Town · Alabama
Cherokee, Alabama
Cherokee, town, in Colbert County, Alabama. Cherokee had 975 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 970 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,120 (±298). GEOID 0114152.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
975
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 970 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,120 ±298
Median household income
$50,815
±$6,854 (90% margin)
Alabama: $63,999
Median home value
$102,300
±$15,881 (90% margin)
Alabama: $209,900
Median gross rent
$902
±$509 (90% margin)
Alabama: $1,007
Where is Cherokee and what county is it in?
Cherokee is a town in Colbert County, Alabama. It covers 2.2 square miles of land, 438 residents per square mile in 2020.
Cherokee is in the Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Cherokee, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 975 people lived in Cherokee on July 1, 2025, up 0.3% since 2020, slower than Alabama (+3.3%). The 2020 Census counted 970 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,120 (±298).
| Measure | Cherokee | Colbert County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,120 ±298 | 58,022 | no clear change |
| Households | 435 ±112 | 24,301 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.57 ±0.38 | 2.37 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 481 ±119 | 28,040 | no clear change |
Cherokee's population since 2000
From 1,237 in 2000 to 975 in 2025: down 21.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Cherokee as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Cherokee?
The median resident of Cherokee is 36.4 years old; 27.3% are under 18 and 24.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 70.4%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 16.0%.
| Measure | Cherokee | Colbert County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.4 ±11.1 | 42.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 27.3% ±8.1 pts | 21.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 24.6% ±8.8 pts | 20.4% | – |
| Male | 53.3% ±5.2 pts | 48.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6.9% ±8.7 pts | 3.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 70.4% ±11.4 pts | 77.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 16.0% ±8.0 pts | 15.5% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.6% ±6.0 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.1% ±3.6 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.1% ±5.0 pts | 7.3% | – |
| With a disability | 22.1% ±6.0 pts | 18.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.4% ±7.7 pts | 7.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.2% ±5.7 pts | 87.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.8% ±6.0 pts | 21.7% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.1% ±4.5 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.1% ±5.2 pts | 88.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 2.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Cherokee earn?
Half of Cherokee's 435 households earn less than $50,815 a year (±$6,854), against $60,628 in Colbert County and $63,999 in Alabama. In 2015-2019 the median was $36,520 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $14,295 after inflation. 20.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Cherokee | Colbert County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $50,815 ±$6,854 | $60,628 | +$14,295 |
| Mean household income | $56,978 ±$7,083 | $77,445 | – |
| Per capita income | $22,342 ±$3,876 | $33,817 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 20.7% ±10.5 pts | 17.4% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 30.4% ±26.6 pts | 28.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 23.4% ±10.1 pts | 14.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.0% ±4.8 pts | 90.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 80.9% ±9.0 pts | 81.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Cherokee?
Owners occupy 70.6% of Cherokee's occupied homes and renters 29.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $102,300 by its owner (±$15,881). The median renter pays $902 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Cherokee | Colbert County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $102,300 ±$15,881 | $171,000 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $902 ±$509 | $887 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 28.6% ±20.6 pts | 35.2% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $986 ±$298 | $1,243 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 70.6% ±12.4 pts | 71.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 29.4% ±12.4 pts | 28.7% | – |
| Housing units | 481 ±119 | 28,040 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.8% ±5.6 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±26.3 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 85.7% ±7.3 pts | 76.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.4% ±4.6 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±8.0 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.5% ±3.3 pts | 12.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 8.5% ±7.0 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.4% ±5.9 pts | 4.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Cherokee building?
Builders took permits for 2 new housing units in Cherokee in 2025 (2 in single-family houses), 2.1 per 1,000 residents against 3.7 across Alabama.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Cherokee work and get to work?
90.3% of Cherokee's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 24.1 minutes.
| Measure | Cherokee | Colbert County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 45.1% ±8.0 pts | 57.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% ±5.9 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 90.3% ±7.5 pts | 80.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.3% ±5.4 pts | 9.6% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±10.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 1.4% ±2.9 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.0% ±3.6 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.1 min ±4.5 | 22.5 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Cherokee?
No census tract lies mostly in Cherokee; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 210Colbert County | 3,862 | $50,080 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Cherokee) · Census block assignment files
How does Cherokee compare with other places in Alabama?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Cherokee is the 10,373rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 261st-most populous of 463 in Alabama.
Cherokee is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 261st | 463 |
Cherokee's figures with every place in Alabama (CSV)
Every place in Alabama, sortable · Compare Cherokee with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Cherokee?
25 of the 57 figures for Cherokee on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Cherokee are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Cherokee.