Indiana
Buying Land in Perry County, Indiana
Seat Tell City, on the Ohio River across from Kentucky. Perry County has had countywide zoning since 1998 and is the single most heavily forested county touching the Hoosier National Forest -- more than 60,000 of the forest's 204,303 acres sit within its borders.
Zoning: countywide since 1998, with a municipal-fringe carve-out to check
Perry County has had a real, functioning zoning ordinance since January 1, 1998. The county's Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals share a Planning and Zoning Department at 2219 Payne Street in Tell City, open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm -- Central time, since Perry County is one of the relatively few Indiana counties that observes Central rather than Eastern time. The department issues improvement location permits, administers the zoning ordinance, and keeps a file of all permits and applications for the county.
One wrinkle worth flagging for buyers: the county's own zoning code describes its jurisdiction as unincorporated land that also sits outside a two-mile ring around the corporate limits of Cannelton, Tell City, and Troy. That phrasing suggests land inside that two-mile ring may fall under a different arrangement -- potentially the town's own extraterritorial reach -- rather than straightforward county zoning. This research pass could not fully resolve what specifically governs that fringe zone, so if your target parcel sits within roughly two miles of any of Perry County's three towns, confirm directly with the Planning and Zoning Department which jurisdiction actually applies before assuming either the county ordinance or a municipal one controls.
The Hoosier National Forest: Perry County holds the largest single-county share
Perry County's defining land-use fact isn't its zoning ordinance -- it's how much of the county sits inside the Hoosier National Forest. The forest totals roughly 204,303 acres spread across four separate sections and nine southern Indiana counties, and more than 60,000 of those acres -- the largest share held by any single county -- lie within Perry County. Local tourism materials describe the county as both the hilliest and one of the most heavily forested in the state, a description consistent with that acreage figure rather than just marketing language.
That much public forest changes what land ownership looks like here relative to a typical flat, farmland-dominated Indiana county: private parcels are more likely to border, or sit surrounded by, federally managed forest land, and outdoor recreation -- hiking, biking, horseback riding, hunting, and dispersed camping on forest service roads -- is a much bigger part of the local economy and lifestyle than in most of the state. The Ohio River forms the county's entire southern border, adding river-based recreation (fishing, boating, a public launch at Rome) on top of the forest acreage, and trail systems including the roughly 12.3-mile Mogan Ridge West Trail and the Buzzard Roost Trail (with Ohio River overlooks) run through the area. Our dedicated hunting-land page for Perry County covers what that federal forest acreage means specifically for a hunting-focused land buyer.
Septic, coal history, and other things to check
For a standard septic system, the Perry County Health Department issues the required permit, with a posted $125 fee covering both new installations and replacements/additions. Application paperwork asks for basic house or structure details (bedroom and bathroom count, whether the property is on well or city water) plus any existing soil report for the parcel. As with the county's zoning jurisdiction, confirm current fees and paperwork directly with the health department before applying, since posted fee schedules can change.
Perry County also has a real, if largely historical, coal-mining past: it was one of Indiana's earliest coal-producing counties, with documented company-town mining activity going back to the 1830s. This research pass found no evidence of current active coal mining in the county, in contrast to Pike County to the north, which still has active surface operations -- so treat Perry County's coal history as a legacy fact rather than a live operational concern. Perry County is, however, one of 26 counties named in Indiana's state-sponsored Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund; insurers here must offer subsidence coverage as an optional homeowners-policy add-on, though buying it is not required, and most buyers in the county's forest- and river-adjacent areas will have no practical need for it given the lack of documented current mining.
Who to Call Before Buying Land in Perry County
Direct WebFetch access to perrycounty.in.gov and related domains was blocked by a network egress restriction in this research pass; contact details come from WebSearch-indexed content rather than a full site read, so confirm current hours and fees directly before a visit.
Planning & Zoning
Perry County Planning and Zoning Department
Zoning district and improvement location permit questions for unincorporated Perry County; confirming jurisdiction near Cannelton, Tell City, or Troy.
Septic / Onsite Wastewater
Perry County Health Department
Septic permits under 410 IAC 6-8.3.
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Get local guidanceTopics Specific to Perry County
Sources
- Planning and Zoning - Perry County Government — Perry County, Indiana Government (accessed 2026-09)
- § 153.005 Jurisdiction Area — Perry County Code of Ordinances (American Legal Publishing) (accessed 2026-09)
- Sewage Programs - Perry County Health Department — Perry County Health Department (accessed 2026-09)
- Discover Perry County — Pick Perry County, Indiana (county tourism) (accessed 2026-09)
- 5 Fun Facts About Perry County — Discover Southern Indiana (accessed 2026-09)
- Hoosier National Forest — Wikipedia (accessed 2026-09)
- Mine Subsidence Insurance - Frequently Asked Questions (Bulletin 232) — Indiana Department of Insurance (accessed 2026-09)
Last reviewed 2026-09