County · Oklahoma

Cherokee County, Oklahoma

Cherokee County, Oklahoma. Cherokee County had 49,196 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 4.5% since 2020, in line with Oklahoma (+4.1%). It holds 33 places (4 cities, villages and boroughs and 29 census-designated) and 13 census tracts. GEOID 40021.

Cherokee County is the county of the Tahlequah, OK micropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

49,196

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 47,078 · ACS 2020-2024: 47,942

Median household income

$53,218

±$2,412 (90% margin)
Oklahoma: $65,039

Median home value

$168,500

±$6,311 (90% margin)
Oklahoma: $199,800

Median gross rent

$831

±$20 (90% margin)
Oklahoma: $1,014

How many people live in Cherokee County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 47,078 residents in Cherokee County. The Census Bureau estimates 49,196 for July 1, 2025, up 4.5% since 2020, in line with Oklahoma (+4.1%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 47,942 over 749 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 +561 (47,646)
2021→2022 +363 (48,009)
2022→2023 +112 (48,121)
2023→2024 +644 (48,765)
2024→2025 +431 (49,196)

Cherokee County in Oklahoma. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Cherokee County	Oklahoma	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	47,942	4,028,634	−722
Households	18,698±271	1,562,389	+2,033
Average household size	2.47±0.04	2.50	−0.33
Housing units	22,363±125	1,775,127	+206

Cherokee County's population since 2000

From 42,521 in 2000 to 49,196 in 2025: up 15.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. 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.

2000 Census 42,521
2005 (estimate) 44,805
2010 Census 46,987
2015 (estimate) 48,392
2020 Census 47,078
2025 (estimate) 49,196

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); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Cherokee County?

Cherokee County holds 33 places: 4 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places) and 29 census-designated places. The largest is Tahlequah with 17,508 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Cherokee County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Tahlequah	city	16,209	16,935±37	$49,581	$185,400	18.4%	100%
Park Hill	CDP	3,193	3,237±474	$47,064	$174,400	23.7%	100%
Grandview	CDP	1,321	1,251±262	$73,688	$164,800	18.5%	100%
Norwood	CDP	1,679	1,752±251	$88,661	$243,000	8.2%	73%
Keys	CDP	1,030	982±270	$38,600	$130,200	32.2%	100%
Briggs	CDP	1,028	1,131±193	$47,250	$111,900	28.4%	100%
Moodys	CDP	854	1,108±237	$49,355	$400,500	18.5%	100%
Pettit	CDP	829	816±216	$59,054	$148,200	7.5%	100%
Cookson	CDP	826	921±242	$49,983	$110,700	6.6%	100%
Woodall	CDP	816	1,050±232	$58,571	$221,800	19.0%	100%
Peggs	CDP	789	858±193	$61,731	$108,800	22.1%	100%
Welling	CDP	781	720±181	$47,135	$186,300	19.3%	100%
Lost City	CDP	767	852±154	$64,375	$154,400	6.8%	100%
Zeb	CDP	520	522±193	$56,058	$151,600	12.1%	100%
Shady Grove (Cherokee County)	CDP	519	453±123	$52,969	$201,400	32.2%	100%
Hulbert	town	483	444±106	$28,750	$82,500	39.2%	100%
TenkillerGEOID 4072775	CDP	390	285±86	not published	$152,500	39.6%	100%
Caney, Cherokee County	CDP	382	467±133	$100,476	$139,100	16.3%	100%
EldonGEOID 4023300	CDP	347	326±122	not published	$132,100	10.7%	100%
BarberGEOID 4004200	CDP	303	280±93	$59,313	$169,800	13.9%	100%
Steely HollowGEOID 4070037	CDP	292	342±146	$107,771	not published	0.9%	100%
Lowrey	CDP	286	264±97	$75,069	$105,400	23.5%	100%
Dry Creek	CDP	233	249±63	$40,500	$81,300	19.7%	100%
GideonGEOID 4029300	CDP	229	219±151	$150,444	$296,700	3.2%	100%
Rocky Ford	CDP	283	290±111	$61,250	$150,000	5.5%	80%
SparrowhawkGEOID 4068951	CDP	202	183±102	not published	$182,300	0.0%	100%
TeresitaGEOID 4072800	CDP	188	157±85	$53,750	$132,500	2.5%	100%
Pumpkin HollowGEOID 4061113	CDP	176	148±74	$80,156	$166,900	5.4%	100%
Caney RidgeGEOID 4011575	CDP	120	88±50	$38,750	$68,800	12.5%	100%
Johnson PrairieGEOID 4038201	CDP	94	142±72	$48,897	$112,000	9.9%	100%
EttaGEOID 4024500	CDP	80	87±58	$35,192	not published	16.1%	100%
Fort Gibson	town	3,814	3,808±43	$68,378	$181,100	11.9%	0%
Oaks	town	267	295±60	$46,875	$59,700	23.5%	0%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Cherokee County?

