Cherokee County, Alabama Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Cherokee County, AL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Cherokee County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,443 | 5,083,438 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 42.4 | 97.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.21% | 0.62% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.9 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,192 | 1,996,169 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Cherokee County grew by 4.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 25,443 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Cherokee County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.4% of residents. That is 5.4 points above Alabama as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,395 17.3% -4.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,644 18.3% -2.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,911 23.2% +3.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,953 23.4% +5.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Alabama, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.4% of the people living in Cherokee County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Alabama 51.5%
- Men 49.6% Alabama 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Cherokee County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Cherokee County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Cherokee County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,406 | $64,544 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.52% | 4.68% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Cherokee County is about 14% lower than in Alabama.
Housing
| Metric | Cherokee County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $173,275 | $160,474 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $762 | $1,007 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.1% | 70.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Cherokee County is about 19.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $762 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Cherokee County spend about 57 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 236 hours, about 9.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Cherokee County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 28.3 | 22.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 56.7 | 44.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 236 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,320 | $5,717 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.4% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,873 | 8,636 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 573 | 1,193 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Alabama:
Pike County (16.4 min), Houston County (18.3 min), Escambia County (18.5 min).
Slowest:
Blount County (33.2 min), Pickens County (32.5 min), Lowndes County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Cherokee County is 28 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Alabama.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Cherokee County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Cherokee County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.6% | 24.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.47 | 2.48 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Alabama:
Madison County (0.4), Shelby County (0.3), Lee County (0.3).
Lowest:
Bibb County (0.2), Barbour County (0.2), Wilcox County (0.2).
Health
Cherokee County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Cherokee County | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.1 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.8% | 23.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.5% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Alabama:
Shelby County (0.8), Lee County (0.8), Baldwin County (0.8).
Lowest:
Greene County (0.7), Wilcox County (0.7), Perry County (0.7).
Cherokee County, AL Compared With Nearby Counties
Cherokee County, AL is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 25,443 residents against a local median of 72,266. The measure that sets Cherokee County, AL apart most is median home price: $173,275, 49% above the local median of $116,112.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 28.3 min against a local median of 20.7 min, 37% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 37% above the local median it puts Cherokee County, AL at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $67,274 on median home price, so Cherokee County, AL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cherokee County, AL has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, AL | 25,443 | $55,406 #3/6 | $173,275 #1/6 | 28.3 min #6/6 |
| DeKalb County, AL | 72,266 | $51,236 | $58,790 | 20.5 min |
| Chattooga County, GA | 25,036 | $50,365 | $68,899 | 23.8 min |
| Floyd County, GA | 99,681 | $65,737 | $122,373 | 20.3 min |
| Etowah County, AL | 103,105 | $54,845 | $116,112 | 20.7 min |
| Polk County, GA | 43,785 | $58,171 | $126,064 | 26.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Cherokee County, Alabama.
How big is Cherokee County, Alabama by population?
About 25,443 people live in Cherokee County, Alabama, in 10,192 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 48.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 12 years.
Is Cherokee County, Alabama urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Cherokee County, Alabama has 42 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 49% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Cherokee County, Alabama?
The median home costs 3.1 times the median household income ($173,275 against $55,406), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $762 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Cherokee County, Alabama?
Unemployment in Cherokee County, Alabama is only 3.9%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Cherokee County, Alabama?
13.6% of adults in Cherokee County, Alabama hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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