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Perry County, Indiana

Coordinates: 38°05′N 86°38′W / 38.08°N 86.64°W / 38.08; -86.64
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Perry County
County
Old Perry County Courthouse in Rome
Old Perry County Courthouse in Rome
Map of Indiana highlighting Perry County
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Map of the United States highlighting Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°05′N 86°38′W / 38.08°N 86.64°W / 38.08; -86.64
Country United States
State Indiana
FoundedNovember 1, 1814
Named forOliver Hazard Perry
SeatTell City
Largest cityTell City
Area
 • Total386.29 sq mi (1,000.5 km2)
 • Land381.73 sq mi (988.7 km2)
 • Water4.56 sq mi (11.8 km2)  1.18%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total19,170
 • Estimate 
(2023)
19,209 Increase
 • Density50/sq mi (19/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district8th
Websitewww.perrycounty.in.gov
Indiana county number 62

Perry County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 19,170.[1] The county seat is Tell City.[2] It is the hilliest county as well as one of the most forested counties in Indiana as it features more than 60,000 acres (240 km2) of Hoosier National Forest. The Ohio River Scenic Byway along Indiana State Road 66 runs along the southern border of the county while Interstate 64 traverses the northern portion of the county. Connecting the two is Indiana State Road 37.[3]

The county features three incorporated communities: Tell City (2009 population 7,473), Cannelton (2009 population 1,130) and Troy (2009 population 379). Each is located in Troy Township which is situated along the south western corner of the county.

Coordinated efforts with County officials led to the acquisition of an abandoned rail line that has since been reactivated as the County-owned Hoosier Southern Rail Road. Managed by the Perry County Port Authority, the 22-mile (35 km) short-line rail road connects the Perry County River Port with the Norfolk Southern Rail Road.

Climate and weather

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Tell City, Indiana
Climate chart (explanation)
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█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Source: The Weather Channel[4]
Metric conversion
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86
 
 
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7
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27
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21
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103
 
 
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7
−2
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in Tell City have ranged from a low of 24 °F (−4 °C) in January to a high of 88 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −17 °F (−27 °C) was recorded in January 1985, and a record high of 106 °F (41 °C) was recorded in September 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.98 inches (76 mm) in October to 5.22 inches (133 mm) in May.[4]

Government

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See also: Government of Indiana

The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County Council: The county council is the fiscal body of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.[5][6]

Board of Commissioners: The executive and legislative body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.[5][6]

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of six years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a magistrate who is appointed by the judge. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.[6]

County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.[6]

With its predominately "butternut" cultural background, Perry County has historically and ancestrally heavily favored the Democratic Party at the federal, state and local level, and had a reputation for being one of the few Democratic-leaning counties in heavily Republican Indiana. From 1960 to 2012, Republicans only carried the county in three presidential elections, those being in 1972, 1984 and 2004, all of which saw the Republicans carry Indiana by landslide margins, and the county was still one of the closest counties in the state in all three elections.

The county delivered over 60.5% of its vote to Democratic nominee Barack Obama in 2008, clocking in as the state's fourth most Democratic county that year, before giving Obama nearly 55% of the vote in 2012, being the only county in southern Indiana other than the university county of Monroe to back Obama that year. The county has not backed a Democrat since, with the county delivering 56% of its vote to Republican nominee Donald Trump in 2016 and 61% of its vote to Trump the following election. The county's Republican shift was also shown in the coinciding 2020 gubernatorial election, when it backed Republican incumbent Eric Holcomb for re-election with nearly 64% of the vote, marking the first time a Republican had carried the county in a gubernatorial election since 1952.

Perry County is part of Indiana's 8th congressional district and is represented in Congress by Republican Larry Bucshon.

