172 $25,665 46th  79.8%
2000 $26,097 $21,665 43rd  83.0%
Compound Annual Growth Rate 3.55% 2.86% 73rd  80.69%
Median Household Income          
2007 $42,389 $33,014 76th  77.9%
2000 $35,760 $29,098 74th  81.4%
Compound Annual Growth Rate 2.46% 1.82% 60th  74.01%
2007 Poverty Rate          
All Ages  15.8% 18.2% 57th  115.19%
Related Children Under 18 Years  22.5% 27.3% 67th  121.33%
2000 Census            
All Ages  13.1% 13.0% 30th  99.27%
Related Children Under 18 Years 15.9% 13.8% 18th  86.56%
2007 Food Stamp Recipients (Monthly Average )          
Percent of Households 15.8% 16.1% 36th  101.69%
Percent of Individuals 14.1% 15.4% 44th  109.31%
2007 Families First           
Percent of Households 2.5% 1.1% 10th  42.90%
Percent of Individuals 2.5% 1.0% 17th  40.95%
*A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
III.  Health & Healthcare Tennessee Perry County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
2007 Pregnancy & Birth Rates           
Live births per 1,000 Population                    14.2               11.3 74th  79.6%
Percent of Live Births to Unmarried Parents 42.8% 29.9% 8th  69.9%
Percent Low Birth Weight 9.4% 4.6% 2nd  48.9%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 15-44                    80.7               68.2 54th  84.5%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 10-17                    13.9                4.9 7th  35.3%
Pregnancies per 1,000 Females Aged 10-14                      1.3                  -   1st  0.0%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
2007 Mortality Rates           
Number of Deaths per 1,000 Population                      9.3               11.3 62nd  121.5%
Number of Deaths per 100,000 Population by Cause of Death
Diseases of the Heart                   233.2             286.4 59th  122.8%
Cancer (Malignant Neoplasm)                   215.3             221.3 26th  102.8%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
n/a
1st 
n/a
Tennessee Perry County County Rank Comparison to State Figure
Access to Healthcare          
Medical Doctors per 1,000 (2007)                      1.8                0.5 61st  28.7%
Hospital Beds per 1,000 Population (2006)                      4.2                6.9 5th  165.0%
Nursing Home Beds per 1,000 Pop. 65 & older (2006)                    49.2             262.4 5th  533.6%
2006 Charity Care--Percent of All Hospital Care  8.5% 0.1% 75th  1.7%
IV.  Employment
Unemployment Rate   Tennessee Perry County County Rank* Comparison to State Figure
2009 (February) 9.5% 24.1% 95th  252.8%
2000 4.0% 5.3% 72nd  132.2%
2007 Youth Unemployment Rate  15.7% 27.8% 90th  177.3%
* A rank of 1 indicates the best condition.
2007 Employment Percentages by Major Industry   Tennessee Perry County County Rank Comparison to State Figure
Total Employment All Industries 2,745,397 2,197 82 0.1%
Natural Resources and Mining 0.4% 0.0% 80 0.0%
Construction 4.9% 0.5% 82 11.2%
Manufacturing 13.8% 49.4% 68 356.8%
Trade, Transportation and Utilities 22.1% 9.4% 89 42.4%
Information 1.8% 0.0% 79 0.0%
Financial Activities 5.2% 2.7% 83 52.3%
Professional and Business Services 11.8% 1.4% 87 11.6%
Education and Health Services 12.4% 16.3% 76 131.8%
Leisure and Hospitality 10.1% 2.0% 92 19.9%
Other Services 2.6% 0.0% 87 0.0%
Government 14.9% 15.7% 72 105.6%
Federal 1.8% 0.7% 89 41.1%
State 3.3% 0.7% 59 22.4%
Local 9.9% 14.3% 67 144.6%
2007 Average Annual Wage by Major Industry         County Rank
73rd 
80th 
65th 
83rd 
82nd 
79th 
86th 
91st 
83rd 
94th 
88th 
76th 
65th 
29th 
46th 
V.  Value of Farmland and Agricultural Products Sold
Tennessee Perry County Rank
Estimated Market Value of Farmland & Buildings   $           467,420  $      419,021 55th 
(Average Per Farm)
Estimated Market Value of Farmland & Buildings   $               3,378  $         2,116 94th 
(Average Per Acre)
Total Market Value of Agicultural Products Sold   $  2,617,394,000  $   2,900,000 92nd 
VI.  County Government Finance (municipalities' revenue data not available)
2001-2002 Revenue by Source (in thousands)   Tennessee Percent of Total Perry County Percent of State Total
Grand Total  $         8,062,012 100.0%  $    12,483 100.00%
Total State Revenue  $         2,504,883 31.1%  $      6,705 53.7%
Public Schools            1,949,045 24.2%         4,312 34.5%
All Other               555,838 6.9%         2,393 19.2%
Federal Revenue  $           511,055 6.3%  $      1,080 8.6%
Total Local Revenue  $         5,046,074 62.6%  $      4,699 37.6%
Property Tax            2,720,971 33.8%         2,736 21.9%
Local Sales Tax            1,123,100 13.9%            548 4.4%
Other Local             1,202,003 14.9%         1,415 11.3%
