Cherokee County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Cherokee County, NC 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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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 72% of counties in North Carolina
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Cherokee County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,563 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 63.3 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.04% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 51.8 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,241 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Cherokee County grew by 12.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 29,563 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Cherokee County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 28.9% of residents. That is 11.9 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,594 15.5% -6.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,654 15.7% -5.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,602 22.3% +1.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,533 28.9% +11.9 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 North Carolina, 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 51.0% of the people living in Cherokee County and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 49.0% North Carolina 48.9%
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 | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,386 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.61% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Cherokee County is about 25% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Cherokee County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $210,710 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $813 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.7% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Cherokee County is about 21.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $813 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Cherokee County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 171 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Cherokee County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.5 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.0 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 171 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,290 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.8% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,499 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 627 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Carolina:
Macon County (17.2 min), Watauga County (17.2 min), Dare County (17.4 min).
Slowest:
Gates County (35.9 min), Currituck County (33.9 min), Tyrrell County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Cherokee County is 20 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
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 D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Cherokee County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.4% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.20 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.5), Wake County (0.4), Durham County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hyde County (0.2), Greene County (0.2), Tyrrell County (0.2).
Health
Cherokee County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Cherokee County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.2 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.3% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.4% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.8), Wake County (0.8), Watauga County (0.8).
Lowest:
Robeson County (0.8), Lenoir County (0.8), Halifax County (0.8).
Cherokee County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Cherokee County, NC is typical in size for this group, 29,563 residents against a local median of 26,304, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Cherokee County, NC apart most is median home price: $210,710, 37% below the local median of $336,792.
The counties themselves spread $155,506 on median home price, so Cherokee County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cherokee County, NC has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, NC | 29,563 | $54,386 #4/4 | $210,710 #4/4 | 20.5 min #3/4 |
| Union County, GA | 26,304 | $68,463 | $336,792 | 18.2 min |
| Monroe County, TN | 47,695 | $56,619 | $279,032 | 25.5 min |
| Fannin County, GA | 25,731 | $58,441 | $434,538 | 18.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Cherokee County, North Carolina.
What is the population of Cherokee County, North Carolina?
About 29,563 people live in Cherokee County, North Carolina, in 13,241 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 51.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 14 years.
Is Cherokee County, North Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Cherokee County, North Carolina has 63 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Cherokee County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 3.9 times the median household income ($210,710 against $54,386), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $813 a month takes about 18% 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, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Cherokee County, North Carolina is only 4.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Cherokee County, North Carolina?
22.4% of adults in Cherokee County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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