Cherokee County, Texas

TX · FIPS 48073 Republican

Located in Texas, Cherokee County has a population of 51,886 residents and a median age of 38.2 years, making it the #986 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.2%. The median home value is $169,300, and the median household income is $61,261, which is 18% below the national median.

51,886
Population
#986 of 3,222
$61,261
Median Income
-18.5% #1,958 of 3,222
38.2 years
Median Age
-1.8% #2,550 of 3,222
18.2%
Poverty Rate
+44.1% #2,471 of 3,222

Demographics

Cherokee County has a population of 51,886, making it the #986 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.2 years, which is 1.8% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

90.6%
Native Born
9.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Cherokee County is $61,261, ranking #1,958 out of 3,222 counties — 18.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.2% and unemployment stands at 5.2%.

Income#1,958
$61,261
-18.5%
vs nation
39th percentile
Per Capita#2,624
$28,734
-30.4%
vs nation
19th percentile
Poverty#2,471
18.2%
+44.1%
vs nation
23th percentile
Unemployment#2,136
5.2%
-1.8%
vs nation
34th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Cherokee County is $169,300 (-39.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $933/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.0%.

Home Value#1,823
$169,300
-39.9%
vs nation
43th percentile
Rent#1,265
$933
-19.8%
vs nation
61th percentile
Homeownership#1,714
74.0%
+14.9%
vs nation
47th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Cherokee County, 18.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 43.8% below the national average, ranking #2,196 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
18.9% −43.8% vs nation
Rank #2,196 of 3,222
32th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Cherokee County is 73.1 years. 24.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 19.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,203
73.1
-2.7%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,666
24.5%
+25.2%
vs nation
15th percentile
Diabetes#2,734
13.7%
+23.1%
vs nation
13th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,440
40.5%
+8.6%
vs nation
22th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,982
5.8
+3.3%
vs nation
37th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,416
4.9
+10.8%
vs nation
23th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,990
19.6%
+86.7%
vs nation
5th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,529
30.8%
+16.7%
vs nation
20th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,382
16.7%
+15.9%
vs nation
24th percentile

Substance Use

19.4% of adults in Cherokee County smoke , 39.1% are obese , and 18.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 10.9 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,118
19.4%
+8.0%
vs nation
33th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,791
39.1%
+3.1%
vs nation
43th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,140
18.9%
-5.0%
vs nation
64th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#73
10.9
-66.2%
vs nation
97th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Cherokee County is 4.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 20.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 31.0 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#561
4.7
-41.8%
vs nation
64th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,581
20.2
+2.6%
vs nation
38th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,211
16.5
-7.8%
vs nation
51th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,452
31.0
+53.0%
vs nation
13th percentile

Families & Children

27.7% of children in Cherokee County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 40.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,038
8.0
+18.1%
vs nation
24th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,817
40.0
+82.9%
vs nation
6th percentile
Child Poverty#2,711
27.7%
+45.8%
vs nation
14th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Cherokee County is 55.7%. The mean commute time is 28.2 min, which is 2.1% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
55.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.2 min +2.1% vs nation
Rank #1,223 of 3,222
62th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Cherokee County voted Republican with a margin of 62.6%. The vote was 18.3% Dem / 80.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.8 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +62.6%
18.3% 80.9%
Dem 20,502 votes Rep
2020 REP +55.8%
21.6% 77.4%
Dem 19,508 votes Rep
2016 REP +56.4%
20.8% 77.2%
Dem 16,701 votes Rep
2012 REP +51.0%
24% 75%
Dem 16,387 votes Rep
2008 REP +43.1%
28.1% 71.2%
Dem 16,417 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Cherokee County, Texas

Cherokee County, Texas has a total population of 51,886, making it the 986th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Cherokee County is 38.2 years, which is 1.8% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Cherokee County is $61,261, which ranks #1,958 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 18.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.2%.

The median home value in Cherokee County is $169,300, 39.9% below the national median. Renters in Cherokee County pay a median gross rent of $933 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Cherokee County, 18.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 43.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 80.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.2 min.

Cherokee County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 58.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (23.9%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (12.8%).

All data for Cherokee County, Texas 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.