 Tax Base (in thousands)   Tennessee Perry County County Rank Percent of State
2007 Equalized Assessed Property Value  $     131,625,598  $      136,469
Tax Base Per Capita $21,179 $17,602 88th  83.1%
2007 County Property Tax Rate (per $100) $2.90 13th 
2008 Total Taxable Sales   $       69,005,974  $       28,400
Tax Base Per Capita $11,103 $3,663 26th  33.0%
2008 County Sales Tax Rate 2.50% 12th 
VII.  Public Infrastructure Needs Inventory
Estimated Costs, 2007 - 2012 (in thousands)   Tennessee Perry County County Rank Percent of State
Project  Type
Transportation  $       17,106,712  $      135,117 32nd 0.8%
Public Buildings               526,288                750 54th 0.1%
Recreation            1,118,527                685 80th 0.1%
Community Development               367,547                371 39th 0.1%
Existing School Improvements            1,899,735                180 85th 0.0%
Public Health Facilities               323,093                105 28th 0.0%
Water & Wastewater            3,855,355                    - 95th 0.0%
Non K-12 Education            3,015,869                    - 43rd 0.0%
Law Enforcement            1,826,201                    - 74th 0.0%
K-12 New School Construction            1,798,581                    - 45th 0.0%
Other Utilities               598,698                    - 32nd 0.0%
Business District Development               375,758                    - 23rd 0.0%
Stormwater               371,227                    - 39th 0.0%
Libraries, Museums, & Historic Sites               285,785                    - 52nd 0.0%
Industrial Sites & Parks               241,362                    - 68th 0.0%
Fire Protection               220,725                    - 57th 0.0%
Housing               100,189                    - 14th 0.0%
School System-wide Need                 63,021                    - 16th 0.0%
Solid Waste                 54,314                    - 30th 0.0%
Other Facilities                 32,755                    - 9th 0.0%
Telecommunications                 17,009                    - 5th 0.0%
Property Acquisition                   3,956                    - 8th 0.0%
Grand Total  $       34,202,707  $      137,208 57th 0.4%
VIII.  Adult & Post-secondary Education
Adult Educational Attainment     Tennessee Perry County County Rank
2000 Census
Percent w/ HS diploma (or equivalent) or better 75.9% 63.8% 71st 
Percent w/ Bachelors Degree or better 19.6% 7.1% 82nd 
2008 Estimate
1990 Census
Percent w/ HS diploma (or equivalent) or better 67.1% 52.7% 68th 
Percent w/ Bachelors Degree or better 16.0% 6.9% 63rd 
 Number of Post-secondary Institutions (2008)      
Four-year Colleges and Universities 77 0
Public 14 0
Private 63 0
Other Public Institutions 93 0
Community Colleges 13 0
Technology Centers 27 0
Two-Year Private Institutions 20 0
Off-campus Sites 33 0
2007 - 2008 Enrollment (full-time equivalent) at Post-secondary Institutions    
Four-year Colleges and Universities*          214,260                     -  
Public 134,696 0
Private 79,564 0
Other Public Institutions* 134,278 0
Community Colleges 80,454 0
Technology Centers 13,939 0
Two-Year Private Insitutions 11,049 0
Off-campus Sites 28,836 0
* Note: By location of instiution, not county of residence of students
IX.  Public School Systems  (Total number of school systems is 136)
Statewide Perry County    
Number of Students
2007-2008                 944,738                    1,099               
Percent of Statewide 0.1%          
1997-1998                 834,318                    1,131               
Percent of Statewide 0.1%          
Increase/(Decrease)                 110,420 -32          
Percent Change 13.2% -2.9%          
2007-2008
Free or Reduced-price Meals 54.5% 62.5%
Federal Title 1 39.7% 15.9%
Special Education 14.7% 21.7%
English Language Learners 3.2% 0.0%
Statewide Perry County    
2007-2008 Accreditation by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 
Elementary Schools 71.5% 0.0%
Secondary Schools 90.8% 0.0%
Students per Classroom Teacher*
2007-2008                      14.9                      12.9               
1997-1998                      15.8                      13.7               
Increase/(Decrease)                       (0.9)                       (0.8)                    
Progress Through School
Promotion Rate
2007-2008 98.0% 97.2%          
1997-1998 96.6% 94.3%
Dropout Rate
2007-2008 10.1% n/a
1997-1998 4.5% 5.6%
*Classroom teachers include art, music and physical education teachers.  Because these auxiliary teachers are
included, ratios of students to classroom teachers do not represent and tend to be lower than actual class sizes.
