Cherokee County Demographics

A map of Cherokee County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	26,388	25,366	89.3%	88.2%
Hispanic	1,088	899	3.7%	3.1%
Multiracial	1,017	1,495	3.4%	5.2%
Black	527	373	1.8%	1.3%
Native American/Other	386	483	1.3%	1.7%
Asian	156	158	0.5%	0.5%

Cherokee County, North Carolina has an estimated population of 29,562, a slight increase from the 28,774 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 89.3% White, 3.7% Hispanic, 3.4% Multiracial, 1.8% Black, 1.3% Native American/Other, and 0.5% Asian. 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 less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than North Carolina 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 21.9% in 2020 and 20.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Cherokee County is ranked the 72nd most populous county in North Carolina, out of 100 counties. Cherokee County was ranked the 71st most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Cherokee County's White Population

26,388 residents of Cherokee County, or 89.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Cherokee County is significantly higher than in North Carolina overall, where 60% of the population is White. Cherokee County ranks 8th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's White population has grown by an estimated 4.0%. White residents' share of Cherokee County's population has increased from 88.2% to 89.3%.

Cherokee County is more White than neighboring Graham County (84.9% White), and Monroe County (86.9% White). Cherokee County is less White than neighboring Union County (92.5% White), Clay County (90.2% White), and Fannin County (91.8% White).

Cherokee County's Black Population

527 residents of Cherokee County, or 1.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Cherokee County is significantly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 20% of the population is Black. Cherokee County ranks 90th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's Black population has grown by an estimated 41.3%. Black residents' share of Cherokee County's population has increased from 1.3% to 1.8%.

Cherokee County is more Black than neighboring Union County (0.7% Black), Graham County (0.4% Black), and Fannin County (0.4% Black). Cherokee County is less Black than neighboring Clay County (2.2% Black), and Monroe County (2% Black).

Cherokee County's Asian Population

156 residents of Cherokee County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Cherokee County is slightly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 3.3% of the population is Asian. Cherokee County ranks 61st statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 1.3%. Asian residents' share of Cherokee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Cherokee County is more Asian than neighboring Union County (0.4% Asian), and Monroe County (0.2% Asian). Cherokee County is less Asian than neighboring Graham County (0.7% Asian), Clay County (0.6% Asian), and Fannin County (0.8% Asian).

Cherokee County's Hispanic Population

1,088 residents of Cherokee County, or 3.7% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Cherokee County is lower than in North Carolina overall, where 11.3% of the population is Hispanic. Cherokee County ranks 93rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 21.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Cherokee County's population has increased from 3.1% to 3.7%.

Cherokee County is more Hispanic than neighboring Graham County (3% Hispanic), and Fannin County (3.3% Hispanic). Cherokee County is less Hispanic than neighboring Union County (3.8% Hispanic), Clay County (4.1% Hispanic), and Monroe County (4.7% Hispanic).

Cherokee County's Native American/Other Population

386 residents of Cherokee County, or 1.3% 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 North Carolina overall, where 1.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Cherokee County ranks 14th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 20.1%. Native American/Other residents' share of Cherokee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.3%.

Cherokee County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Union County (0% Native American/Other), Clay County (1.1% Native American/Other), Monroe County (0.5% Native American/Other), and Fannin County (0.5% Native American/Other). Cherokee County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Graham County (10% Native American/Other).

Cherokee County's Multiracial Population

1,017 residents of Cherokee County, or 3.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Cherokee County is comparable to the share in North Carolina overall, where 4.1% of the population is Multiracial. Cherokee County ranks 7th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 32.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Cherokee County's population has decreased from 5.2% to 3.4%.

Cherokee County is more Multiracial than neighboring Union County (2.6% Multiracial), Graham County (1.1% Multiracial), Clay County (1.8% Multiracial), and Fannin County (3.2% Multiracial). Cherokee County is less Multiracial than neighboring Monroe County (5.7% 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.