The median resident of Cherokee County is 37.3 years old; 21.2% are under 18 and 17.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 44.9%, then non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents at 31.0%. 3.5% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Cherokee County	Oklahoma	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	37.3±0.5	37.0	+2.0
Under 18 years	21.2%±0.2 pts	24.0%	–
65 years and over	17.8%±0.2 pts	16.3%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	8.0%	12.7%	+0.8 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	44.9%±0.5 pts	62.1%	−2.7 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	1.3%±0.2 pts	6.8%	no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0.9%±0.1 pts	2.4%	+0.2 pts
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	31.0%±1.2 pts	6.6%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.2%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	13.8%±1.4 pts	8.9%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.3%	–
Born outside the United States	3.5%±0.5 pts	6.4%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	7.9%±0.9 pts	11.5%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	6.5%±0.7 pts	7.9%	–
With a disability	21.1%±1.2 pts	17.2%	–
No health insurance coverage	18.2%±1.4 pts	12.9%	−2.9 pts
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	89.2%±1.2 pts	89.4%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	29.2%±1.7 pts	28.3%	+2.9 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	10.2%±1.1 pts	9.9%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	2.2%±0.5 pts	2.7%	–

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 County earn?

Half of Cherokee County's 18,698 households earn less than $53,218 a year (±$2,412), against $65,039 in Oklahoma. In 2015-2019 it was $52,642 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 18.2% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Cherokee County	Oklahoma	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$53,218±$2,412	$65,039	no clear change
Mean household income	$72,290±$3,671	$88,936	–
Per capita income	$29,253±$1,359	$35,624	no clear change
People below the poverty line	18.2%±1.4 pts	15.3%	−3.9 pts
Children under 18 below the poverty line	20.0%±3.6 pts	20.1%	−7.5 pts
Households receiving SNAP	16.5%±1.6 pts	14.1%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	82.8%±1.5 pts	88.9%	–

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 County?

Owners occupy 65.7% of Cherokee County's occupied homes and renters 34.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $168,500 by its owner (±$6,311). The median renter pays $831 a month including utilities, and 33.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Cherokee County	Oklahoma	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$168,500±$6,311	$199,800	+$23,278
Median gross rent	$831±$20	$1,014	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	33.9%±4.3 pts	37.5%	−8.2 pts
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,271±$61	$1,539	–
Owner-occupied homes	65.7%±2.1 pts	65.8%	−2.7 pts
Housing units	22,363±125	1,775,127	+206
Homeowner vacancy rate	1.5%±0.5 pts	1.2%	–
Rental vacancy rate	5.8%±1.9 pts	6.5%	–
Single-family detached homes	64.3%±1.7 pts	72.7%	–
Mobile homes	19.2%±1.4 pts	8.2%	–
Built 2020 or later	2.5%±0.6 pts	2.0%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	3.0%±0.7 pts	6.9%	–

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 County building?

Builders took permits for 22 new housing units across Cherokee County in 2025 (16 single-family), 0.4 per 1,000 residents.

2019 107 units
2020 133 units
2021 160 units
2022 23 units
2023 90 units
2024 48 units
2025 22 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Cherokee County get to work?

73.0% of Cherokee County's workers drive alone and 7.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 23.8 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.1%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Cherokee County	Oklahoma	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	56.8%±1.4 pts	61.2%	–
Unemployment rate	5.1%±1.2 pts	5.0%	−2.5 pts
Drove alone to work	73.0%±2.6 pts	77.4%	–
Carpooled	13.1%±2.1 pts	9.7%	–
Public transportation	0.4%±0.3 pts	0.3%	–
Walked	3.6%±0.9 pts	1.8%	–
Worked from home	7.8%±1.5 pts	9.4%	+3.5 pts
Mean travel time to work	23.8 min±1.2	22.4 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 are Cherokee County's census tracts?

Cherokee County is divided into 13 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $37,917 (Tract 9779.02) to $69,519 (Tract 9777.01).

Census tracts of Cherokee County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 977640021977600	Gideon (12%)	5,307	5,495±373	$63,971	$201,500	$765	15.8%
Tract 9777.0140021977701	Norwood (25%)	2,854	2,965±288	$69,519	$208,000	$743	14.5%
Tract 9777.0240021977702	Hulbert (24%)	3,448	3,442±310	$43,472	$148,300	$769	28.9%
Tract 9778.0140021977801	Woodall (59%)	2,472	2,787±375	$51,167	$206,000	$759	22.9%
Tract 9778.0240021977802	Grandview (23%)	4,353	4,118±376	$54,191	$183,000	$900	15.2%
Tract 9779.0140021977901	Tahlequah (28%)	3,356	3,792±459	$49,346	$183,500	$840	13.1%
Tract 9779.0240021977902	Tahlequah (89%)	3,564	3,537±379	$37,917	$177,700	$846	26.7%
Tract 978040021978000	Tahlequah (95%)	4,273	4,126±420	$39,755	$146,000	$801	23.0%
Tract 978140021978100	Tahlequah (72%)	5,860	5,911±423	$61,204	$196,200	$795	10.6%
Tract 9782.0140021978201	Welling (39%)	2,702	2,865±287	$54,708	$156,000	$718	19.0%
Tract 9782.0240021978202	Cookson (25%)	2,822	2,926±291	$51,389	$118,500	$777	14.0%
Tract 9783.0140021978301	Park Hill (31%)	3,116	3,231±457	$60,695	$174,000	$1,006	17.8%
Tract 9783.0240021978302	Park Hill (11%)	2,951	2,747±318	$57,804	$152,000	$841	21.9%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Cherokee County compare with Oklahoma's other counties?

Cherokee County's rank among Oklahoma's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	19th of 77
Growth 2020-2025	11th of 77
Residents per square mile	16th of 77
Median household income	56th of 77
Median home value	22nd of 77
Median gross rent	38th of 77
Poverty rate	28th of 77
Bachelor's degree or higher	13th of 77
Median age	63rd of 77

Every county in Oklahoma

Source: PlainCities ranks 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 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 County 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' school search.