County · North Carolina

Cherokee County, North Carolina

Cherokee County, North Carolina has a quality-of-life score of 47 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #1,672 of 3,143 US counties. Within North Carolina it ranks #40 of 100 counties. It ranks best on access to exercise opportunities (high), hot days (low) and new homes permitted (high). It ranks worst on property crime rate (high), injury deaths (high) and income adjusted for local prices (low).

47Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #1,672 of 3,143 counties
North Carolina: #40 of 100 in NC
Population: 30,830 (2025)
Land area: 456 mi²
Density: 67.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 37039

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 78 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map Federal contracts here

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US counties.

Safety16#2,595/3,096
Economy31#2,158/3,143
Housing46#1,687/3,140
Health35#2,059/3,144
Healthcare43#1,785/3,143
Environment84#488/3,108
Education57#1,349/3,144
Infrastructure26#2,328/3,144
Community85#466/3,144
Leisure & amenities59#1,286/3,143

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Cherokee County, North Carolina ranks highest and lowest among US counties (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Access to exercise opportunities · high98.3%
97/100North Carolina 78.0%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Hot days · low3 days
89/100North Carolina 32 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
New homes permitted · high7.2 /1k
89/100North Carolina 8.0 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Effective property tax rate · low0.45%
86/100North Carolina 0.66%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Restaurants and bars · high13.6 /10k
85/100North Carolina 8.8 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Preventable hospital stays · low1,936 /100k
83/100North Carolina 2,742 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute

Weaknesses

Property crime rate · high2,123 /100k
7/100North Carolina 1,780 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2023Federal Bureau of Investigation
Injury deaths · high141 /100k
9/100North Carolina 97 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Income adjusted for local prices · low$51,052
10/100North Carolina $69,582United States $73,2042024U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Public transit commuters · low0.0%
12/100North Carolina 0.6%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Cost of buying a home today · high38.6%
13/100North Carolina 33.1%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Premature death · high13,768 /100k
13/100North Carolina 9,400 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute

Trends

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

PopulationRising
28,866 (2020) → 30,830 (2025)
+6.8%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 67% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+67 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.3 /10k (2020) → 1.0 /10k (2025)
+181%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
46.0% (2019) → 33.0% (2023)
−13 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
68.5 /100k (2021) → 26.1 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−62%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
26.4% (Dec 2021) → 38.6% (Aug 2026)
+12 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%

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 County, North Carolina improved on 10 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 17 moved within the margin of error and 1 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among counties: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved10

Suicides−53%48.5 /100k → 22.9 /100k
Uninsured−6 points16.6% → 10.6%
Traffic deaths−38%25.0 /100k → 15.5 /100k
Bachelor's++5.2 points19.0% → 24.2%
Weekly wage+30%$702 → $910

