City · Alfalfa County, Oklahoma

Cherokee, Oklahoma

Cherokee is a city in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma. It has 1,509 residents. Cherokee, Oklahoma has a quality-of-life score of 31 out of 100 (low), ranking #10,750 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Oklahoma it ranks #42 of 237 cities and towns. It ranks best on social associations (high), job growth (high) and students per teacher (low). It ranks worst on arts, entertainment and recreation (low), distance to an emergency room (high) and voter turnout (low).

31Low

Quality-of-life score: #10,750 of 15,651 cities and towns
Oklahoma: #42 of 237 in OK
Population: 1,509 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 738.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 4013750

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety13#13,618/15,637
Economy23#11,981/15,631
Housing91#1,379/14,977
Health54#7,255/15,609
Healthcare6#14,650/15,650
Environment13#13,401/15,453
Education76#3,731/15,649
Infrastructure63#5,745/15,650
Community35#10,199/15,651
Leisure & amenities15#13,291/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Cherokee, Oklahoma ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Alfalfa County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Social associations · high28.2 /10k
100/100Oklahoma 11.1 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAlfalfa County value
Job growth · high5.8%
99/100Oklahoma 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataAlfalfa County value
Students per teacher · low10.1×
98/100Oklahoma 16.3×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsAlfalfa County value
Home price to income ratio · low1.6×
97/100Oklahoma 3.1×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Public libraries · high3.5 /10k
97/100Oklahoma 0.5 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAlfalfa County value
Grocery stores · high3.5 /10k
97/100Oklahoma 1.2 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAlfalfa County value

Weaknesses

Arts, entertainment and recreation · low0.0 /10k
1/100Oklahoma 3.7 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAlfalfa County value
Distance to an emergency room · high23.3 mi
2/100Oklahoma 5.8 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAlfalfa County value
Voter turnout · low47.1%
2/100Oklahoma 53.8%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionAlfalfa County value
Access to exercise opportunities · low31.6%
3/100Oklahoma 70.7%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAlfalfa County value
Primary care physicians · low18 /100k
3/100Oklahoma 60 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAlfalfa County value
Mental health care shortage · high19.0
4/100Oklahoma 15.8United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationAlfalfa County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Child poverty rateWorsening
11.9% (2015-2019) → 46.8% (2020-2024)
+35 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
58.6% (2015-2019) → 34.1% (2020-2024)
−25 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
77.2% (2015-2019) → 93.1% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
18.8% (2015-2019) → 30.3% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
High school diploma or higherImproving
85.1% (2015-2019) → 92.1% (2020-2024)
+7 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
32.7% (2015-2019) → 25.8% (2020-2024)
−6.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Cherokee, Oklahoma improved on 3 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved3

Rent burden−25 points58.6% → 34.1%
Bachelor's++12 points18.8% → 30.3%
Broadband+16 points77.2% → 93.1%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Cherokee, Oklahoma between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	17.5 min2015-2019	21.8 min2020-2024	+4.3 min	Within the margin of error	12%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.8%2015-2019	30.3%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	93%
Broadband subscriptions	77.2%2015-2019	93.1%2020-2024	+16 points	Improved	82%
Effective property tax rate	0.64%2015-2019	0.72%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	8%
High school diploma or higher	85.1%2015-2019	92.1%2020-2024	+7 points	Within the margin of error	89%
Home price to income ratio	1.6×2015-2019	1.6×2020-2024	+0.0×	Within the margin of error	78%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4482015-2019	0.4092020-2024	−0.039	Within the margin of error	79%
Median household income	$44,5312015-2019	$58,8602020-2024	+32%	Within the margin of error	60%
Poverty rate	15.5%2015-2019	22.2%2020-2024	+6.7 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	32.7%2015-2019	25.8%2020-2024	−6.9 points	Within the margin of error	88%
Rent-burdened households	58.6%2015-2019	34.1%2020-2024	−25 points	Improved	96%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	18.1%2015-2019	11.3%2020-2024	−6.8 points	Within the margin of error	92%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Cherokee, Oklahoma five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Cherokee, Oklahoma in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Cherokee, Oklahoma itself moved +18.5 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,509 residents (±226)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

683 households (±100)

Cherokee, Oklahoma
Oklahoma share

Under $25k21%†142
$25k–50k22%†150
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

683 households (±100)

Cherokee, Oklahoma
Oklahoma share

Own71%485
Rent29%†198

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

688 workers (±124)

Cherokee, Oklahoma
Oklahoma share

Drive alone85%586
Carpool6.4%†44
Public transit0.0%0

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Alfalfa County, the county holding most of Cherokee's residents.

Alfalfa County has 121 employer establishments, 213 for every 10,000 residents (0.86× the US rate of 248; 0.90× Oklahoma's), with 742 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,764. The Census Bureau also counts 345 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 121; 345 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 213; US 248 · Oklahoma 237
Paid employees: 742
Average annual pay: $48,764; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Alfalfa County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Religious organizations	16	28.2	5.09×More than typical	42	$14,976	—
Banks and credit unions	8	14.1	4.37×Too few to compare	57	$71,456	—
Gasoline stations	8	14.1	4.35×Too few to compare	70	$28,357	—
Ambulatory health care services	6	10.6	0.51×Too few to compare	91	$47,231	5
Specialty trade contractors	6	10.6	0.68×Too few to compare	59	$82,339	31
Restaurants and other eating places	5	8.8	0.48×Too few to compare	33	$15,061	7
Automotive repair and maintenance	3	5.3	1.05×Too few to compare	13	$29,615	6
Building equipment contractors	3	5.3	0.88×Too few to compare	22	$52,227	9
Full-service restaurants	3	5.3	0.69×Too few to compare	10	$20,900	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	3	5.3	1.21×Too few to compare	12	$53,750	—
Landscaping services	3	5.3	1.51×Too few to compare	3	$32,667	12
Legal services	3	5.3	0.98×Too few to compare	8	$43,500	—

Rank places for an industry Open Alfalfa County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 5,668 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Cherokee is mostly in Alfalfa County.

See federal money in Alfalfa County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Cherokee, Oklahoma is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Frank D. LucasR-OK-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 1.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Alfalfa County33100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Alfalfa County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/4013750

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends