Cherokee County Demographics

A map of Cherokee County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	39,486	39,576	69.7%	70.4%
Black	10,574	11,292	18.7%	20.1%
Hispanic	3,137	2,777	5.5%	4.9%
Multiracial	2,265	1,860	4.0%	3.3%
Native American/Other	881	370	1.6%	0.7%
Asian	304	341	0.5%	0.6%

Cherokee County, South Carolina has an estimated population of 56,647, a less than 1% change from the 56,216 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 69.7% White, 18.7% Black, 5.5% Hispanic, 4.0% Multiracial, 1.6% 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 more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than South 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 46.0% in 2020 and 47.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Cherokee County is ranked the 24th most populous county in South Carolina, out of 46 counties. Cherokee County was ranked the 24th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Cherokee County's White Population

39,486 residents of Cherokee County, or 69.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Cherokee County is higher than in South Carolina overall, where 61.9% of the population is White. Cherokee County ranks 6th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Cherokee County's population has decreased from 70.4% to 69.7%.

Cherokee County is more White than neighboring Union County (64.2% White), Spartanburg County (65.3% White), and York County (66.3% White). Cherokee County is less White than neighboring Cleveland County (70.6% White), and Rutherford County (80.8% White).

Cherokee County's Black Population

10,574 residents of Cherokee County, or 18.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Cherokee County is lower than in South Carolina overall, where 24.6% of the population is Black. Cherokee County ranks 36th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's Black population has declined by an estimated 6.4%. Black residents' share of Cherokee County's population has decreased from 20.1% to 18.7%.

Cherokee County is more Black than neighboring Cleveland County (17.9% Black), York County (18.2% Black), and Rutherford County (7.7% Black). Cherokee County is less Black than neighboring Union County (27.5% Black), and Spartanburg County (19.3% Black).

Cherokee County's Asian Population

304 residents of Cherokee County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Cherokee County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 1.7% of the population is Asian. Cherokee County ranks 25th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 10.9%. Asian residents' share of Cherokee County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Cherokee County is more Asian than neighboring Union County (0.2% Asian). Cherokee County is less Asian than neighboring Cleveland County (0.9% Asian), Spartanburg County (2.3% Asian), and York County (3% Asian).

Cherokee County's Hispanic Population

3,137 residents of Cherokee County, or 5.5% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Cherokee County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 7.4% of the population is Hispanic. Cherokee County ranks 22nd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 13.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Cherokee County's population has increased from 4.9% to 5.5%.

Cherokee County is more Hispanic than neighboring Cleveland County (4.7% Hispanic), and Union County (2.1% Hispanic). Cherokee County is less Hispanic than neighboring Spartanburg County (9.3% Hispanic), York County (7.4% Hispanic), and Rutherford County (5.7% Hispanic).

Cherokee County's Native American/Other Population

881 residents of Cherokee County, or 1.6% 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 South Carolina overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Cherokee County ranks 20th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 138.1%. Native American/Other residents' share of Cherokee County's population has increased from 0.7% to 1.6%.

Cherokee County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Cleveland County (0.5% Native American/Other), Union County (0.5% Native American/Other), Spartanburg County (0.6% Native American/Other), York County (1% Native American/Other), and Rutherford County (0.9% Native American/Other).

Cherokee County's Multiracial Population

2,265 residents of Cherokee County, or 4.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Cherokee County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 3.7% of the population is Multiracial. Cherokee County ranks 23rd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 21.8%. Multiracial residents' share of Cherokee County's population has increased from 3.3% to 4.0%.

Cherokee County is more Multiracial than neighboring Spartanburg County (3.3% Multiracial). Cherokee County is less Multiracial than neighboring Cleveland County (5.3% Multiracial), Union County (5.6% Multiracial), York County (4.1% Multiracial), and Rutherford County (4.4% 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.