Declined2

Students / teacher+2.3×12.4× → 14.7×
Price / income+0.5×3.8× → 4.3×

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Cherokee County, North Carolina between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.1 /10k2020	2.6 /10k2025	+25%	Within the margin of error	77%
Average commute time	25.7 min2015-2019	25.2 min2020-2024	−0.6 min	Within the margin of error	71%
Average weekly wage	$7022020	$9102025	+30%	Improved	82%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.0%2015-2019	24.2%2020-2024	+5.2 points	Improved	85%
Broadband subscriptions	74.2%2015-2019	83.6%2020-2024	+9.4 points	Improved	45%
Child poverty rate	29.3%2019	23.9%2024	−5.4 points	Within the margin of error	91%
Distance to an airport	50 mi2020	50 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	26.6 /100k2020	26.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−1.9%	Within the margin of error	27%
Effective property tax rate	0.55%2015-2019	0.45%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	46%
Firearm deaths	22.2 /100k2020	22.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+2.3%	Within the margin of error	45%
Grocery stores	1.7 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−25%	Within the margin of error	14%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.3 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	+181%	Within the margin of error	98%
High school diploma or higher	87.2%2015-2019	92.2%2020-2024	+5 points	Within the margin of error	89%
Home price to income ratio	3.8×2015-2019	4.3×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	39%
Homicide rate	4.2 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−100%	Within the margin of error	92%
Income adjusted for local prices	$39,3152019	$51,0522024	+30%	Improved	38%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4152015-2019	0.4202020-2024	+0.004	Within the margin of error	46%
Median household income	$42,7642019	$55,3512024	+29%	Improved	73%
New business applications	7.1 /1k2020	10.6 /1k2025	+49%	Improved	56%
Pharmacies	1.4 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−6.4%	Within the margin of error	47%
Poverty rate	17.7%2019	15.4%2024	−2.3 points	Within the margin of error	87%
Public libraries	1.0 /10k2019	1.0 /10k2024	−5.6%	Within the margin of error	22%
Rent as share of income	29.5%2015-2019	26.5%2020-2024	−3 points	Within the margin of error	83%
Rent-burdened households	49.5%2015-2019	43.4%2020-2024	−6.2 points	Within the margin of error	82%
Restaurants and bars	11.1 /10k2020	13.6 /10k2025	+23%	Within the margin of error	87%
Students per teacher	12.4×2019	14.7×2024	+2.3×	Declined	2%
Suicide rate	48.5 /100k2020	22.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−53%	Improved	96%
Traffic deaths	25.0 /100k2015-2019	15.5 /100k2020-2024	−38%	Improved	91%
Unemployment rate	7.7%2020	4.0%2025	−3.7 points	Improved	77%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	16.6%2019	10.6%2024	−6 points	Improved	98%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 1857 counties that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Small Area Health Insurance Estimates; Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; Public Libraries Survey; Common Core of Data; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 3144 counties 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.

Counties like Cherokee County, North Carolina five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Cherokee County, North Carolina 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 County, North Carolina itself moved +7.3 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

29,562 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 men (−1.4 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

29,562 residents

Cherokee County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

White89%26,388
Black1.8%527
Hispanic or Latino3.7%1,088

Education

23,155 residents (±92)

Cherokee County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

No high school diploma7.8%1,796
High school or GED34%7,763
Some college23%5,246

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

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

Household income

13,241 households (±406)

Cherokee County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $25k19%2,498
$25k–50k27%3,615
$50k–75k21%2,719
$75k–100k12%1,528
$100k–150k14%1,909
$150k–200k4.2%†558
$200k or more3.1%414

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−9.9 points).

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

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

Owners and renters

13,241 households (±406)

Cherokee County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Own84%11,083
Rent16%2,158

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+4.7 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

1,595 households (±311)

Cherokee County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $75042%†673
$750–1,00025%†395
$1,000–1,50032%†

Home values

11,083 homes (±417)

Cherokee County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under $150k29%3,198
$150k–250k26%2,888
$250k–400k29%3,192

Age of homes

18,404 homes (±26)

Cherokee County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

2010 or later13%2,483
2000–200924%4,506
1980–199936%6,580

Size of homes

18,404 homes (±26)

Cherokee County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Studio1.6%†297
1 bedroom5.8%1,067
2 bedrooms40%7,295

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

11,721 workers (±601)

Cherokee County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Drive alone80%9,319
Carpool6.5%756
Public transit0.0%0
Walk2.1%†248
Bike0.0%0
Work from home11%1,262
Other1.2%†136

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Carpool (−3.0 points).

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

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

10,459 workers (±570)

Cherokee County, North Carolina
North Carolina share

Under 15 min30%3,184
15–29 min37%3,915
30–44 min20%2,118

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

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.

