Cherokee County, Kansas
Located in Kansas, Cherokee County has a population of 19,151 residents and a median age of 42.2 years, making it the #1,930 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.1%. The median home value is $100,100, and the median household income is $57,668, which is 23% below the national median.
Demographics
Cherokee County has a population of 19,151, making it the #1,930 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.2 years, which is 8.5% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Cherokee County is $57,668, ranking #2,292 out of 3,222 counties — 23.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.1% and unemployment stands at 3.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Cherokee County is $100,100 (-64.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $799/mo and the homeownership rate is 75.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Cherokee County, 19.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 42.4% below the national average, ranking #2,100 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Cherokee County is 72.1 years. 18.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
18.8% of adults in Cherokee County smoke , 42.0% are obese , and 18.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 24.2 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 24.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 26.8 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
19.9% of children in Cherokee County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 25.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Cherokee County is 60.2%. The mean commute time is 22.2 min, which is 19.5% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Cherokee County voted Republican with a margin of 52.9%. The vote was 22.6% Dem / 75.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.1 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Cherokee County, Kansas
Cherokee County, Kansas has a total population of 19,151, making it the 1,930th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Cherokee County is 42.2 years, which is 8.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Cherokee County is $57,668, which ranks #2,292 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 23.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.3%.
The median home value in Cherokee County is $100,100, 64.5% below the national median. Renters in Cherokee County pay a median gross rent of $799 per month. The homeownership rate is 75.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Cherokee County, 19.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 42.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 88.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.2 min.
Cherokee County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 85.3% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (7.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.0%).
All data for Cherokee County, Kansas comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.