Cherokee County, Georgia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Cherokee County, GA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around averageAmong the top 5 wealthiest counties in Georgia
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 95% of counties in Georgia
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Cherokee County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 281,282 | 10,939,918 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 647.2 | 184.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 2.51% | 1.01% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.2 | 35.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 101,553 | 4,074,039 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Cherokee County grew by 39.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 281,282 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Cherokee County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.9% of residents. That is 2.3 points above Georgia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 57,285 20.4% -2.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 64,116 22.8% +0.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 64,390 22.9% +2.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 41,604 14.8% on par
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Georgia, 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% Georgia 51.2%
- Men 49.6% Georgia 48.8%
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 B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Cherokee County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $108,494 | $77,523 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.13% | 5.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Cherokee County is about 40% higher than in Georgia.
Housing
| Metric | Cherokee County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $399,295 | $256,986 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,798 | $1,392 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.3% | 65.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Cherokee County is about 18.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,798 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Cherokee County spend about 61 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 255 hours, about 10.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Cherokee County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.6 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 61.3 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 255 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,912 | $6,109 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 21.9% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 15,896 | 11,986 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,101 | 1,447 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Georgia:
Chattahoochee County (8.6 min), Ben Hill County (12.7 min), Tift County (15.8 min).
Slowest:
Talbot County (40.8 min), McIntosh County (37.7 min), Paulding County (36.4 min).
The average commute time in Cherokee County is 31 minutes, longer than the 24 minutes in Georgia.
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 B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Cherokee County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.5% | 30.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.75 | 2.62 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Georgia:
Oconee County (0.4), Fulton County (0.4), Forsyth County (0.4).
Lowest:
Quitman County (0.1), Hancock County (0.1), Taliaferro County (0.1).
Health
Cherokee County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Cherokee County | Georgia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.9 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.0% | 20.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.1% | 22.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Georgia:
Forsyth County (0.8), Oconee County (0.8), Fayette County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clinch County (0.7), Clay County (0.7), Quitman County (0.7).
Cherokee County, GA Compared With Nearby Counties
Cherokee County, GA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 281,282 residents against a local median of 113,109. Where Cherokee County, GA breaks from the counties next to it is median household income, sitting 15% above the local median of $94,203 at $108,494. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread $61,771 on median household income, so Cherokee County, GA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cherokee County, GA has the 2nd highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, GA | 281,282 | $108,494 #2/6 | $399,295 #2/6 | 30.6 min #5/6 |
| Pickens County, GA | 34,951 | $82,532 | $330,000 | 30.4 min |
| Cobb County, GA | 775,296 | $103,227 | $347,799 | 28.7 min |
| Forsyth County, GA | 267,252 | $144,303 | $462,928 | 27.1 min |
| Bartow County, GA | 113,109 | $82,781 | $104,951 | 25.1 min |
| Dawson County, GA | 30,242 | $94,203 | $372,222 | 31.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Cherokee County, Georgia.
How many people live in Cherokee County, Georgia?
About 281,282 people live in Cherokee County, Georgia, in 101,553 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 40.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Cherokee County, Georgia?
Averaged over its land area, Cherokee County, Georgia has 647 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 7.5 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Cherokee County, Georgia?
The median home costs 3.7 times the median household income ($399,295 against $108,494), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,798 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Cherokee County, Georgia?
Unemployment in Cherokee County, Georgia is only 3.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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