Perry County, Indiana

Perry County is a located in the  of. As of 2000, the population was 18,899. The is. It is the hilliest county in Indiana.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 1,001 (386 ). 988 km² (381 sq mi) of it is land and 13 km² (5 sq mi) of it (1.28%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * (northeast)
 * (east)
 * (southeast)
 * (southwest)
 * (west)
 * (northwest)

Roads and highways
cuts across the northern portion of the county. , 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 populated towns in the county as well as most major tourist destinations. connects the county to and. Other state roads in the county include, which closely parallels I-64; , which winds through the western parts of the county; , which is little more than a road to and from the hamlet of Tobinsport; , which connects directly to State Road 37 (also the site of a bridge on the Ohio River); a short run of  near ; and  which connects State Road 37 with State Road 66.

History
Perry County was formed in 1814. It was named for Commodore who defeated the British squadron in the decisive  in 1813.

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 18,899 people, 7,270 households, and 5,074 families residing in the county. The was 19/km² (50/sq mi). There were 8,223 housing units at an average density of 8/km² (22/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 97.61%, 1.45% or , 0.17% , 0.12% , 0.02% , 0.13% from , and 0.50% from two or more races. 0.70% of the population were or  of any race. 34.5% were of, 19.7% , 10.0% , 9.3% and 9.2%  ancestry according to.

There were 7,270 households out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.20% were non-families. 26.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the county the population was spread out with 22.90% under the age of 18, 9.80% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 107.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,246, and the median income for a family was $43,743. Males had a median income of $31,554 versus $22,123 for females. The for the county was $16,673. About 7.10% of families and 9.40% of the population were below the, including 12.30% of those under age 18 and 8.90% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

 * , unincorporated
 * , unincorporated