1st Advantage MortgageAbout 82% of Perry County homes are owner-occupied, and the median household income is $49,634. Those figures describe the county, not you: compare at least three written offers by APR and total cost, and confirm the lender's license before you apply.
On this page
- Getting oriented in Perry County
- What it costs to live in Perry County
- What Perry County households earn
- Work, industries and travel time in Perry County
- The counties around Perry County
- Perry County towns compared
- People and households in Perry County
- Reading the Perry County data as a borrower
- Room for a loan payment in Perry County
- A Perry County borrower's checklist
- Who licenses lenders for Perry County residents
- Nearby and statewide guides
- Frequently asked questions
Getting oriented in Perry County
Perry County is home to about 11,449 people, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, which makes it the 65th most populous of 82 county-level areas in Mississippi. Land area is 647 square miles (2024 Gazetteer), so density runs near 18 per square mile. For statistical purposes it belongs to the Hattiesburg, MS metro area, as delineated by the Office of Management and Budget in July 2023. The Census Bureau counts 4 places in the county (3 incorporated, 1 census-designated); the largest is Richton, with about 1,220 residents, or 11% of the county.
What it costs to live in Perry County
A typical Perry County rental runs $755 a month including utilities, which is 21% below Mississippi. Rent takes 30% or more of income for 59% of renter households here. With a median value of $124,000, a typical Perry County house costs 2.5 times what the median household earns in a year. The ownership rate is 82%.
| Cost | Perry County | Mississippi figure | Median county, U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $755/mo | $954/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $124,000 | $169,800 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 82% | 70% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 59% | 51% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 44% | 26% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 29.4% | 14.4% | n/a |
In an owner-heavy county like Perry County, many borrowers can also choose a home equity loan or line of credit. Those can price lower but put the house on the line, so compare the two in writing; our personal loan vs. HELOC guide walks through it. When half or more of renters are already stretched, a new payment needs a stress test: what happens if a paycheck is a week late?
What Perry County households earn
Perry County households have a median income of $49,634 (ACS 2020 to 2024), which ranks 41st of 82 in Mississippi.
| Band | Perry County | Compared with Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 33.5% | +1.0 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 50.7% | +9.5 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 13.3% | -7.3 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 2.6% | -3.2 pts |
Some 33% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 16% have six-figure incomes. The poverty rate is 18.4%, 1 point lower than the state's 18.9%. If your income is irregular, as it often is with tips, gig work or seasonal jobs, plan around your leaner months rather than the Perry County median.
Work, industries and travel time in Perry County
By the Census industry count, 30% of employed Perry County residents work in education and health care and 12% in retail trade. Compared with Mississippi, the county leans toward education and health care (30% against 25%). Averaged over the five survey years, 2.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking. 20% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more each way, and 1% work from home. Only 3.8% of homes here go without a vehicle.
| Where residents work | Perry County | Difference from Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 29.7% | +4.3 pts |
| Retail trade | 12.5% | +1.1 pts |
| Manufacturing | 12.1% | -0.9 pts |
| Construction | 10.2% | +3.3 pts |
| Other services | 8.5% | +3.8 pts |
| Transportation, warehousing and utilities | 7.0% | -0.4 pts |
Industry shapes paperwork. Salaried and public jobs are easy to verify, while hourly, tipped, commission or contract earners in Perry County should have bank statements and tax returns ready.
The counties around Perry County
Nearest neighbors first, measured between county centers (16 to 33 miles). All of the six report a higher median household income than Perry County; Lamar County is highest at $70,909 and Jones County lowest at $52,216.
| Nearby county | Center to center | Household income | Gross rent | Owner-occupied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County | - | $49,634 | $755/mo | 82% |
| Forrest County, MS | 16 mi | $53,640 | $972/mo | 57% |
| Greene County, MS | 21 mi | $54,276 | $802/mo | 82% |
| Stone County, MS | 27 mi | $61,413 | $936/mo | 81% |
| George County, MS | 30 mi | $59,758 | $844/mo | 82% |
| Lamar County, MS | 31 mi | $70,909 | $1,126/mo | 70% |
| Jones County, MS | 33 mi | $52,216 | $869/mo | 75% |
Perry County towns compared
Here are the 4 most populous of the county's 4 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 26% of Perry County residents live in one of the 4. Incomes vary by place: $80,224 at the median in Beaumont, $26,620 in New Augusta. This guide covers each of the 4 places and the rural areas around them.
| Place | Type | Population | Median income | Median rent | From county center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richton | town | 1,220 | $35,057 | n/a | 13 mi |
| Beaumont | town | 822 | $80,224 | $359 | 4 mi |
| New Augusta | town | 590 | $26,620 | n/a | 3 mi |
| Runnelstown | CDP | 325 | n/a | n/a | 16 mi |
People and households in Perry County
Degree holders: 13% of adults over 25. The uninsured rate is 15.8%, against 11.0% for Mississippi.
| Measure | Perry County | Mississippi statewide | Typical U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.4 | 38.6 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 12.9% | 25.1% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 9.1% | 12.9% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 15.8% | 11.0% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 3.8% | 6.3% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 1.5% | 5.9% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 18.4% | 18.9% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 2.0% | 5.8% | 4.4% |
| Travel time to work | Workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 29.5% |
| 15 to 29 min | 26.1% |
| 30 to 44 min | 24.0% |
| 45 to 59 min | 7.5% |
| 60+ min | 13.0% |
Reading the Perry County data as a borrower
A few patterns in the Perry County data, and the practical point behind each:
- Hospital bills in Perry County. For the 16% of residents without coverage, the provider's charity-care program comes before any loan (details).
- Long drives. With 20% of commutes over 45 minutes, tires and repairs are fixed costs in many Perry County budgets.
- 29% mobile homes. Many are not titled as real estate, so home-equity options may not apply; an unsecured loan is the usual route.
- Lower-cost alternatives. In a county with 18% in poverty, nonprofit credit counseling may beat a loan (options).
Room for a loan payment in Perry County
Lenders compare monthly debt payments with gross monthly income, the debt-to-income ratio. For a Perry County household at the medians it works out like this; treat it as an illustration only.
- Monthly gross at the median, Perry County: $4,136
- Less median rent of $755, which is 18% of it
- Under a 40% cap, $1,654 total minus rent leaves $899
Two-income households and single earners in Perry County land in very different places on this math, so run it for your own budget.
A Perry County borrower's checklist
Four checks before you sign anything:
- Get a written quote for whatever you are paying for in Perry County.
- Ask each lender for the APR and all fees in writing.
- Look the lender up with the state regulator first.
- Read the final agreement; it must match the offer.
Who licenses lenders for Perry County residents
Licensing happens at the state level, so a lender working with Perry County borrowers answers to the Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accepts complaints nationwide. See the Mississippi state guide for the statewide picture.
Nearby and statewide guides
For statewide rules and data, see the Mississippi guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much do households in Perry County earn?
The median is $49,634; 16% earn $100,000 or more and 33% under $35,000. A lender uses your own documented income, not this figure.
What do renters pay in Perry County?
$755 a month at the median, about 18% of median household income.
Should Perry County homeowners use home equity instead?
Maybe, but weigh the risk: 82% of Perry County homes are owner-occupied, and a home-equity loan or line is secured by the house while a personal loan usually is not.
I live in a small Perry County town. Is this my guide?
Yes. If your town has no city guide, this county page is the local one; it covers Richton, Beaumont, New Augusta, Runnelstown.
Is the fit check different in Perry County?
No. It is identical everywhere, and it never looks at your neighborhood.