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COUNTY

Cherokee County

South Carolina · 58,275 residents (2025 est.) · 393 sq mi
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The short version

Cherokee County is a county of 56,647 people in South Carolina. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 18% of adults. The typical home is worth $142,000, having more than doubled since 2000. The foreign-born share is 3%. Households here earn about 27% less than in South Carolina as a whole. 74% of homes are owner-occupied.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.4
US median: 38.9
Less educated
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
56,647
+8%since 2000
from 52,537 in 2000
58,275 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
144 / sq mi
+5%since 2009
from 138 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
40.4
+14%since 2000
from 35.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
393 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
43K47K51K54K58K19902000201020202024Cherokee County
202457K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.8%(3,297)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.7%(3,785)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.2%(3,504)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.7%(3,797)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.1%(3,455)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.2%(7,477)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.5%(6,498)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413%(7,371)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.3%(7,532)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.6%(6,011)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.2%(2,945)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(975)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$50,288
−18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,787 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$27,406
+67%since 2000
from $16,421 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
33.0%
+16.5 ptssince 2009
from 16.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
18.4%
+4.6 ptssince 2000
from 13.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.455
+4%since 2010
from 0.439 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade22.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Information9.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance6.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services3.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration1.8%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services1.4%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.1%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$142,000
+17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $66,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$869
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $401 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
73.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2000
from 73.9% in 2000
26.2% rent
Vacancy rate
12.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 12.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.52 people
−4%since 2009
from 2.62 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
15.6%
−5.3 ptssince 2009
from 20.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
38.6%
+3.4 ptssince 2009
from 35.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.8
+20%since 2009
from 2.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
50
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic76.2%(40,013)
Black20.5%(10,751)
Hispanic / Latino2.1%(1,092)
Asian0.3%(162)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic69.7%(39,486)
Black18.7%(10,574)
Hispanic / Latino5.5%(3,137)
Asian0.5%(304)
Other5.6%(3,146)
Diversity Score
59
+19%since 2009
from 50 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
42
−9%since 2020
from 46 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.8%(1,571)
Puerto Rican1.3%(725)
Cuban0.3%(151)
Spaniard0.3%(145)
Guatemalan0.2%(138)
Colombian0.2%(97)
Costa Rican0.2%(91)
Nicaraguan0.1%(50)
Dominican0.1%(40)
Asian origin
Chinese0.5%(256)
Filipino0%(23)
Korean0%(20)
Pacific Islander origin
Guamanian0.1%(36)
Ancestry
American13.9%(7,894)
English9.8%(5,562)
Irish8%(4,521)
German5.7%(3,239)
Scottish1.8%(1,036)
Italian1.6%(884)
Scotch-Irish1.4%(773)
Dutch0.6%(363)
French0.5%(311)
British0.5%(294)
Polish0.3%(194)
+ 24 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.3%(177)
West Indian0.2%(134)
Israeli0.2%(127)
Greek0.2%(119)
Norwegian0.1%(78)
Ukrainian0.1%(74)
Haitian0.1%(65)
Finnish0.1%(63)
Welsh0.1%(63)
Austrian0.1%(47)
Swedish0.1%(47)
Portuguese0.1%(46)
Nigerian0.1%(43)
Arab0.1%(40)
Hungarian0.1%(40)
Lebanese0.1%(39)
Brazilian0%(19)
Czech0%(16)
Croatian0%(11)
Danish0%(11)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
18.4%
+6.6 ptssince 2000
from 11.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
85.2%
+18.5 ptssince 2000
from 66.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
7.1%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 4.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.1 min
+65%since 2000
from 15.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
84.9%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 83.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.8%
−5.5 ptssince 2009
from 13.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
5.0%
+3.6 ptssince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.4%
−3.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.3%
−8.2 ptssince 2011
from 14.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
56.4%
−1.6 ptssince 2011
from 58.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
66.1%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 63.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
13.8%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 12.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
28.5%
+7.1 ptssince 2009
from 21.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.2%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Female
50.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Foreign born
3.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.3%
−2.3 ptssince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
17.9%
−0.8 ptssince 2012
from 18.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
10.5%
−7.3 ptssince 2013
from 17.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
80.7%
+22.1 ptssince 2017
from 58.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
90.9%
+7.8 ptssince 2020
from 83.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
90.1%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 88.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
94.7%
−1.2 ptssince 2016
from 95.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2016
from 3.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married37.1%(8,307)
Married48.1%(10,768)
Widowed4%(905)
Divorced10.8%(2,426)
Women 15+
Never married32.8%(7,752)
Married43.8%(10,370)
Widowed12.5%(2,953)
Divorced10.9%(2,580)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
10.5%
−7.3 ptssince 2013
from 17.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
47.2%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 48.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.4%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 15.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 20.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
26.8%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 24.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 3.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
59.2%
−2.5 ptssince 2020
from 61.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
43.7%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 42.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)21.6%(689)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)25.4%(812)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32.2%(1,028)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.3%(74)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.8%(56)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 3,196 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

Places similar to Cherokee County

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Pop 58,898
Jefferson County
Pop 62,987
Jackson County
Pop 54,281
Jackson County
Pop 52,501
Places similar to Cherokee County
Head to head

Compare Cherokee County to nearby counties

CHEROKEE COUNTY VS
Cleveland County
Income$58,534+16%
Home value$200,000+41%
Population103,325+77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHEROKEE COUNTY VS
Spartanburg County
Income$66,234+32%
Home value$233,300+64%
Population380,857+554%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHEROKEE COUNTY VS
York County
Income$89,095+77%
Home value$361,300+154%
Population306,887+427%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHEROKEE COUNTY VS
Union County
Income$41,621−17%
Home value$103,600−27%
Population26,799−54%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Cherokee County, South Carolina?

Cherokee County, South Carolina has about 56,647 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Cherokee County, South Carolina?

The typical household in Cherokee County, South Carolina earns about $50,288 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Cherokee County, South Carolina expensive?

In Cherokee County, South Carolina, the median home is worth about $142,000, and the typical rent is about $869 a month.

How educated are people in Cherokee County, South Carolina?

About 18.4% of adults age 25 and over in Cherokee County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Cherokee County, South Carolina?

About 18.4% of people in Cherokee County, South Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Cherokee County, South Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Cherokee County, South Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 12,141 residents, a change of about 27 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →