Cherokee County, OK

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

47,942

US Senator

James Lankford

Republican Party

US Senator

Markwayne Mullin

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

18.2%

5.83% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$53,218

0.838% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$168,500

5.12% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

20,856

0.11% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Cherokee County, OK 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.

97.8% of the residents in Cherokee County, OK are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Cherokee County, OK are Northeastern State University (1,778 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Cherokee County, OK was $168,500, and the homeownership rate was 65.7%.

Most people in Cherokee County, OK drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Cherokee County, OK was 2 cars per household.

Cherokee County, OK borders Adair County, OK, Delaware County, OK, Mayes County, OK, Muskogee County, OK, Sequoyah County, OK, and Wagoner County, OK.

United States Oklahoma Tahlequah, OK

Population & Diversity

Cherokee County, OK is home to a population of 47.9k people, from which 97.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.51% of Cherokee County, OK residents were born outside of the country (1.68k people).

In 2024, there were 1.45 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (21.5k people) in Cherokee County, OK than any other race or ethnicity. There were 14.9k American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) and 6.12k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.8%

2024 Citizenship

98.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.8% of Cherokee County, OK residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Cherokee County, OK was 98.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Cherokee County, OK

White (Non-Hispanic)
21.5k ± 240
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
14.9k ± 596
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
6.12k ± 620

7.99%

Hispanic Population

3.83k people

7.99% of the people in Cherokee County, OK are hispanic (3.83k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Cherokee County, OK 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 Oklahoma.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
105,376 ± 7,864 people
Vietnam
13,032 ± 2,798 people
Guatemala
11,790 ± 2,662 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Oklahoma was Mexico, the natal country of 105,376 Oklahoma residents, followed by Vietnam with 13,032 and Guatemala with 11,790.

Foreign-Born Population

3.51%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.68k people

3.2%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.53k people

As of 2024, 3.51% of Cherokee County, OK residents (1.68k 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, OK was 3.2%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
866 ± 183
Gulf War (2001-)
537 ± 109
Gulf War (1990s)
388 ± 134

Cherokee County, OK has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.61 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Cherokee County, OK employs 20.9k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Cherokee County, OK were Health Care & Social Assistance (3,841 people), Educational Services (2,575 people), and Retail Trade (2,000 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($117,422), Utilities ($86,875), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($69,300).

Employment

Occupations

20.9k

2024 Value

± 915

0.11%

1 Year growth

± 6.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cherokee County, OK grew at a rate of 0.11%, from 20.8k employees to 20.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Cherokee County, OK, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,344 people), Management Occupations (1,967 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,899 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Cherokee County, OK.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Oklahoma (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

20.9k

2024 Value

± 915

0.11%

1 Year growth

± 6.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cherokee County, OK grew at a rate of 0.11%, from 20.8k employees to 20.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Cherokee County, OK, are Health Care & Social Assistance (3,841 people), Educational Services (2,575 people), and Retail Trade (2,000 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Cherokee County, OK, though some of these residents may live in Cherokee County, OK and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,461

Median earning men ± $2,526

$33,628

Median earning women ± $1,959

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($61,125), Wholesale Trade ($55,179), and Construction ($49,479).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($44,984), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($43,714), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($39,655).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.57%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.72M people employed in Oklahoma. This represents a 2.57% 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%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

56
Retail Trade
53
Health Care and Social Assistance
51
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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

$149k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$45.7k
Retail Trade
$22.3k
Accommodation and Food Services

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

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Oklahoma went to Donald J. Trump with 66.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (31.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.02%).

James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin are the senators currently representing the state of Oklahoma. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Oklahoma is currently represented by 5 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Cherokee County, OK. Showing the available data for Oklahoma.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (66.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (31.9%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (1.02%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Oklahoma went to Donald J. Trump with 66.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (31.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.02%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Oklahoma for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Oklahoma

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Oklahoma.

James Lankford

Senator from Oklahoma

Assumed office on January 3, 2015
Took office following the resignation of Tom Coburn.

