Cherokee County, Kansas Income Statistics
Cherokee County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Cherokee County Well below averageLess wealthy than 94% of counties in Kansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Cherokee County | Kansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $57,636 | $74,287 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $44,418 | $56,052 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 4.3% | 4.1% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 4.3% | 11.3% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 3.4% | 9.6% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Cherokee County is about 22% lower than in Kansas. Income has been growing faster in Cherokee County (4.3%/yr) than in Kansas (4.1%/yr).
About 4% of adults in Cherokee County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Kansas average of 11%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Cherokee County, Kansas grew by 56.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $57,636 in 2024. That's an average of about 4.3% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Cherokee County
| Metric | Cherokee County | Kansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.503 | 0.525 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $56,328 | $65,134 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $41,530 | $51,314 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 26.3% | 21.2% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Cherokee County, it is 0.503, lower than Kansas's 0.525, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 36% more than women's income in Cherokee County, Kansas. Over a 35-year career, a 36% wage gap accumulates to roughly $517,930 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Cherokee County, Kansas has widened from about 25% to 26% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 29% in 2010, and was narrowest at 17% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $5,990 since 2009.
Against the trend: the pay gap in Cherokee County widened by 0.8 points while Kansas's narrowed by 3.4 points.
Employment
| Metric | Cherokee County | Kansas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 3.3% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 5.0% | 11.8% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 20 | 17 | 22 |
Approximately 301 people are unemployed in Cherokee County, Kansas.
The average commute time in Cherokee County is 20 minutes, longer than the 17 minutes in Kansas.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Cherokee County, Kansas has fallen from 5.5% to 3.3% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 6.6% in 2013 and fell as low as 1.4% in 2021.
Cherokee County, KS Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Cherokee County, KS is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 19,151 residents against a local median of 30,341. Nothing separates Cherokee County, KS sharply from the counties around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is unemployment, 10% below the local median at 3.3% against 3.6%. Cherokee County, KS has the 3rd lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, KS | 19,151 | $57,636 #2/6 | 4.3%/yr #2/6 | 3.3% #3/6 | 0.503 #1/6 |
| Ottawa County, OK | 30,341 | $49,940 | 3.7%/yr | 3.0% | 0.540 |
| Crawford County, KS | 39,008 | $52,478 | 4.2%/yr | 4.1% | 0.527 |
| Labette County, KS | 19,869 | $57,467 | 3.9%/yr | 3.1% | 0.514 |
| Jasper County, MO | 124,268 | $60,630 | 4.3%/yr | 3.6% | 0.522 |
| Craig County, OK | 14,302 | $53,116 | 3.6%/yr | 5.1% | 0.552 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Cherokee County, Kansas has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Kansas, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Cherokee County, Kansas.
How Rich Is Cherokee County, Kansas?
Cherokee County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $57,636, about 22% lower than the Kansas average of $74,287.
How has median household income changed in Cherokee County, Kansas?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Cherokee County, Kansas rose 56%, from $36,904 to $57,636. Over the same years, income here outpaced Kansas as a whole: +56% against +53%.
What was the median household income in Cherokee County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Cherokee County, Kansas was $58,193, up 12% from $52,155 in 2022. The Kansas median that year was $72,660.
What was the median household income in Cherokee County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Cherokee County, Kansas was $41,965. By 2024 it had risen 37% to $57,636.
What is the Gini coefficient in Cherokee County, Kansas?
The Gini coefficient in Cherokee County is 0.503. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Cherokee County, Kansas?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Cherokee County, Kansas has widened from about 25% to 26% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 29% in 2010, and was narrowest at 17% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $5,990 since 2009.
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