Cherokee County Demographics

A map of Cherokee County's Population by Race

Cherokee County, Iowa has an estimated population of 11,600, a less than 1% change from the 11,658 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 88.6% White, 5.4% Hispanic, 4.5% Multiracial, 1.0% Black, 0.4% Asian, and 0.2% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Cherokee County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Cherokee has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Iowa overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Cherokee County, that probability was 16.0% in 2020 and 21.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Cherokee County is ranked the 66th most populous county in Iowa, out of 99 counties. Cherokee County was ranked the 66th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Cherokee County's White Population

10,280 residents of Cherokee County, or 88.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Cherokee County is higher than in Iowa overall, where 82.3% of the population is White. Cherokee County ranks 53rd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's White population has declined by an estimated 3.6%. White residents' share of Cherokee County's population has decreased from 91.5% to 88.6%.

Cherokee County is more White than neighboring O'Brien County (87% White), Buena Vista County (52.1% White), and Woodbury County (67.1% White). Cherokee County is less White than neighboring Ida County (91.5% White), and Clay County (91.1% White).

Cherokee County's Black Population

113 residents of Cherokee County, or 1.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Cherokee County is slightly lower than in Iowa overall, where 3.8% of the population is Black. Cherokee County ranks 49th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's Black population has grown by an estimated 34.5%. Black residents' share of Cherokee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.0%.

Cherokee County is more Black than neighboring Ida County (0.3% Black), and Clay County (0.3% Black). Cherokee County is less Black than neighboring O'Brien County (1.7% Black), Buena Vista County (3.3% Black), and Woodbury County (4.9% Black).

Cherokee County's Asian Population

43 residents of Cherokee County, or 0.4% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Cherokee County is slightly lower than in Iowa overall, where 2.5% of the population is Asian. Cherokee County ranks 48th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 24.6%. Asian residents' share of Cherokee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.

Cherokee County is less Asian than neighboring O'Brien County (0.7% Asian), Ida County (0.7% Asian), Buena Vista County (9.5% Asian), Woodbury County (2.3% Asian), and Clay County (0.8% Asian).

Cherokee County's Hispanic Population

621 residents of Cherokee County, or 5.4% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Cherokee County is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 7.3% of the population is Hispanic. Cherokee County ranks 35th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 17.2%. Hispanic residents' share of Cherokee County's population has increased from 4.5% to 5.4%.

Cherokee County is more Hispanic than neighboring Ida County (4.1% Hispanic), and Clay County (4.7% Hispanic). Cherokee County is less Hispanic than neighboring O'Brien County (7.6% Hispanic), Buena Vista County (29.4% Hispanic), and Woodbury County (19.1% Hispanic).

Cherokee County's Native American/Other Population

20 residents of Cherokee County, or 0.2% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Cherokee County is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Cherokee County ranks 32nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 69.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Cherokee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.2%.

Cherokee County is less Native American/Other than neighboring O'Brien County (0.5% Native American/Other), Buena Vista County (3.4% Native American/Other), and Woodbury County (2.3% Native American/Other).

Cherokee County's Multiracial Population

523 residents of Cherokee County, or 4.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Cherokee County is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 3.5% of the population is Multiracial. Cherokee County ranks 73rd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 99 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 106.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Cherokee County's population has increased from 2.2% to 4.5%.

Cherokee County is more Multiracial than neighboring O'Brien County (2.6% Multiracial), Ida County (3.1% Multiracial), Buena Vista County (2.4% Multiracial), Woodbury County (4.3% Multiracial), and Clay County (2.9% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.