Cherokee County, South Carolina
Located in South Carolina, Cherokee County has a population of 56,647 residents and a median age of 40.4 years, making it the #934 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.4%. The median home value is $142,000, and the median household income is $50,288, which is 33% below the national median.
Demographics
Cherokee County has a population of 56,647, making it the #934 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.4 years, which is 3.9% 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 $50,288, ranking #2,756 out of 3,222 counties — 33.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.4% and unemployment stands at 6.2%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Cherokee County is $142,000 (-49.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $869/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Cherokee County, 18.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 45.4% below the national average, ranking #2,280 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Cherokee County is 70.6 years. 19.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
18.5% of adults in Cherokee County smoke , 32.3% are obese , and 18.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 24.2 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Cherokee County is 10.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 22.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 26.9 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
23.5% of children in Cherokee County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 31.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Cherokee County is 58.7%. The mean commute time is 27.7 min, which is 0.3% above 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 51.4%. The vote was 23.9% Dem / 75.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.6 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Cherokee County, South Carolina
Cherokee County, South Carolina has a total population of 56,647, making it the 934th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Cherokee County is 40.4 years, which is 3.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Cherokee County is $50,288, which ranks #2,756 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 33.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.2%.
The median home value in Cherokee County is $142,000, 49.6% below the national median. Renters in Cherokee County pay a median gross rent of $869 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Cherokee County, 18.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 45.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.7 min.
Cherokee County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 69.7% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (18.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (5.5%).
All data for Cherokee County, South Carolina 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.