CensusEasy
COUNTY · 2010 ACS

Cherokee County

South Carolina · 55,342 residents · 393 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Gaffney micropolitan area
Compare
The short version

With 55,342 people, Cherokee County is a county in South Carolina. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 12% of adults. The typical home is worth $82,700. 3% of locals were born outside the United States. Households here earn about 22% less than in South Carolina as a whole. Households take in $34,132 at the median, 35% less than the US figure.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Mid-age
median age 38.3
US median: 37.2
Less educated
12% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
55,342
+5%since 2000
from 52,537 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
38.3
+8%since 2000
from 35.3 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
393 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
43K47K51K54K58K19902000201020202024Cherokee County
202457K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 56.7%(3,724)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 96.7%(3,713)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 146.9%(3,830)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 197.2%(3,999)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.5%(3,618)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3411.5%(6,366)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4413.9%(7,712)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5414.2%(7,876)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6412.8%(7,062)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 747.8%(4,341)
US avg: 7%
75 to 844.1%(2,260)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1.5%(841)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$34,132
−20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,787 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$17,862
+9%since 2000
from $16,421 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
15.8%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 16.5% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
19.5%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 13.9% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.439
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Retail trade25.2%
US avg: 10.9%
Information13.3%
US avg: 11.5%
Wholesale trade8.9%
US avg: 7.2%
Finance & insurance6.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical4.3%
US avg: 4.2%
Transportation & warehousing3.7%
US avg: 3.1%
Other services3%
US avg: 7%
Education & health services2.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Public administration2.1%
US avg: 4.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction0.9%
US avg: 1.4%
Arts, entertainment, food0.7%
US avg: 2.4%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$82,700
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $66,600 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$541
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $401 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
68.9%
−5.0 ptssince 2000
from 73.9% in 2000
31.1% rent
Vacancy rate
12.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 12.4% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.60 people
−1%since 2009
from 2.62 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
22.0%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 20.9% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
37.1%
+1.9 ptssince 2009
from 35.2% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
2.4
+3%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.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic76.2%(40,013)
Black20.5%(10,751)
Hispanic / Latino2.1%(1,092)
Asian0.3%(162)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic74%(40,939)
Black20.3%(11,214)
Hispanic / Latino3.7%(2,032)
Asian0.6%(308)
Other1.7%(952)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.5%(1,388)
Puerto Rican0.2%(104)
Honduran0.1%(64)
Ecuadorian0.1%(39)
Guatemalan0.1%(29)
Cuban0%(12)
Ancestry
American14.7%(8,035)
Irish9.7%(5,305)
English6.6%(3,607)
German6.5%(3,543)
Scotch-Irish2.9%(1,600)
French1.6%(877)
Scottish1.3%(733)
Dutch1%(540)
Italian1%(529)
Welsh0.4%(237)
Polish0.3%(167)
+ 21 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.2%(117)
British0.2%(112)
Greek0.2%(102)
Portuguese0.1%(78)
Norwegian0.1%(77)
Arab0.1%(76)
Russian0.1%(57)
West Indian0.1%(36)
Hungarian0.1%(28)
Lebanese0%(27)
Serbian0%(27)
Jordanian0%(26)
Syrian0%(23)
Czech0%(17)
Romanian0%(17)
Turkish0%(15)
Danish0%(10)
Swiss0%(7)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
11.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2000
from 11.8% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
74.2%
+7.5 ptssince 2000
from 66.7% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
3.4%
−0.8 ptssince 2000
from 4.2% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.1 min
+46%since 2000
from 15.2 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
83.0%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 83.6% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
13.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.3% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
0.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
1.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
0.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
8.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
11.6%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 12.3% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
22.2%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 21.4% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Female
51.7%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Foreign born
2.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
10.2%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

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

Russell County
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+71%
Home value$200,000+142%
Population103,325+77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHEROKEE COUNTY VS
Spartanburg County
Income$66,234+94%
Home value$233,300+182%
Population380,857+554%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHEROKEE COUNTY VS
York County
Income$89,095+161%
Home value$361,300+337%
Population306,887+427%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHEROKEE COUNTY VS
Union County
Income$41,621+22%
Home value$103,600+25%
Population26,799−54%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Cherokee County, South Carolina?

Cherokee County, South Carolina has about 55,342 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Cherokee County, South Carolina earns about $34,132 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 $82,700, and the typical rent is about $541 a month.

How educated are people in Cherokee County, South Carolina?

About 11.7% 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 19.5% 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 10,836 residents, a change of about 24 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

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

How we source and harmonize this data →