Perry County, Tennessee

Perry County
County
Perry County Courthouse in Linden
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°38′N 87°52′W / 35.64°N 87.87°W / 35.64; -87.87
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	November 14, 1819
Named for	Oliver Hazard Perry
Seat	Linden
Largest town	Linden
Other cities	Lobelville
Government
• County mayor	John Carroll
Area
• Total	423 sq mi (1,100 km2)
• Land	415 sq mi (1,070 km2)
• Water	8.1 sq mi (21 km2)  1.9%
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,366
• Density	20.2/sq mi (7.8/km2)
Demonym	Perry Countian
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	37097, 37096
Area code	931
Congressional district	7th
Website	www.perrycountygov.com
FIPS county code 47135

Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,366, with an average population density of 20.2 persons per square mile (7.8 persons/km²), making it the least densely populated county in Tennessee. Its county seat and largest town is Linden. The county is named after American naval commander and War of 1812 hero Oliver Hazard Perry.

In 1806, the Cherokee ceded to the United States the land that would later become Perry County in the Treaty of Washington. The county was established by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1819 from parts of Wayne County, Hickman County, and Humphreys County. In 1845, the portions of Perry County located west of the Tennessee River were split off to form Decatur County.

Agriculture and forestry are the largest components of the local economy, supplemented by light industry and tourism. Perry County is one of the most economically disadvantaged counties in the state. It was severely impacted by the Great Recession of 2008, at one point having the second highest unemployment rate in the United States, and as of 2020^[update] continues to lag behind the rest of the state in various economic indicators, including income inequality and poverty rates. Transportation infrastructure is limited, and no railroads, commercial airports, or freeways are present in the county.

Over 80 percent of the county is forested. The county's terrain is largely defined by its two major rivers, the Buffalo and the Tennessee, and features ridges and valleys that form tributaries to the rivers. Agriculture and outdoor recreation benefit from plentiful fresh water sources, fertile crop land, and abundant wildlife. Mousetail Landing State Park is the largest protected area in the county and a significant driver of nature tourism in the region.