Cherokee County, Alabama

County in AL, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

25,443

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

47.5

years ∙ half population younger than 47.5, half older

Diversity Index

18%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

foreign-born population

98%Native

2% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Cherokee County is a county in Alabama, United States.

Location

County in AL, US

Co-ordinates

DEC34.069515° N, 85.654242° W

DMS34° 04′ 10.25″ N, 85° 39′ 15.27″ W

Population Density & area

45.97/sq mi (17.75/km²)

Total Area

600 sq mi (1,553.9 km²)

Land Area

553.5 sq mi (1,433.6 km²) · 92.3%

Water Area

46.5 sq mi (120.3 km²) · 7.7%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.6% male

Male 49.6%

Female 50.4%

males per 100 females

Cherokee County 98.4

Alabama 94.4

United States 98

Nativity

foreign-born population

98%Native

2% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Cherokee County 2%

Alabama 4%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

47.5

years ∙ half population younger than 47.5, half older

Cherokee County

47.5

Alabama

39.3

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

75.5

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Cherokee County 75.5

Alabama 66.7

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Cherokee County	Alabama	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	18.6%	22.2%	22%
Working age (18-64)	57%	60%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	24.4%	17.8%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	75.5	66.7	64.4
Child dependency ratio	32.6	37.1	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	42.9	29.6	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

90.4%

Black

3.8%

Asian

0.2%

Hispanic

1.8%

Other

3.8%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

18%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Cherokee County 18%

Alabama 52.8%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Cherokee County population

	Cherokee County	Alabama	United States
Hispanic or Latino	1.8%	5.6%	19.3%
Mexican	1.3%	3.2%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.1%	0.5%	1.8%
Cuban	0.1%	0.2%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.4%	1.7%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	98.2%	94.4%	80.7%
One race	94.7%	91.1%	76.4%
White	90.4%	63.4%	57.4%
Black or African American	3.8%	25.6%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0.3%	0.5%
Asian	0.2%	1.4%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.1%	0.4%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.5%	3.3%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

64.1% family

Family 64.1%

Non family 35.9%

% family households

Cherokee County 64.1%

Alabama 64.5%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.47

persons per household

Cherokee County

2.47

Alabama

2.48

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Cherokee County population

	Cherokee County	Alabama	United States
Total households	10,192	1,997,247	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.47	2.48	2.53
Family households	6,529	1,287,290	82,990,528
Average family size	3.11	3.11	3.14
Married couple family	5,202	920,332	60,637,388
Other families	1,327	366,958	22,353,140
Male householder	346	87,023	6,572,819
Female householder	981	279,935	15,780,321
Non-family households	3,663	709,957	46,236,968
One-person households	3,248	615,375	37,140,836
Male householder	1,645	273,110	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	717	84,581	5,225,110
Female householder	1,603	342,265	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	978	170,988	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	415	94,582	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

14,702

housing units

Cherokee County 14,702

Alabama 2,337,265

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

69.3% occupied

Occupied 69.3%

Vacant 30.7%

vacancy rate

Cherokee County 30.7%

Alabama 14.5%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

71.4%

Single family houses

71.4%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

4.3%

Mobile homes

23.8%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.5%

Median Year Built

1989

Half of houses were built before 1989, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

4.6%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

21.5%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

47.5%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

26.4%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Cherokee County	Alabama	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.6	5.9	5.5
1–3 rooms	9%	8.4%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	59.3%	54.5%	51.6%
7+ rooms	31.7%	36.9%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.5%	1.5%	2.9%
1 bedroom	7.6%	6.3%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	25.9%	21.6%	25%
3 bedrooms	50.5%	48.3%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	14.6%	22.4%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1989	1987	1981
Total housing units	14,702	2,337,265	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

81.1% owners

Renter-occupied 18.9%

Owner-occupied 81.1%

homeownership rate

Cherokee County 81.1%

Alabama 70.2%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.52

Owner-occupied

2.27

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Cherokee County 2.52

Alabama 2.57

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Cherokee County	Alabama	United States
Total occupied units	10,192	1,997,247	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	17.1%	23.9%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	33.7%	38.3%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	22.3%	16.7%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	26.9%	21.1%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.7%	98.3%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.7%	1.2%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.6%	0.5%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	2.8%	5.4%	8.4%
1 vehicle	28.1%	31.6%	33.1%
2 vehicles	37.8%	36.6%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	31.3%	26.4%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	30.8%	31%	51.4%
Electricity	67.5%	67.4%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.1%	3.9%
All other fuels	1.5%	0.8%	2%
No fuel used	0.1%	0.7%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.8%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.9%	0.7%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.6%	1%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$179,700

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Cherokee County

$179,700

Alabama

$209,900

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

28.6%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

28.6%

Owners without a mortgage

12%

Renters

40%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Cherokee County	Alabama	United States
Property value
Median Value	$179,700	$209,900	$332,700
Under $100,000	24.4%	22.3%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	30.2%	25.2%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	20.1%	21.7%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	16.8%	20.8%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	6.6%	8.3%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	2.1%	1.7%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	37.6%	54.1%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	62.4%	45.9%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,231	$1,433	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$454	$447	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$762	$1,007	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

16.5%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Cherokee County 16.5%

Alabama 28.4%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

17.6%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Cherokee County 17.6%

Alabama 11.4%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

4,525

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

4.4%

K–12

79%

College / Undergraduate

13.5%

Graduate / Professional

3.1%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

18.6%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Cherokee County

18.6%

Alabama

42.5%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Cherokee County	Alabama	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	4,525	1,213,681	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	4.4%	5.9%	5.7%
K–12	79%	67.7%	67.6%
Kindergarten	4.2%	5.1%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	17.8%	19.8%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	30%	21.1%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	27%	21.7%	21.7%
College or graduate school	16.6%	26.4%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	13.5%	21.4%	21%
Graduate, professional school	3.1%	5%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	18.6%	42.5%	40.9%
School type
Public school	92.3%	83.6%	82%
Private school	7.7%	16.4%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

19,019

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

5.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

11.9%

HS graduate

35.3%

Some college no degree

19.5%

Associates degree

11.1%

Bachelors degree

9.2%

Graduate or professional degree

7.3%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

55.5% · 44.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

57.8% · 42.2%

HS graduate

47.7% · 52.3%

Some college no degree

52% · 48%

Associates degree

45.5% · 54.5%

Bachelors degree

49.1% · 50.9%

Graduate or professional degree

40.9% · 59.1%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Cherokee County	Alabama	United States
Population (25+)	19,019	3,473,706	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	5.7%	3.6%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	11.9%	7.8%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	35.3%	30.3%	26%
Some college, no degree	19.5%	20.8%	19.1%
Associate's degree	11.1%	9.1%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.5%	28.4%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	9.2%	17.3%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	7.3%	11.1%	14.1%
High School or higher	82.4%	88.6%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$43,136

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$22,348

HS graduate

$36,744

Some college or associates

$41,528

Bachelors degree

$56,786

Graduate or professional degree

$66,275

Poverty Rate

4.7%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

36.9%

HS graduate

12.9%

Some college or associates

7.7%

Bachelors degree or higher

4.7%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Cherokee County	Alabama	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$43,136	$46,831	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$22,348	$30,696	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$36,744	$37,156	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$41,528	$43,231	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$56,786	$61,115	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$66,275	$75,030	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	36.9%	28.8%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	12.9%	16.1%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	7.7%	11.4%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	4.7%	4.7%	4.5%

Insights for Cherokee County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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