Cherokee County, South Carolina Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Cherokee County is located in South Carolina with a total population of 56,647. It is the 24th most populous county out of 46 in South Carolina. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Cherokee County is 40.4 years. This is about the same as the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Cherokee County is $50,288. This is 27% lower than the state median of $69,324. It is also 38% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 18.4%. This is 31% higher than the state poverty rate of 14.1%. The unemployment rate is 6.3%. This is 28% higher than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $142,000. Housing costs are 45% lower than the state median of $259,000. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.8x, Cherokee County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 73.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% higher than the state average of 71.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Cherokee County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 69.7% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 18.7%. The Asian population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 1.8%.

Education

18.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 43% lower than the state rate of 32.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 85.2%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Cherokee County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against South Carolina and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.