Schools, health, disaster risk, bridges and federal grants for Perry County, from national public records — each with its source. The same page for every U.S. county is at countycommons.us/us.
How Perry County compares — against the other counties in Arkansas
10,251 — people: 59th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$11,887 — spending per student in its school districts: 56th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
74.1 years — life expectancy: 13th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
9.1% — share of adults under 65 without health insurance: 48th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
20.9% — child poverty: 54th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
79.6% — households with broadband internet: 34th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$57,996 — median household income: 13th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
1.7% — share of bridges rated poor: 67th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$25 — federal grant dollars per resident: 70th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
$7.4 million — expected yearly losses from natural hazards: 60th highest of 75 Arkansas counties.
“Highest” and “lowest” are just order, not grades: a high rank for poverty or hazard losses means more of it. Each figure's source is in its section below.
Public schools — district budgets, fiscal 2023
2 school districts have their office in Perry County. School taxes are usually the largest part of a property tax bill.
PERRYVILLE SCH DIST 7904 students
Spent $12.9 million — $11 million to run schools, about $12,123 per student, plus $1.6 million on buildings and equipment. Money in: $1.1 million local (mostly property tax), $8.4 million state, $2.6 million federal. Long-term debt: $7.1 million.
EAST END SCH DIST 1667 students
Spent $8.2 million — $7.7 million to run schools, about $11,568 per student, plus $221,000 on buildings and equipment. Money in: $948,000 local (mostly property tax), $6.2 million state, $1.4 million federal. Long-term debt: $5.2 million.
Overall risk: Very Low compared with other U.S. counties. FEMA estimates natural hazards cost Perry County about $7.4 million a year on average in buildings, crops and lives. Ability to bounce back (community resilience): Relatively Low; social vulnerability: Relatively High.
The costliest hazards here
River and inland flooding$3.7 million a year · Relatively Low
Tornado$1.6 million a year · Relatively Low
Ice storm$463,116 a year · Relatively High
Heat wave$386,011 a year · Relatively Low
Strong wind$328,661 a year · Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), expected annual loss. Ratings compare counties nationwide; they're estimates, not predictions.
Bridges — condition of every public bridge, 2025
118 bridges in Perry County: 71 in good condition, 45 fair, and 2 poor (1.7%). “Poor” means a main part — the deck, the beams, or the supports — is rated 4 or lower on the federal 0–9 scale. It doesn't mean unsafe to drive; unsafe bridges are closed.
Busiest bridges rated poor
Wallace Bridge Rd over Fourche La Fave River · built 1909
Federal grants — the money that came in, and what's open now
Federal grants paid for $255,309 of work in Perry County in fiscal 2025, about $25 per resident — to the county, cities, schools, hospitals, nonprofits and others.
Source: USAspending.gov, grants by place of performance, fiscal 2025 (Oct. 2024 to Sept. 2025). Search it by county to see each award.
Open now: federal grants county governments can apply for
From Grants.gov: posted grants listing county governments as eligible, soonest deadline first; research-only and overseas programs left out; list updated 2026-10-13, refreshed weekly. 62 are open in all. Cities, towns, school districts and nonprofits have their own lists there.