Cherokee County, NC

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

29,562

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

53.5

0.375% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

12.4%

15.5% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$53,628

4.14% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$232,300

11.3% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

12,036

1.65% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Cherokee County, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.3% of the residents in Cherokee County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Cherokee County, NC are Tri-County Community College (251 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Cherokee County, NC was $232,300, and the homeownership rate was 83.7%.

Most people in Cherokee County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Cherokee County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Cherokee County, NC borders Fannin County, GA, Union County, GA, Clay County, NC, Graham County, NC, Macon County, NC, Monroe County, TN, and Polk County, TN.

United States North Carolina

Population & Diversity

Cherokee County, NC is home to a population of 29.6k people, from which 99.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.91% of Cherokee County, NC residents were born outside of the country (565 people).

In 2024, there were 34.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (26.4k people) in Cherokee County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 766 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 527 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.3%

2024 Citizenship

99.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.3% of Cherokee County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Cherokee County, NC was 99.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Cherokee County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Cherokee County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
26.4k ± 165
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
766 ± 120
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
527 ± 60

3.68%

Hispanic Population

1.09k people

3.68% of the people in Cherokee County, NC are hispanic (1.09k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Cherokee County, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
224,963 ± 11,520 people
India
83,219 ± 7,055 people
Honduras
48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

Foreign-Born Population

1.91%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

565 people

1.93%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

563 people

As of 2024, 1.91% of Cherokee County, NC residents (565 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Cherokee County, NC was 1.93%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Cherokee County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,030 ± 225
Gulf War (2001-)
446 ± 168
Gulf War (1990s)
347 ± 141

Cherokee County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.31 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Cherokee County, NC.

Economy

The economy of Cherokee County, NC employs 12k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Cherokee County, NC were Retail Trade (2,082 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,686 people), and Construction (1,263 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($67,083), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($65,160), and Transportation & Warehousing ($56,214).

Employment

Occupations

12k

2024 Value

± 812

1.65%

1 Year growth

± 9.82%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cherokee County, NC grew at a rate of 1.65%, from 11.8k employees to 12k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Cherokee County, NC, are Sales & Related Occupations (1,829 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,265 people), and Production Occupations (1,065 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Cherokee County, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

12k

2024 Value

± 812

1.65%

1 Year growth

± 9.82%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cherokee County, NC grew at a rate of 1.65%, from 11.8k employees to 12k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Cherokee County, NC, are Retail Trade (2,082 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,686 people), and Construction (1,263 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Cherokee County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Cherokee County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$37,074

Median earning men ± $3,561

$33,438

Median earning women ± $1,859

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($72,222), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($62,727), and Public Administration ($58,710).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($46,319), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($45,313), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($45,216).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

62
Construction
56
Other Services (except Public Administration)
55
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$63.4k
Accommodation and Food Services
$51.9k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$51.5k
Manufacturing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Cherokee County, NC awarded 251 degrees. The student population of Cherokee County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 395 male students and 574 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Cherokee County, NC are White (218 and 86.9%), Hispanic or Latino (13 and 5.18%), Two or More Races (5 and 1.99%), and Black or African American (5 and 1.99%).

The largest universities in Cherokee County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Tri-County Community College (251 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Cherokee County, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (162 and 64.5%), Registered Nursing (12 and 4.78%), and General Cosmetology (9 and 3.59%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 969 students enrolled in Cherokee County, NC, 40.8% men and 59.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 786 records, of which 60.6% were women and 39.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
162 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
12 degrees awarded
Automobile Mechanics Technology
7 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Cherokee County, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 162 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Cherokee County, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Tri-County Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

251 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Tri-County Community College with 251 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 85 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Cherokee County, NC, which is 0.512 times less than the 166 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 218 degrees mean that there were 16.8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 13 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($2,304) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($59) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,562) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Cherokee County, NC was $232,300 in 2024, which is 0.698 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $208,700 to $232,300, a 11.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Cherokee County, NC is 83.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Cherokee County, NC have an average commute time of 25.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Cherokee County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 9.74% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cherokee County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.96%.

Housing

Property

$232,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$11,614

$11,083

Median Property Taxes

±$762

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Cherokee County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Cherokee County, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

83.7%

Homeownership

2024

70%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 83.7% of the housing units in Cherokee County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 83.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Cherokee County, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$53,628

Median Household Income

± $3,764

13.2k

Number of Households

± 817

In 2024, the median household income of the 13.2k households in Cherokee County, NC grew to $53,628 from the previous year's value of $51,496.

The following chart displays the households in Cherokee County, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Cherokee County, NC is from North Carolina.

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (79.5%)
Worked At Home (10.8%)
Carpooled (6.45%)

In 2024, 79.5% of workers in Cherokee County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.8%) and those who carpooled to work (6.45%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Cherokee County, NC have a shorter commute time (25.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.79% of the workforce in Cherokee County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Cherokee County, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Cherokee County, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Cherokee County, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 9.74% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cherokee County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.96%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

12.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Cherokee County, NC (3.62k out of 29.3k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Cherokee County, NC is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 24.5% of the children was living in poverty in Cherokee County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 13.1%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 213 in Cherokee County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 6.67 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

87.5% of the population of Cherokee County, NC has health coverage, with 28.1% on employee plans, 16.5% on Medicaid, 25.4% on Medicare, 14.8% on non-group plans, and 2.73% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Cherokee County, NC see 2,431 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,431 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2459 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 599 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,431 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Cherokee County, NC

Primary care physicians in Cherokee County, NC see an average of 2,431 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,431 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Cherokee County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 17% under 18 years, 13.3% between 18 and 34 years, 38.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 31.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

12.5%

Uninsured

28.1%

Employer Coverage

16.5%

Medicaid

25.4%

Medicare

14.8%

Non-Group

2.73%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Cherokee County, NC declined by 15.1% from 14.8% to 12.5%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Cherokee County, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 97.5 in Cherokee County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Cherokee County, NC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 31.5% in Cherokee County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Cherokee County, NC.