Cherokee County, SC

County

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2023 Population

56,299

0.176% 1-year growth

US Senator

N/ALindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

N/ATim Scott

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

40.3

0.75% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

18.5%

2.63% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$49,047

4.33% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$135,200

8.59% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

23,858

1.46% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Cherokee County, SC had a population of 56.3k people with a median age of 40.3 and a median household income of $49,047. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Cherokee County, SC grew from 56,200 to 56,299, a 0.176% increase and its median household income grew from $47,011 to $49,047, a 4.33% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Cherokee County, SC are White (Non-Hispanic) (70%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (18.8%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.99%), Two+ (Hispanic) (2.34%), and Other (Hispanic) (1.38%).

None of the households in Cherokee County, SC 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.

97.9% of the residents in Cherokee County, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Cherokee County, SC are Limestone University (529 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2023, the median property value in Cherokee County, SC was $135,200, and the homeownership rate was 73.3%.

Most people in Cherokee County, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Cherokee County, SC was 2 cars per household.

Cherokee County, SC borders Cleveland County, NC, Rutherford County, NC, Spartanburg County, SC, Union County, SC, and York County, SC.

United States South Carolina Gaffney, SC

Population & Diversity

Cherokee County, SC is home to a population of 56.3k people, from which 97.9% are citizens. As of 2023, 3.31% of Cherokee County, SC residents were born outside of the country (1.86k people).

In 2023, there were 3.73 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (39.4k people) in Cherokee County, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 10.6k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.24k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.9%

2023 Citizenship

98.1%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 97.9% of Cherokee County, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Cherokee County, SC was 98.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Cherokee County, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
39.4k ± 436
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
10.6k ± 305
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
2.24k ± 420

5.23%

Hispanic Population

2.94k people

5.23% of the people in Cherokee County, SC are hispanic (2.94k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Cherokee County, SC 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 South Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
58,419 ± 5,900 people
India
18,341 ± 3,319 people
Honduras
13,844 ± 2,885 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 58,419 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 18,341 and Honduras with 13,844.

Foreign-Born Population

3.31%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.86k people

2.56%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

1.44k people

As of 2023, 3.31% of Cherokee County, SC residents (1.86k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Cherokee County, SC was 2.56%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,051 ± 219
Gulf War (1990s)
711 ± 219
Gulf War (2001-)
687 ± 217

Cherokee County, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.48 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Cherokee County, SC employs 23.9k people. The largest industries in Cherokee County, SC are Manufacturing (5,632 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,827 people), and Educational Services (2,426 people), and the highest paying industries are Information ($70,380), Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($50,950), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($47,609).

Males in South Carolina have an average income that is 1.37 times higher than the average income of females, which is $52,636. The income inequality in South Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.464, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

23.9k

2023 Value

± 1,287

−1.46%

1 Year decline

± 7.95%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Cherokee County, SC declined at a rate of −1.46%, from 24.2k employees to 23.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Cherokee County, SC, are Production Occupations (3,004 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,504 people), and Management Occupations (1,980 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Cherokee County, SC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South 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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

23.9k

2023 Value

± 1,287

−1.46%

1 Year decline

± 7.95%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Cherokee County, SC declined at a rate of −1.46%, from 24.2k employees to 23.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Cherokee County, SC, are Manufacturing (5,632 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,827 people), and Educational Services (2,426 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Cherokee County, SC, though some of these residents may live in Cherokee County, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,887

Median earning men ± $2,698

$30,472

Median earning women ± $2,002

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($72,446), Manufacturing ($48,965), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,088).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Construction ($46,250), Wholesale Trade ($43,125), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($42,409).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for N/A.

Y-Axis

N/A%

Year-over-year N/A

Employment change between N/A N/A and N/A N/A

As of N/A N/A, there are N/A people employed in N/A. This represents a N/A% N/A in employment when compared to N/A N/A.

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

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in N/A.

Establishments by Size

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

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Education

In 2022, universities in Cherokee County, SC awarded 529 degrees. The student population of Cherokee County, SC in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 856 male students and 930 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Cherokee County, SC are White (259 and 50.7%), followed by Black or African American (195 and 38.2%), Hispanic or Latino (20 and 3.91%), and Two or More Races (15 and 2.94%).

