“Counties like it” are metro-area counties with a similar population and a median household income near Perry County's ($57,996). Ahead or behind means more than 15% better or worse than the typical one.
Ahead of similar counties on 3 measures:
Behind similar counties on 1 measure:
About the same on 6: life expectancy, adults under 65 without health insurance, residents per primary care doctor, children in poverty, unemployment, households with broadband internet.
| Measure | Perry County | Typical similar county |
|---|---|---|
| Population change, 2020–2024 | 2.5% 10,003 → 10,251 | 2.0% |
| School spending per student (day-to-day costs) | $11,887 | $13,817 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 population estimates; Census Annual Survey of School System Finances (school year 2023), current spending divided by enrollment across the districts based in the county.
At the end of 2024, Perry County's general fund held $2,291,767 — enough to cover about 8.6 months of that year's spending. Five years earlier (2020) it held $1,436,233. Among the 75 Arkansas counties whose state audits include this five-year schedule, that ranks 48 of 75 for months covered; the typical county held about 10.6 months.
Source: each county's state audit, “Schedule of Selected Information for the Last Five Years — General Fund” (unaudited schedule). Latest years differ by county (2023, 2024). A larger reserve isn't automatically better or worse — it can be savings for a planned project, or money not yet spent. The year-by-year table.
“Counties like it” means other counties in a metro area with a similar number of people and a similar median household income (about $57,996 here). Comparing with them, instead of the whole country, shows what similar places have managed. Perry County is furthest behind on food insecurity.
| Measure | Perry County | Typical similar county | Doing best among similar counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy about the same | 74.1 years | 73.4 years | Doniphan County, KS 76.9 years Harrison County, IA 76.3 years Howard County, MO 76.1 years |
| Adults under 65 without health insurance about the same | 9.1% | 10.6% | Livingston County, KY 5.7% Harrison County, IA 5.8% Massac County, IL 6.5% |
| Residents per primary care doctor about the same | 4,982 | 4,851 | Chattahoochee County, GA 603 Doniphan County, KS 1,868 Howard County, MO 2,542 |
| Children in poverty about the same | 20.9% | 20.2% | Harrison County, IA 12.6% Howard County, MO 14.4% Caldwell County, MO 15.0% |
| Food insecurity behind similar counties | 19.3% | 15.7% | Harrison County, IA 9.8% Sussex County, VA 10.5% Doniphan County, KS 11.9% |
| Households with severe housing problems ahead of similar counties | 8.8% | 11.5% | Edmonson County, KY 6.5% Callahan County, TX 6.7% McLean County, KY 7.2% |
| Unemployment about the same | 3.6% | 3.6% | Doniphan County, KS 2.5% Harrison County, IA 2.7% Cannon County, TN 2.9% |
| Households with broadband internet about the same | 79.6% | 83.0% | Callahan County, TX 88.4% Doniphan County, KS 87.2% Crockett County, TN 86.2% |
| Jail population per 100,000 residents 15–64 ahead of similar counties | 386 | 547 | Harrison County, IA 122 Bollinger County, MO 201 Doniphan County, KS 236 |
| Bridges rated poor ahead of similar counties | 1.7% | 4.3% | Lanier County, GA 0.0% Sussex County, VA 0.0% Crawford County, GA 0.0% |
“Behind” or “ahead” means more than 15% worse or better than the typical (median) similar county; small differences can be noise. Sources: County Health Rankings 2025 (health, money and internet), Vera Institute (jail, latest year from 2015 on), FHWA National Bridge Inventory 2025, HUD (metro areas), Census 2024 population. What has worked elsewhere on each of these.
“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.
Related: By the numbers · The money trail · Audits · What has worked. Spot an error? Report it.