Cherokee County, Texas Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Cherokee County is located in Texas with a total population of 51,143. It is the 68th most populous county out of 254 in Texas. The county encompasses 8 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Cherokee County is 38.2 years. This is 8% higher than the state median of 35.5 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Cherokee County is $59,830. This is 22% lower than the state median of $76,292. It is also 24% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 17.9%. This is 30% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 6.2%. This is 20% higher than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $160,300. Housing costs are 38% lower than the state median of $260,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.7x, Cherokee County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 72.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 16% higher than the state average of 62.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Cherokee County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 58.8% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 23.7%. The Asian population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 5.3%.

Education

18.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 44% lower than the state rate of 33.1%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 80.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Cherokee County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Texas 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.