Perry County, Ohio

Founding: 1818
Parent counties: Fairfield, Muskingum, and Washington

Namesake: Oliver Perry, U.S. naval commander
Seats: Somerset (1818–1857); New Lexington (1857–)

Land area: 408 square miles

Population (2020): 35,408

Population (historic): 8,429 (1820); 20,775 (1850); 18,453 (1870); 31,841 (1900); 31,445 (1930)

Periods of population growth: pre-1820–1850; 1870–1920; 1970–2010

Subdivisions: 12 villages; two CDPs; 14 townships

Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 4,235 (27.9%)
Pre-1940 housing survival rate: 51.7%
Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940): 16.5%

Farm housing in disrepair (1950): 12.6%

Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950): 9.6%

Average farmhouse value (1930): $1,196
Average outbuilding value (1930): $773

Average farmhouse size (1940): 6 rooms
Number of farms (1920): 2,355
Average farm size (1920): 68.9 acres

Sources of settlement: Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ireland, and Maryland
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Somerset (ex-seat)

Namesake: Somerset, Pennsylvania

Founding: 1810 (platting); 1811 (post office)

Population (2020): 1,481

Population (historic): 344 (1820); 1,240 (1850); 1,153 (1870); 1,124 (1900); 1,297 (1930)

Periods of population growth: pre-1820–1850; 1870s; 1900–1920; 1930–1950; 1960–1980; 1990s
Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 292 (46.1%)

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New Lexington

Namesake: Lexington, Massachusetts

Founding: 1817 (platting); 1829 (post office)

Population (2020): 4,435

Population (historic): 406 (1850); 1,357 (1880); 3,157 (1920)

Periods of population growth: pre-1850–1980; 2000s
Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 711 (35.8%)

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