Demographics of Cherokee County, North Carolina

Cherokee County, North Carolina had 30,830 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: +1,964 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Cherokee County, in four figures

30,830
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; +6.8%
Change since July 2020: +1,964 people.; 53.5 ±0.4
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $53,628 ±$3,764
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Cherokee County, North Carolina's population grew 6.8% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Cherokee County, North Carolina's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Cherokee County, North Carolina's population grew 6.8% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Cherokee County, North Carolina's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	28,866	100.0	100.0
2021	29,199	101.2	100.2
2022	29,539	102.3	100.7
2023	30,035	104.0	101.6
2024	30,415	105.4	102.5
2025	30,830	106.8	103.1

3 more columns on a wider screen

Population of Cherokee County, North Carolina on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	28,866	+93	−38	0	+149
2021	29,199	+333	−234	+2	+596
2022	29,539	+340	−310	−3	+614
2023	30,035	+496	−213	−8	+703
2024	30,415	+380	−169	+11	+532
2025	30,830	+415	−79	−12	+511

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 53.5 ±0.4: for men 52.0 ±0.7 and for women 54.6 ±0.4. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Cherokee County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under 5	1,135 ±62	3.8% ±0.2	5.6% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	3,581 ±260	12.1% ±0.9	16.1% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	1,691 ±246	5.7% ±0.8	9.5% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	5,399 ±299	18.3% ±1.0	26.2% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	8,453 ±451	28.6% ±1.5	25.4% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	9,303 ±506	31.5% ±1.7	17.2% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $53,628 ±$3,764, and income per person $31,569 ±$1,263, in 2024 dollars. The median is $72,388 ±$324 in North Carolina and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

2 more columns on a wider screen

Households in Cherokee County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under $25,000	2,498 ±375	18.9% ±2.8	15.8% ±0.2	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	3,615 ±424	27.3% ±3.1	19.1% ±0.2	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	2,719 ±382	20.5% ±2.8	16.8% ±0.2	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	1,528 ±233	11.5% ±1.7	13.0% ±0.1	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	1,909 ±302	14.4% ±2.2	16.6% ±0.2	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	558 ±202	4.2% ±1.5	8.3% ±0.1	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	414 ±123	3.1% ±0.9	10.4% ±0.1	13.4% ±0.1

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

2 more columns on a wider screen

Poverty rate in Cherokee County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	North Carolina	United States
All ages	3,622 ±509	12.4% ±1.7	13.0% ±0.2	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	662 ±206	14.0% ±4.2	17.7% ±0.3	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	1,732 ±314	13.7% ±2.4	12.1% ±0.2	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	1,228 ±298	10.3% ±2.5	10.9% ±0.2	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

1 more column on a wider screen

Housing in Cherokee County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Cherokee County	North Carolina	United States
Housing units	18,404 ±26	4,895,668 ±642	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	71.9% ±2.2	87.5% ±0.2	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	28.1% ±2.2	12.5% ±0.2	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	83.7% ±1.8	66.6% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	16.3% ±2.8	33.4% ±0.2	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$232,300 ±$11,614	$288,900 ±$1,086	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$813 ±$141	$1,228 ±$5	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1994 ±2	1991 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Cherokee County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Hispanic or Latino	1,088 ±0	3.7% ±<0.1	11.3% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	26,388 ±165	89.3% ±0.6	60.0% ±<0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	527 ±60	1.8% ±0.2	20.0% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	156 ±35	0.5% ±0.1	3.3% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	320 ±99	1.1% ±0.3	0.8% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 25	0% to 0.1%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	15 to 117	0.1% to 0.4%	0.5% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	1,017 ±196	3.4% ±0.7	4.1% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Cherokee County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Born in the state	10,423 ±793	35.3% ±2.7	53.6% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	18,305 ±812	61.9% ±2.7	35.9% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	269 ±104	0.9% ±0.4	1.4% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	565 ±163	1.9% ±0.6	9.1% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	358 ±131	1.2% ±0.4	3.8% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	207 ±100	0.7% ±0.3	5.2% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

Cherokee County among the counties of North Carolina

71st of 100 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the North Carolina page.

Counties of North Carolina near Cherokee County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Dare County	38,245	+3.3%
Alexander County	36,958	+1.5%
Transylvania County	34,211	+2.9%
Scotland County	33,322	−0.3%
Currituck County	33,158	+16.7%
Cherokee County	30,830	+6.8%
Bladen County	30,007	+1.3%
Ashe County	27,514	+3.5%
Montgomery County	26,403	+2.7%
Caswell County	22,563	+0.4%
Madison County	22,553	+5.9%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026