United States presidential election results for Perry County, Indiana[7]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 5,345 61.18% 3,203 36.66% 189 2.16%
2016 4,556 56.30% 3,062 37.84% 474 5.86%
2012 3,403 43.21% 4,316 54.81% 156 1.98%
2008 3,202 37.71% 5,141 60.55% 147 1.73%
2004 4,137 49.75% 4,131 49.68% 47 0.57%
2000 3,461 46.85% 3,823 51.75% 103 1.39%
1996 2,554 32.21% 4,427 55.83% 949 11.97%
1992 2,973 31.69% 4,829 51.47% 1,580 16.84%
1988 4,720 49.27% 4,804 50.15% 56 0.58%
1984 4,785 49.91% 4,760 49.65% 43 0.45%
1980 4,350 45.94% 4,540 47.95% 578 6.10%
1976 4,088 41.95% 5,620 57.66% 38 0.39%
1972 5,204 54.72% 4,277 44.97% 29 0.30%
1968 4,211 46.23% 4,343 47.68% 554 6.08%
1964 3,090 33.08% 6,226 66.65% 25 0.27%
1960 4,372 46.97% 4,920 52.86% 16 0.17%
1956 4,946 55.00% 4,037 44.89% 10 0.11%
1952 4,816 54.53% 4,001 45.30% 15 0.17%
1948 3,761 45.02% 4,569 54.69% 24 0.29%
1944 4,087 50.44% 3,996 49.32% 19 0.23%
1940 4,489 50.00% 4,475 49.84% 14 0.16%
1936 3,619 41.99% 4,752 55.13% 248 2.88%
1932 3,253 38.93% 5,053 60.46% 51 0.61%
1928 3,772 49.89% 3,782 50.02% 7 0.09%
1924 3,240 44.30% 3,895 53.25% 179 2.45%
1920 3,864 51.76% 3,560 47.69% 41 0.55%
1916 1,762 45.11% 2,089 53.48% 55 1.41%
1912 520 14.25% 1,931 52.90% 1,199 32.85%
1908 1,903 43.93% 2,356 54.39% 73 1.69%
1904 2,105 48.89% 2,142 49.74% 59 1.37%
1900 2,078 47.20% 2,278 51.74% 47 1.07%
1896 2,139 49.94% 2,109 49.24% 35 0.82%
1892 1,890 46.28% 2,074 50.78% 120 2.94%
1888 1,974 49.54% 2,007 50.36% 4 0.10%

Geography

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According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 386.29 square miles (1,000.5 km2), of which 381.73 square miles (988.7 km2) (or 98.82%) is land and 4.56 square miles (11.8 km2) (or 1.18%) is water.[8]

Adjacent counties

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Major highways

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National protected area

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Roads and highways

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Interstate 64 cuts across the northern portion of the county. State Road 66, designated as the Ohio River Scenic Byway for most of its course in the county, is the most heavily traveled road by residents and visitors alike, adjacent to the three most populous towns in the county as well as most major tourist destinations. State Road 37 connects the county to Bloomington and Indianapolis. Other state roads in the county include State Road 62, which closely parallels I-64; State Road 145, which winds through the western parts of the county; State Road 166, which is little more than a road to and from the hamlet of Tobinsport; State Road 237, which connects Cannelton directly to State Road 37 (also the site of a bridge on the Ohio River); a short run of State Road 545 near Troy; and State Road 70 which connects State Road 37 with State Road 66.

History

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Perry County was formed on November 1, 1814 (two years before the state of Indiana was admitted to the Union) from Warrick and Gibson Counties. It was named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry who defeated the British squadron in the decisive Battle of Lake Erie in 1813.[9] The Ohio River made Perry County a focal point and settlers were drawn here due to plentiful supplies of natural resources and the area's scenic beauty.

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18202,330—
18303,36944.6%
18404,65538.2%
18507,26856.1%
186011,84763.0%
187014,80124.9%
188016,99714.8%
189018,2407.3%
190018,7782.9%
191018,078−3.7%
192016,692−7.7%
193016,625−0.4%
194017,7706.9%
195017,367−2.3%
196017,232−0.8%
197019,07510.7%
198019,3461.4%
199019,107−1.2%
200018,899−1.1%
201019,3382.3%
202019,170−0.9%
2023 (est.)19,209[10]0.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13]
1990-2000[14] 2010[15]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 19,338 people, 7,476 households, and 5,020 families residing in the county.[16] The population density was 50.7 inhabitants per square mile (19.6/km2). There were 8,495 housing units at an average density of 22.3 per square mile (8.6/km2).[8] The racial makeup of the county was 96.0% white, 2.4% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population.[16] In terms of ancestry, 37.8% were German, 14.4% were Irish, 11.6% were American, and 8.7% were English.[17]

Of the 7,476 households, 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.9% were non-families, and 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age was 40.4 years.[16]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $55,497. Males had a median income of $42,017 versus $26,301 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,806. About 6.7% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.9% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.[18]

Cities, towns, and unincorporated communities

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Cities and towns

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Unincorporated communities

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Townships

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Education

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School districts include:[19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Quickfacts: Perry County, Indiana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ a b "Monthly Averages for Tell City, Indiana". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  5. ^ a b Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  6. ^ a b c d Indiana Code. "Title 2, Article 10, Section 2" (PDF). IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  7. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
  8. ^ a b "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  9. ^ De Witt Clinton Goodrich & Charles Richard Tuttle (1875). An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana. Indiana: R. S. Peale & co. pp. 570.
  10. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  11. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  12. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  13. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  14. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  15. ^ "Perry County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 18, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  16. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  17. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  18. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  19. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Perry County, IN" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 12, 2024. - Text list

38°05′N 86°38′W / 38.08°N 86.64°W / 38.08; -86.64

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