Cherokee County has 649 employer establishments, 216 for every 10,000 residents (0.87× the US rate of 248; 0.91× North Carolina's), with 7,678 paid employees at an average annual pay of $39,458. The Census Bureau also counts 2,682 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 649; 2,682 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 216; US 248 · North Carolina 237
Paid employees: 7,678
Average annual pay: $39,458; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	57	19	1.03×About typical	854	$20,850	7
Ambulatory health care services	53	17.6	0.85×About typical	381	$48,617	100
Specialty trade contractors	47	15.6	1.01×About typical	255	$53,616	328
Lessors of real estate	33	11	0.89×About typical	76	$32,053	219
Construction of buildings	32	10.7	1.41×More than typical	74	$44,486	223
Full-service restaurants	32	10.7	1.39×More than typical	387	$22,680	—
Religious organizations	32	10.7	1.92×More than typical	90	$22,267	—
Building equipment contractors	26	8.7	1.44×More than typical	167	$52,611	57
Offices of other health practitioners	22	7.3	1.21×About typical	77	$53,026	47
Real estate agents and brokers	20	6.7	1.37×More than typical	47	$34,702	73
Automotive repair and maintenance	19	6.3	1.26×More than typical	27	$30,074	78
Limited-service restaurants	19	6.3	0.79×Fewer than typical	391	$20,578	5

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $10.6M on contracts performed in Cherokee County, North Carolina: $345 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $10.6M; +210% vs FY2025
Per resident: $345; US $1,995
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 3.2%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Navy$9.8M92%
Forest Service$477.1K

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $313.3M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Cherokee County, North Carolina: $10,164 per resident (US $12,975).

Assistance · FY2026: $313.3M; −3.3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $10,164; US $12,975
Loan face value: $9.8M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$201.5M64%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$31.3M10.0%

Public money & outcomes

Federal money per resident by fiscal year next to how the place changed, and, when its money jumped, how it compares with similar counties. A comparison, not cause and effect.

How Cherokee County, North Carolina compares: the federal money it received per resident, and how jobs, income, housing and other outcomes moved, each next to the United States.

Money per resident

By federal fiscal year (October to September, named by the year it ends), obligations per resident. A year with no record counts as $0.

Cherokee County, North Carolina
United States
Year its money jumped
partial year

Federal contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cherokee County, North Carolina and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States
FY2017	$80.48	$1,436
FY2018	$834	$1,552
FY2019	$802	$1,654
FY2020	$139	$1,880
FY2021	$52.83	$1,810
FY2022	$76.62	$1,917
FY2023	$124	$2,079
FY2024	$806	$2,047
FY2025	$111	$2,165
FY2026	$345 (partial year)	$1,912
FY2027	$0 (partial year)	—

Construction contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cherokee County, North Carolina and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States
FY2017	$7.29	$93.28
FY2018	$1.18	$105
FY2019	$3.69	$128
FY2020	$5.44	$145
FY2021	$1.89	$117

Contracts and grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cherokee County, North Carolina and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States
FY2021	$289	$5,748
FY2022	$871	$5,221
FY2023	-$240	$5,364
FY2024	$1,306	$5,501
FY2025	$806	$5,732
FY2026

Transportation grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cherokee County, North Carolina and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States
FY2021	$0.19	$298
FY2022	$694	$357
FY2023	-$472	$301
FY2024	$342	$319
FY2025	$569	$360
FY2026

Housing assistanceUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cherokee County, North Carolina and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States
FY2021	$101	$239
FY2022	$108	$185
FY2023	$102	$229
FY2024	$112	$229
FY2025	$121	$249
FY2026	$95.22

HHS grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cherokee County, North Carolina and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States
FY2021	$98.54	$2,304
FY2022	$59.65	$2,197
FY2023	$38.80	$2,274
FY2024	$69.21	$2,267
FY2025	$53.70	$2,397
FY2026

SBA lending volumeUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Cherokee County, North Carolina and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States
FY2021	$436	$1,186
FY2022	$257	$465
FY2023	$31.12	$76.52
FY2024	$29.60	$120
FY2025	$51.43	$148
FY2026	$0

Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)

How outcomes moved

Calendar years. Charts share the same years as the money above. Levels are shown as percent change since 2016; rates are shown as the rate itself.

Cherokee County, North Carolina
United States
Years with money loaded
Year its money jumped

Job growthpercent

Table view

Job growth, Cherokee County, North Carolina and the United States, by year
Calendar years	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States

When its money jumped

A county-year with at least 10,000 residents whose money per resident is at least twice its earlier average counts as a jump. Each is compared with up to five similar counties in the same region whose money did not jump.