Statewide Perry County    
Expenditures per Student
2007-2008 $7,742 $7,983
Percent of Statewide 103.1%          
1997-1998 $5,123 $5,316
Percent of Statewide 103.8%          
Increase/Decrease $2,618 $2,667          
Percent Change 51.1% 50.2%          
Classroom Teachers' Average Salary*
2007-2008 $44,820 $40,092
Percent of Statewide 89.5%
1997-1998 $34,584 $30,205
Percent of Statewide 87.3%
Gain $10,236 $9,887
Percent Change 29.6% 32.7%          
Revenue by Source (percent of total)
2007-2008
State 47.6% 68.0%
Federal 10.8% 11.9%
Local 41.6% 20.1%
System Rank for Percent Local 107th 
2006-2007
State 45.5% 66.9%
Federal 11.0% 12.3%
Local 43.5% 20.9%
System Rank for Percent Local 108th 
Statewide Perry County County Rank
2008-2009 County Area Fiscal Capacity        
Estimated Local Revenue per Student $2,782 $1,520 56th 
Sources of Information for County Profiles
I. Geography & Demographics
U.S. Bureau of the Census--all data except for marriage and divorce rates.
www.census.gov
U.S. Department of Agriculture - farmland data
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome
TN Dept. of Health - marriage and divorce rates.
http://health.state.tn.us/
II. Income & Poverty
U.S. Bureau of the Census--median household income data & poverty rates.
www.census.gov
TN Dept. of Human Services--Food Stamp data and Families First data.
http://www.tennessee.gov/humanserv/adfam/afs_fsp.htm
http://www.tennessee.gov/humanserv/adfam/afs_tanf.htm
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis - per capita income data
www.bea.gov
III. Health & Healthcare
TN Dept.of Health, Health Statistics & Research--pregnancy, births, mortality & healthcare access data.
http://health.state.tn.us/statistics/healthdata.htm
IV. Employment
TN Dept. Of Labor and Workforce Development - unemployment data. 
http://www.state.tn.us/labor-wfd/
U.S. Department of Labor - employment data.
ww.bls.gov/lau/home.htm
V. Value of Farmland and Agricultural Product Sold
U.S. Department of Agriculture - farmland data
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome
VI. County Government Finance (municipalities' revenue data not available)
TN County Technical Advisory Service (CTAS), Resource Center--county revenue data.
www.ctas.utk.edu
TN Comptroller of the Treasury, Division of Property Assessment--equalized assessed property values.
http://www.comptroller.state.tn.us/pa/taxaggr.htm
TN Dept. of Revenue--total taxable sales.
www.state.tn.us/revenue/files.htm
VII. Public Infrastructure Needs Inventory
TN Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations--all data. 
http://tn.gov/tacir/infrastructure.html
VIII. Adult & Post-secondary Education
U.S. Bureau of the Census--educational attainment.
www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/educ-attn.html
TN Higher Education Commission--post-secondary institution and enrollment data.
www.state.tn.us/thec
IX. Public School Systems (Total number of school systems is 136)
TN Department of Education--all data except fiscal capacity.
http://www.state.tn.us/education/mdata.shtml
TN Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations--education fiscal capacity.
http://tn.gov/tacir/fiscalcapacity.html
Prepared by TACIR