Cherokee, IA Demographics

A map of Cherokee's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	4,395	4,597	85.3%	88.4%
Hispanic	416	342	8.1%	6.6%
Multiracial	286	114	5.5%	2.2%
Asian	39	48	0.8%	0.9%
Black	18	64	0.3%	1.2%
Native American/Other	0	34	0.0%	0.7%

Cherokee, Iowa has an estimated population of 5,154, a less than 1% change from the 5,199 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 85.3% White, 8.1% Hispanic, 5.5% Multiracial, 0.8% Asian, 0.3% Black, and 0.0% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Cherokee, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Cherokee has become considerably 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, that probability was 21.3% in 2020 and 26.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Cherokee is ranked the 83rd most populous place in Iowa, out of 1,026 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Cherokee was ranked the 81st most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Cherokee's White Population

4,395 residents of Cherokee, or 85.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Cherokee is slightly higher than in Iowa overall, where 82.3% of the population is White. Cherokee ranks 814th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee's White population has declined by an estimated 4.4%. White residents' share of Cherokee's population has decreased from 88.4% to 85.3%.

Cherokee is less White than neighboring Meriden (95.7% White), Larrabee (91.2% White), Aurelia (96% White), Quimby (95.8% White), and Cleghorn (94.1% White).

Cherokee's Black Population

18 residents of Cherokee, or 0.3% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Cherokee is slightly lower than in Iowa overall, where 3.8% of the population is Black. Cherokee ranks 172nd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee's Black population has declined by an estimated 71.9%. Black residents' share of Cherokee's population has decreased from 1.2% to 0.3%.

Cherokee is more Black than neighboring Larrabee (0% Black), Aurelia (0% Black), and Cleghorn (0% Black). Cherokee is less Black than neighboring Meriden (1.4% Black).

Cherokee's Asian Population

39 residents of Cherokee, or 0.8% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Cherokee is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 2.5% of the population is Asian. Cherokee ranks 156th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee's Asian population has declined by an estimated 18.8%. Asian residents' share of Cherokee's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Cherokee is more Asian than neighboring Meriden (0% Asian), Larrabee (0.7% Asian), Aurelia (0.2% Asian), Quimby (0% Asian), and Cleghorn (0% Asian).

Cherokee's Hispanic Population

416 residents of Cherokee, or 8.1% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Cherokee is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 7.3% of the population is Hispanic. Cherokee ranks 152nd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 21.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Cherokee's population has increased from 6.6% to 8.1%.

Cherokee is more Hispanic than neighboring Meriden (1.4% Hispanic), Larrabee (5.4% Hispanic), Aurelia (3.4% Hispanic), Quimby (2.1% Hispanic), and Cleghorn (5.5% Hispanic).

Cherokee's Native American/Other Population

0 residents of Cherokee, or 0.0% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Cherokee is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Cherokee ranks 244th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 100.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Cherokee's population has decreased from 0.7% to 0.0%.

Cherokee is less Native American/Other than neighboring Aurelia (0.4% Native American/Other).

Cherokee's Multiracial Population

286 residents of Cherokee, or 5.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Cherokee is comparable to the share in Iowa overall, where 3.5% of the population is Multiracial. Cherokee ranks 655th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 1,026 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Cherokee's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 150.9%. Multiracial residents' share of Cherokee's population has increased from 2.2% to 5.5%.

Cherokee is more Multiracial than neighboring Meriden (1.4% Multiracial), Larrabee (2.7% Multiracial), Aurelia (0% Multiracial), Quimby (1.7% Multiracial), and Cleghorn (0.4% 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.