Cherokee County, North Carolina

Cherokee County, North Carolina, had an estimated population of 30,830 in 2025 across 1,180 km². The figures below come from the US Census Bureau's population estimates and the American Community Survey, each shown with its own vintage and its rank among North Carolina's counties and nationally.

Population: 30,830; 2025 estimate
Area: 1,180 km²
Density: 26; per km²
Median income: $53,628; household, ACS 2024
Median age: 53.5; years, ACS 2024

How North Carolina's counties spread

Amenities & Infrastructure

Indicator	Value	In North Carolina	In the US
Households with Broadband2024	83.6%	69 / 100	2,318 / 3,144
Median Gross Rent2024	$813	68 / 100	2,006 / 3,137
Median Home Value2024	$232,300	47 / 100	1,055 / 3,139
Owner-Occupied Homes2024	83.7%	3 / 100	194 / 3,144
Vacant Homes2024	28.1%	19 / 100	347 / 3,144

Demography

Indicator	Value	In North Carolina	In the US
Aged 65 and Over2024	31.5%	4 / 100	88 / 3,144
American Indian & Alaska Native2024	1.1%	14 / 100	446 / 3,144
Asian, non-Hispanic2024	0.5%	69 / 100	1,745 / 3,144
Average Household Size2024people	2.2	86 / 100	2,804 / 3,144
Black, non-Hispanic2024	1.8%	90 / 100	1,648 / 3,144
Foreign-Born2024	1.9%	92 / 100	2,033 / 3,144
Hispanic or Latino2024	3.7%	93 / 100	1,943 / 3,144
Median Age2024years	53.5	5 / 100	88 / 3,144
Sex Ratio2024per 1,000 males	1,014	69 / 100	1,205 / 3,144
Speak a Language Other Than English2024	3.4%	92 / 100	2,185 / 3,144
Under 182024	16.0%	94 / 100	2,977 / 3,144
Veterans2024	10.2%	18 / 100	329 / 3,144
White, non-Hispanic2024	89.3%	7 / 100	856 / 3,144

Economy

Indicator	Value	In North Carolina	In the US
Below Poverty Line2024	12.4%	69 / 100	1,758 / 3,144
Households on SNAP2024	11.9%	72 / 100	1,532 / 3,144
Income Inequality2024index	0.419	91 / 100	2,489 / 3,144
Median Household Income2024	$53,628	75 / 100	2,552 / 3,143
Per Capita Income2024	$31,569	73 / 100	2,176 / 3,144
Unemployment Rate2024	4.1%	72 / 100	1,758 / 3,144

Education

Indicator	Value	In North Carolina	In the US
Bachelor's Degree or Higher2024	24.2%	48 / 100	1,296 / 3,144
High School or Higher2024	92.2%	18 / 100	1,011 / 3,144

Health Coverage

Indicator	Value	In North Carolina	In the US
No Health Insurance2024	12.5%	15 / 100	593 / 3,144
With a Disability2024	18.0%	34 / 100	998 / 3,144

Population & Density

Indicator	Value	In North Carolina	In the US
Population2025	30,830	71 / 100	1,418 / 3,144
Population Density2025/km²	26	70 / 100	1,195 / 3,144

Work & Commute

Indicator	Value	In North Carolina	In the US
Commute by Public Transit2024	0.0%	63 / 100	2,161 / 3,144
Households with No Vehicle2024	5.8%	41 / 100	1,326 / 3,144
Mean Commute Time2024minutes	25.2	60 / 100	1,311 / 3,143
Work from Home2024	10.8%	33 / 100	1,009 / 3,144

Other counties of North Carolina

Compare Cherokee County against every other county on a map, add layers and run a scatter — open the atlas. Sources and vintages for every figure on this page are listed under datasets, or browse all 3,144 counties.