The largest universities in Cherokee County, SC by number of degrees awarded are Limestone University (529 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Cherokee County, SC are Other Business Administration, Management, & Operations (142 and 26.8%), Social Work (98 and 18.5%), and Liberal Arts & Sciences (33 and 6.24%).

The median tuition cost in Cherokee County, SC for private four year colleges is $25,200.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Cherokee County, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 89.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 16.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 1,786 (47.9% men and 52.1% 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 2022 there were 1,786 students enrolled in Cherokee County, SC, 47.9% men and 52.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 822 records, of which 50.4% were women and 49.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Other Business Administration, Management, & Operations
94 degrees awarded
Social Work
65 degrees awarded
Health Care Administration & Management
27 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Cherokee County, SC was Other Business Administration, Management, & Operations with 94 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Limestone University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

529 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Limestone University with 529 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 211 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Cherokee County, SC, which is 0.664 times less than the 318 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 259 degrees mean that there were 1.33 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 195 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

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($25,200) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,100) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($2,304) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.83% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.688% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.18M), Some college (892k), and Bachelors Degree (705k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Cherokee County, SC was $135,200 in 2023, which is 0.446 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $124,500 to $135,200, a 8.59% increase. The homeownership rate in Cherokee County, SC is 73.3%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Cherokee County, SC have an average commute time of 24.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Cherokee County, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Cherokee County, SC is $49,047. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Cherokee County, SC was Census Tract 9706.02 with a value of $73,198, followed by Census Tract 9707 and Census Tract 9702.01, with respective values of $56,875 and $52,390.

In 2023, 9.66% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cherokee County, SC. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.64%.

Housing

Property

$135,200

Median Property Value 2023

±$11,915

$16,025

Median Property Taxes

±$951

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

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

Rent vs Own

73.3%

Homeownership

2023

68.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 73.3% of the housing units in Cherokee County, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 70.8%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9706.02
Census Tract 9707
Census Tract 9702.01

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Cherokee County, SC was Census Tract 9706.02 with a value of $73,198, followed by Census Tract 9707 and Census Tract 9702.01, with respective values of $56,875 and $52,390.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Cherokee County, SC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$49,047

Median Household Income

± $2,478

21.9k

Number of Households

± 1,106

In 2023, the median household income of the 21.9k households in Cherokee County, SC grew to $49,047 from the previous year's value of $47,011.

The following chart displays the households in Cherokee County, SC 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, SC is from South Carolina.

0.464

2022 Wage GINI in South Carolina

0.463

2021 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.334% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Carolina in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (83.9%)
Carpooled (8.28%)
Worked At Home (5.27%)

In 2023, 83.9% of workers in Cherokee County, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.28%) and those who worked at home (5.27%).

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

24.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Cherokee County, SC have a shorter commute time (24.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.6% of the workforce in Cherokee County, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 9.66% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cherokee County, SC. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.64%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

18.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Cherokee County, SC (10.2k out of 55.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Females < 5.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Cherokee County, SC is White, followed by Black 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 2023, 28.7% of the children was living in poverty in Cherokee County, SC. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.3%.

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.

Health

89.8% of the population of Cherokee County, SC has health coverage, with 38.7% on employee plans, 21.4% on Medicaid, 13% on Medicare, 15% on non-group plans, and 1.9% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Cherokee County, SC see 2866 patients per year on average, which represents a 5.02% increase from the previous year (2729 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4004 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1601 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,866 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Cherokee County, SC

Primary care physicians in Cherokee County, SC see an average of 2,866 patients per year. This represents a 5.02% increase from the previous year (2,729 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.4% under 18 years, 20.3% between 18 and 34 years, 38.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

10.2%

Uninsured

38.7%

Employer Coverage

21.4%

Medicaid

13%

Medicare

15%

Non-Group

1.9%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Cherokee County, SC declined by 7.09% from 11% to 10.2%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 64.7 in Cherokee County, SC.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, 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 39.4% in Cherokee County, SC.

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