Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Perry earns a D−, ranked 626th of 634 in Florida, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $41K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 93% of the country. What it does well: it is more walkable than 78% of U.S. towns. 29% of working residents work locally in Perry, above both the Florida town median (5%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Only 9 of Florida’s 134 towns score lower on safety. Perry's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 90% of U.S. towns.
Where Perry beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Perry is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,012 in 1910, 6,898 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1922 and a map from 1955 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Perry, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Perry.
Perry is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Tallahassee and other neighbors, but it reports violent crime at about twice the Florida rate.
Against the 2,640 U.S. towns with household incomes like Perry’s, it is less healthy than 66%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
46% of adults have high blood pressure in Perry. Perry beats the Florida average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 21. 43% of adults have obesity in Perry.
| Perry | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 37% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 32% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 37% | 36% |
| What stands out | Perry | FL |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 18.6% | 12.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.7% | 7.2% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.4% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Taylor school district. Two of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Taylor County High School, with 639 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor County Primary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–2 | Grades K–2 | 574 | – |
| Taylor County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 639 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
Violent crime runs at 5.8 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Florida rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D. Property crime runs at 26.5 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Florida rate, most of it theft.
The violent crime rate in Perry is 5.8 per 1,000 residents. Only 7 of the 132 Florida towns we compare have a higher property crime rate than Perry. Perry reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 93% report less.
| Perry | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.8 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 26.5 per 1,000 residents | 12.6 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The median property tax bill is $755, against $2,730 across Florida, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Perry home is worth about $182,000, up 7.1% in a year, 52% below the Florida typical home. Perry’s median rent is $986 a month.
| Perry | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 60% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $986 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 88% of U.S. communities. Since 1991, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Perry.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Perry weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 267 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 92% of Florida places with climate records. January nights average 40.7°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 92% of Florida places with climate records; July afternoons average 91.4°.
Perry has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Perry | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 41°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 91°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Perry has about as many jobs (3,006) as working residents, but only 770 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 16.2 minutes, against 28 across Florida.
About one in 3 of Perry’s working residents works in town. Among 638 Florida towns, just 9 have a lower average trip to work than Perry. Since 2013, Perry has lost 192 jobs, to 3,006 in 2023.
| Perry | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $41,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Perry | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rosehead Park | — | 10 |
| 2. South Side Park | — | 7 |
| 3. Perry Pavilion and Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Perry; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Perry residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
3 places in Perry on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Perry.
City in Florida, United States
Perry is a city and the county seat of Taylor County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, Perry had a population of 6,898. The city was named for Madison Perry, fourth governor of the state of Florida and a Confederate colonel during the American Civil War.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Perry grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #626 of 634 in Florida. It grades D for health, D for safety and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 3.7 years of the area's median household income ($49,073 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
5 notable people were born here, including Troy Sneed and Rick Tuten.