Federal contracts · FY2018

$834 per resident in FY2018, against an earlier average of $80.48 (10× that).

Compared with 15 similar counties

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Business Formation Statistics, Building Permits Survey, Cartographic Boundary Files, Gazetteer and metro delineations, Population Estimates Program, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission), Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System), Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordability. JSON · /api/v1/outcomes/places/37039

See all comparisons

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 County, North Carolina is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Chuck EdwardsR-NC-11 · 100% of residentsWith party 96%Missed 1.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

Cities and towns in Cherokee County

Places whose residents live mostly in Cherokee County, largest first.

Neighboring counties

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar counties

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
National Risk IndexFederal Emergency Management Agency · release v1.20.0
Health Professional Shortage AreasHealth Resources and Services Administration · release 2026-10-08
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
Common Core of DataNational Center for Education Statistics · release 2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/37039

Year

Cherokee County, North Carolina

Comparison counties (average)

Range of comparison counties

Year −3

+0.8 points

+0.2 points

−0.5 points to +0.8 points

Year −2

+0.5 points

−0.1 points

−2.2 points to +1.7 points

Year −1

0.0 points

0.0 points to 0.0 points

Year 0

+0.8 points

+1.7 points

+0.9 points to +2.6 points

Year +1

−1.3 points

+1.3 points

−1.7 points to +4.6 points

Year +2

−5.8 points

−5.7 points

−7.5 points to −3.9 points

Year

Cherokee County, North Carolina

Comparison counties (average)

Range of comparison counties

Calendar years	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States
2014	−5.5%	−4.2%
2015	−1.0%	−1.3%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+5.7%	+3.3%
2018	+8.2%	+6.8%
2019	+11.0%	+10.5%
2020	+17.4%	+19.4%
2021	+23.7%	+26.1%
2022	+32.9%	+30.6%
2023	+39.3%	+35.0%
2024	+46.7%	+41.0%
2025	+52.2%	+46.8%

Calendar years	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States
2014	−3.3%	−5.5%
2015	+2.2%	−1.9%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+4.2%	+4.1%
2018	+7.9%	+8.9%
2019	+14.4%	+13.5%
2020	+23.1%	+20.8%
2021	+33.4%	+32.1%
2022	+34.5%	+35.4%
2023	+43.1%	+42.9%
2024	+51.2%	+49.5%

Calendar years	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States
2014	3.5/1k	3.3/1k
2015	4.9/1k	3.7/1k
2016	6.6/1k	3.7/1k
2017	5.9/1k	3.9/1k
2018	7.0/1k	4.1/1k
2019	6.6/1k	4.2/1k
2020	8.6/1k	4.4/1k
2021	7.8/1k	5.2/1k
2022	8.9/1k	5.0/1k
2023	9.3/1k	4.5/1k
2024	7.6/1k	4.3/1k
2025	7.8/1k	4.2/1k

Calendar years	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States
2014	−7.0%	−6.9%
2015	+2.8%	−3.2%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+2.8%	+4.7%
2018	+10.8%	+7.5%
2019	+14.8%	+14.0%
2020	+19.4%	+16.9%
2021	+18.7%	+21.0%
2022	+38.6%	+29.7%
2023	+44.8%	+34.9%
2024	+48.6%	+41.6%

Calendar years	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States
2014	21.0%	15.5%
2015	18.3%	14.7%
2016	18.4%	14.0%
2017	17.2%	13.4%
2018	18.8%	13.1%
2019	17.7%	12.3%
2020	15.1%	11.9%
2021	13.9%	12.8%
2022	15.1%	12.6%
2023	14.6%	12.5%
2024	15.4%	12.1%

Calendar years	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States
2014	6.9%	6.2%
2015	6.4%	5.3%
2016	5.5%	4.9%
2017	4.9%	4.4%
2018	4.4%	3.9%
2019	4.3%	3.7%
2020	7.7%	8.1%
2021	4.9%	5.4%
2022	4.0%	3.7%
2023	3.8%	3.6%
2024	3.9%	4.0%
2025	4.0%	4.3%