Markwayne Mullin

Senator from Oklahoma

Assumed office on January 3, 2023
Took office following the resignation of Jim Inhofe.

James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin are the senators currently representing Oklahoma.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Oklahoma over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Cherokee County, OK awarded 1,778 degrees. The student population of Cherokee County, OK in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 2,274 male students and 4,192 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Cherokee County, OK are White (940 and 54.1%), American Indian or Alaska Native (334 and 19.2%), Two or More Races (228 and 13.1%), and Hispanic or Latino (110 and 6.33%).

The largest universities in Cherokee County, OK by number of degrees awarded are Northeastern State University (1,778 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Cherokee County, OK are General Business Administration & Management (150 and 8.44%), Other Research & Experimental Psychology (133 and 7.48%), and General Studies (97 and 5.46%).

The median tuition cost in Cherokee County, OK for a public four year colleges is $6,623 for in-state students and $15,743 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Cherokee County, OK, the percentage of applicants admitted was 99.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 48.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 6,466 (35.2% men and 64.8% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 6,466 students enrolled in Cherokee County, OK, 35.2% men and 64.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 3,015 records, of which 66.1% were women and 33.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
74 degrees awarded
Other Research & Experimental Psychology
133 degrees awarded
General Studies
97 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Cherokee County, OK was Registered Nursing with 74 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Northeastern State University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,778 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Northeastern State University with 1,778 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 525 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Cherokee County, OK, which is 0.419 times less than the 1,253 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 940 degrees mean that there were 2.81 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, American Indian or Alaska Native, with 334 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

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($6,623) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($890) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,200) 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, OK was $168,500 in 2024, which is 0.506 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $160,300 to $168,500, a 5.12% increase. The homeownership rate in Cherokee County, OK is 65.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Cherokee County, OK have an average commute time of 23.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Cherokee County, OK is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cherokee County, OK. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.288%.

Housing

Property

$168,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,311

$12,291

Median Property Taxes

±$614

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, OK the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

65.7%

Homeownership

2024

67.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 65.7% of the housing units in Cherokee County, OK were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 65.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Cherokee County, OK 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.

$53,218

Median Household Income

± $2,412

18.7k

Number of Households

± 858

In 2024, the median household income of the 18.7k households in Cherokee County, OK declined from $53,218 from the previous year's value of $53,668.

The following chart displays the households in Cherokee County, OK 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, OK is from Oklahoma.

0.452

2023 Wage GINI in Oklahoma

0.456

2022 Wage GINI in Oklahoma

In 2023, the income inequality in Oklahoma was 0.452 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.809% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Oklahoma was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Oklahoma in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (73%)
Carpooled (13.1%)
Worked At Home (7.83%)

In 2024, 73% of workers in Cherokee County, OK drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (13.1%) and those who worked at home (7.83%).

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

23.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Cherokee County, OK have a shorter commute time (23.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.86% of the workforce in Cherokee County, OK have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Cherokee County, OK 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, OK distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Cherokee County, OK have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cherokee County, OK. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.288%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

18.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Cherokee County, OK (8.44k out of 46.3k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 65 - 74.

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

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, 24.1% of the children was living in poverty in Cherokee County, OK. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 7.7%.

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 234 in Cherokee County, OK. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 49 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

81.8% of the population of Cherokee County, OK has health coverage, with 35.1% on employee plans, 19.9% on Medicaid, 13% on Medicare, 11.9% on non-group plans, and 1.89% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Cherokee County, OK see 1,361 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,361 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1718 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 203 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.9% were men and 51.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,361 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Cherokee County, OK

Primary care physicians in Cherokee County, OK see an average of 1,361 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,361 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.3% under 18 years, 24.6% between 18 and 34 years, 34.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.9% were men and 51.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

18.2%

Uninsured

35.1%

Employer Coverage

19.9%

Medicaid

13%

Medicare

11.9%

Non-Group

1.89%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Cherokee County, OK declined by 4.51% from 19.1% to 18.2%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Cherokee County, OK 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 49.1 in Cherokee County, OK.

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

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 44.3% in Cherokee County, OK.

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