County outline
Where Perry County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.3% of Perry County’s measured area and water for 0.7%. Its combined area converts to 1,438.8 square kilometers or approximately 355,545 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 551.45 | 1,428.249 | 352,928 |
| Water | 4.089 | 10.59 | 2,617 |
| Total | 555.539 | 1,438.839 | 355,545 |
How Perry County compares
By original Census land area, Perry County ranks #40 of 67 in Pennsylvania and #1895 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.844 times the Pennsylvania county-equivalent median of 653.3 square miles. It accounts for 1.2% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Pennsylvania ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Perry County
The Census Bureau estimates that 46,806 people lived in Perry County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,068 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #46 of 67 in Pennsylvania. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 45,836, the population has grown by 970 (+2.1%), compared with +0.4% for Pennsylvania as a whole.
With 551.5 square miles of land, that is 85 people per square mile (33 per km²), placing Perry County #1,113 nationally for density and #43 in Pennsylvania. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Pennsylvania median is 137. Put another way, there are about 7.5 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 45,830 | 45,954 | 46,188 | 46,310 | 46,566 | 46,806 |
| Change | — | +124 | +234 | +122 | +256 | +240 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Perry County
Perry County is divided into 30 municipalities and townships. In Pennsylvania, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is Carroll township, with 5,368 residents (11.5% of the county). The largest by land is Toboyne township, at 56.1 mi², or 10.2% of the county’s land. The county seat, Bloomfield borough, has 1,248 residents. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Liverpool township grew fastest since then (+2.7%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll township | 5,368 | +2.5% | 34.3 | 6.2% |
| Wheatfield township | 3,250 | +1.3% | 20.8 | 3.8% |
| Penn township | 3,179 | +2.6% | 21.2 | 3.8% |
| Marysville borough | 2,717 | +2.3% | 2.335 | 0.4% |
| Saville township | 2,650 | +2.2% | 45.9 | 8.3% |
| Centre township | 2,560 | +2.3% | 30 | 5.4% |
| Spring township | 2,349 | +2.4% | 28.6 | 5.2% |
| Rye township | 2,284 | +1.1% | 25.7 | 4.7% |
| Oliver township | 2,097 | +2.5% | 8.318 | 1.5% |
| Tyrone township | 1,958 | +2.2% | 35.6 | 6.5% |
| Juniata township | 1,562 | +2.3% | 20.9 | 3.8% |
| Newport borough | 1,511 | +2% | 0.301 | 0.1% |
| Duncannon borough | 1,465 | −0.4% | 0.407 | 0.1% |
| Tuscarora township | 1,349 | +2.4% | 29.3 | 5.3% |
| Watts township | 1,266 | +2.5% | 11.9 | 2.2% |
Show the other 15 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo township | 1,251 | +2.2% | 20.1 |
| Bloomfield boroughCounty seat | 1,248 | +1.7% | 0.611 |
| Liverpool township | 1,066 | +2.7% | 20.9 |
| Greenwood township | 1,057 | +2.3% | 25.1 |
| Southwest Madison township | 1,049 | +2.1% | 27.4 |
| Miller township | 990 | +2.6% | 12.4 |
| Liverpool borough | 979 | +2.2% | 0.881 |
| Northeast Madison township | 850 | +2.2% | 25.8 |
| Millerstown borough | 699 | +2% | 0.845 |
| Jackson township | 596 | +2.4% | 37.2 |
| Toboyne township | 487 | +2.5% | 56.1 |
| Howe township | 392 | +2.1% | 8.114 |
| Blain borough | 225 | +1.8% | 0.318 |
| Landisburg borough | 224 | +1.8% | 0.095 |
| New Buffalo borough | 128 | +3.2% | 0.059 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Perry County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Perry County is an outlying county of the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 3 county equivalents have 617,427 residents on 1,621.8 square miles of land; Perry County accounts for 34% of the land and 7.6% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #200 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #96 by population. It belongs to the Harrisburg-York-Lebanon, PA Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Dauphin County | 293,351 | 524.9 |
| Cumberland County | 277,270 | 545.5 |
| Perry County | 46,806 | 551.5 |
ZIP codes
16 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Perry County; 14 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
17006170201702117024170351703717040170451704717053170621706817069170711707417090
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Perry County
Perry County shares a land border with 4 county equivalents. It has more land than 3 of them. The largest neighbor is Franklin County (772.3 mi²) and the smallest is Juniata County (391.4 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Perry County forms a block of 2,785.5 mi² of land, of which it holds 19.8%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Perry | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | 772.3 | 1.4× larger | Compare |
| Cumberland County | 545.5 | about the same | Compare |
| Dauphin County | 524.9 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Juniata County | 391.4 | 1.4× smaller | Compare |
How big is Perry County compared with U.S. states?
Perry County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.9 times as much. Pennsylvania’s county land could hold about 81 areas the size of Perry County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 23.5 miles (37.8 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Perry County?
Perry County has more land than 1,327 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Perry County at #1,990 nationally by total area, 95 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 0.7%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.4 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Perry County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1894 | Graves County, Kentucky | 551.8 | Compare |
| #1895 | Perry County, Pennsylvania | 551.5 | This county |
| #1896 | Perry County, Arkansas | 551.3 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 40.397780, -77.266328. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,428,247,604 m²; AWATER: 10,591,133 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Perry County?
Perry County, Pennsylvania has 551.5 square miles (1,428.2 km²) of land and 4.089 square miles of water, for a total area of 555.5 square miles. It ranks #1895 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Perry County the largest county in Pennsylvania?
No. Perry County ranks #40 of 67 in Pennsylvania by land area. The largest is Lycoming County, with 1,228.9 square miles of land.
What counties border Perry County?
Perry County shares a land border with Juniata County, Cumberland County, Dauphin County, and Franklin County.
What is the population of Perry County?
The Census Bureau estimates Perry County had 46,806 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,068 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 85 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Perry County?
The county seat of Perry County is Bloomfield.
What cities and towns are in Perry County?
Perry County has 30 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Carroll township, Wheatfield township, Penn township, Marysville borough, and Saville township.
Is Perry County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is an outlying county of the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 3 county equivalents and 617,427 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Perry County?
16 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Perry County, and 14 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Perry County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.9 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Perry County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 352,928 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 355,545 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.