Calendar years	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States
2014	−6.7% (Dec 2014)	−10.8% (Dec 2014)
2015	−6.2% (Dec 2015)	−5.2% (Dec 2015)
2016	0.0% (Dec 2016)	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	+6.0% (Dec 2017)	+6.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	+12.4% (Dec 2018)	+12.6% (Dec 2018)
2019	+19.7% (Dec 2019)	+18.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+37.8% (Dec 2020)	+29.3% (Dec 2020)
2021	+68.2% (Dec 2021)	+49.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+92.1% (Dec 2022)	+64.7% (Dec 2022)
2023	+103.1% (Dec 2023)	+69.0% (Dec 2023)
2024	+109.9% (Dec 2024)	+73.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+107.6% (Dec 2025)	+73.7% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States
2014	19.2%	13.5%
2015	15.0%	10.9%
2016	15.4%	10.0%
2017	14.0%	10.2%
2018	15.2%	10.4%
2019	16.6%	10.8%
2020	14.8%	10.4%
2021	15.6%	10.2%
2022	13.5%	9.5%
2023	12.5%	9.5%
2024	10.6%	9.8%

Calendar years	Cherokee County, North Carolina	United States
2014	5.1/1k	8.5/1k
2015	5.0/1k	8.7/1k
2016	5.6/1k	9.1/1k
2017	6.3/1k	9.8/1k
2018	5.9/1k	10.7/1k
2019	6.2/1k	10.6/1k
2020	7.1/1k	13.1/1k
2021	8.7/1k	16.2/1k
2022	9.8/1k	15.1/1k
2023	10.7/1k	16.2/1k
2024	11.2/1k	15.4/1k
2025	10.6/1k	16.6/1k

Year	Cherokee County, North Carolina	Comparison counties (average)	Range of comparison counties
Year −3	+2.1 points	+1.6 points	+0.8 points to +2.7 points
Year −2	+5.2 points	+2.1 points	+0.2 points to +4.3 points
Year −1	0.0 points	0.0 points	0.0 points to 0.0 points
Year 0	+0.7 points	+0.3 points	−2.6 points to +6.2 points
Year +1	−0.6 points	−0.9 points	−4.3 points to +4.9 points

Year	Cherokee County, North Carolina	Comparison counties (average)	Range of comparison counties
Year −3	+1.1 points	+1.1 points	+0.9 points to +1.2 points
Year −2	+0.2 points	+0.1 points	0.0 points to +0.3 points
Year −1	0.0 points	0.0 points	0.0 points to 0.0 points
Year 0	+0.1 points	+0.1 points	−0.2 points to +0.2 points
Year +1	+0.2 points	+0.1 points	−0.4 points to +0.4 points

Year	Cherokee County, North Carolina	Comparison counties (average)	Range of comparison counties
Year −3	−18.0%	−18.3%	−19.7% to −15.9%
Year −2	−4.3%	−6.7%	−10.7% to −2.4%
Year −1	0.0%	0.0%	0.0% to 0.0%
Year 0	+2.6%	+1.9%	−2.5% to +13.5%

Year	Cherokee County, North Carolina	Comparison counties (average)	Range of comparison counties
Year −3	−0.70 points	−0.24 points	−1.60 points to +0.70 points
Year −2	+0.50 points	−0.78 points	−3.30 points to +1.10 points
Year −1	0.00 points	0.00 points	0.00 points to 0.00 points
Year 0	+0.80 points	−0.50 points	−1.90 points to +1.60 points

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined2

Counties like Cherokee County, North Carolina five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Public money & outcomes

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Compared with 15 similar counties

Representation in Congress

House

Senate

Cities and towns in Cherokee County

Neighboring counties

Similar counties

Data and sources

Improved10

Declined2

House

Senate

Household income

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Compared with 15 similar counties

Compared with 16 similar counties

Compared with 10 similar counties

Jumps not compared

Top programs

Top buying agencies

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

By type

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards