The Town Files

Perry, Pennsylvania

Township in Fayette County · population 2,338 (2020 Census)

Map: where Perry is in PennsylvaniaPerry
Median home
$211,700
Household income
$67,833
Jan low / Jul high
21° / 84°
Snow a year
21 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
13
Median age
50.8

Perry is a township of 2,338 people in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $211,700, close to the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks quieter than 91% of Pennsylvania towns, hipper than 82% of Pennsylvania towns, better for retirees than 80% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Perry ranks

Percentile among Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.

Perry lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement80th pctFamilies28th pctQuiet91st pctWalkability57th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals19th pctVibrancy33rd pctHip & trendy82nd pctCollege town14th pctUpscale43rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving29th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Perry is worth $211,700, close to the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $67,833, which is more affordable than 39% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $790 a month. 80.6% of households own their home.

Perry vs Fayette County vs typical Pennsylvania townPerryFayette CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$211,700$143,200$214,250Household income$67,833$58,236$75,278Monthly rent$790$793$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingPerryTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$211,700$214,250
Median rent$790$996
Median household income$67,833$75,278
Home value ÷ income3.1×2.8×
Homeownership80.6%81.5%
Median year built19671971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Perry

PeoplePerryTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age50.844.2
Age 65 and over30.2%21.1%
Under 1819.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher23.0%23.8%
Below the poverty line6.7%8.5%
Veterans7.3%—
Born outside the U.S.0.9%—
Work from home10.0%10.6%
Average commute31.2 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband86.5%89.0%

Weather in Perry

July highs average 84.4°F and January lows 20.5°F. About 40.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 21.4 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 15 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 116 nights at or below freezing.

Perry monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing39°21°Jan42°22°Feb51°29°Mar64°38°Apr73°49°May81°58°Jun84°62°Jul84°61°Aug78°54°Sep66°42°Oct54°33°Nov43°26°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.95.72.47.23.14.63.40.14.34.44.33.63.53.02.80.52.93.3
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Donora 1 Sw station (6.8 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Perry since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on November 16, 1965 about 8.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 22, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Perry by decade11950s21960s11970s11980s11990s02000s12010s62020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 50 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on July 20, 1983.

Severe weather in Fayette County since 1996

Storm events in Fayette County since 1996 by typeHail108Flood38Drought5Tornado15High Wind14Ice Storm8Heavy Snow23Flash Flood125
NOAA Storm Events Database, Fayette County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Fayette County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
March 23, 2016SnowstormDR-4267: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
October 1, 2013Severe StormDR-4149: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy

Jobs and pay in Fayette County

Fayette County had 37,892 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,069 a year. Unemployment was 4.5% in 2023; in Perry itself the ACS puts it at 9.9%.

Largest industries in Fayette CountyHealth care & social assistan…7,409 jobs · $51,790Retail5,195 jobs · $33,579Hotels & restaurants4,771 jobs · $28,892Manufacturing3,496 jobs · $63,366Construction1,622 jobs · $61,724Transportation & warehousing1,622 jobs · $50,249
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Fayette County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Fayette 4.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Perry

Perry questions

Is Perry, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Perry scores better for retirees than 80% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 91%. 30.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.8).

How much does a house cost in Perry?

The median owner-occupied home in Perry is valued at $211,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $67,833, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $790 a month.

What is the weather like in Perry?

July highs average 84.4°F and January lows 20.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 40.9 inches of precipitation a year and 21.4 inches of snow.

Does Perry get tornadoes?

13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Perry since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on November 16, 1965. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Perry's Census boundary (GEOID 4205159464). Comparisons use the median of Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.