Cherokee County, Kansas: commercial real estate data.
Cherokee County, Kansas had an estimated 19,133 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 19,358, across 588 square miles. County output reached $1.09 bn in 2024, 325 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $1.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Cherokee County
How many people live in Cherokee County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202419,151
- Households7,887
- Average household size2.43
- Median household income$57,668
- Median age42.2
- Median gross rent$799 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$100,100
- Home value to household income1.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,325
- Population under 184,356
- Share under 1822.7 percent
- Population 65 and over3,877
- Share 65 and over20.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,918
- Civilian labor force9,238
- Unemployment rate3.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.4 percent
- Rank by population among Kansas counties28th of 105
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1930th of 3,222
Cherokee County is the 28th largest of 105 Kansas counties by population. A median home costs 1.7 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.7 percent against 20.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cherokee County
Is Cherokee County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202419,133
- Census 2020 base population19,358
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.16 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202438
- Births, 2024129
- Deaths, 2024285
- Natural change, 2024-156
- Net domestic migration, 2024198
- Net international migration, 2024-2
- Total net migration, 2024196
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024356
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2250th of 3,144
The county has lost 1.16 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Cherokee County
Where are people moving to Cherokee County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving495
- People arriving, from those returns975
- Tax returns filed by households leaving522
- Net household movement-27
- Adjusted gross income arriving$22.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$2.1 m
- Average income of an arriving household$46,046
- Average income of a leaving household$39,613
- Largest single originJasper County (123 households)
- Largest single destinationJasper County (143 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jasper County | 123 | 252 | $4.5 m |
| Crawford County | 58 | 125 | $2.7 m |
| Newton County | 38 | 65 | $1.5 m |
| Ottawa County | 36 | 74 | $1.4 m |
| Labette County | 24 | 60 | $1.1 m |
Households arriving report $6,433 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Jasper County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Cherokee County
What is the Cherokee County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.09 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.06 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.6 percent
- GDP change over five years26.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kansas areas BEA publishes26th of 105
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1767th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$57,000
Output grew 2.6 percent in the latest year and 26.3 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Cherokee County
Employment by industry in Cherokee County
- Covered employment, annual average5,829
- Establishments reporting416
- Average annual pay$56,667
- Average weekly wage$1,090
- Manufacturing, employment1,642
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$59,327
- Health care and social assistance, employment576
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$70,933
- Construction, employment537
- Construction, average annual pay$86,191
- Retail trade, employment406
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,504
- Wholesale trade, employment257
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment216
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,642 | 33 | $59,327 |
| Health care and social assistance | 576 | 35 | $70,933 |
| Construction | 537 | 22 | $86,191 |
| Retail trade | 406 | 48 | $31,504 |
| Wholesale trade | 257 | 20 | $72,094 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 216 | 32 | $58,109 |
| Finance and insurance | 137 | 23 | $45,062 |
| Other services, except public administration | 53 | 25 | $44,969 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,642 jobs, 28.2 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Cherokee County
How many businesses are in Cherokee County?
- Establishments, all industries325
- Employment at those establishments4,974
- Annual payroll$299.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Cherokee County
Building permits in Cherokee County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202414
- Declared construction value permitted$2.1 m
- Single family units authorized14
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$151,429
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.8
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cherokee County
SBA loans in Cherokee County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$207,200
- Median 7(a) approval$125,450
- Largest single approval$675,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)30
- Jobs per approval5.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term102 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals16.7 percent
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$547,000
- Average 504 approval$547,000
- Median 504 approval$547,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval20.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved36.6
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$1.8 m
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cherokee County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Cherokee County
Do SBA loans in Cherokee County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
Only 1 loan has reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cherokee County
SBA lending by place in Cherokee County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Baxter Springs, approvals2
- Columbus, approvals2
- Galena, approvals2
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Baxter Springs | 2 | $835,900 |
| Columbus | 2 | $249,200 |
| Galena | 2 | $158,100 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cherokee County
How large is Cherokee County?
- Land area588 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kansas counties85th of 105
- Width, east to west25.2 mi
- Height, north to south23.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land33
- Establishments per square mile0.55
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Cherokee County
Flood risk in Cherokee County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Cherokee County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 200044
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book8
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate87.5 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Cherokee County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Cherokee County (community 200044), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Cherokee County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 87.5 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Cherokee County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Cherokee County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202419,151
- Households7,887
- Average household size2.43
- Median household income$57,668
- Median age42.2
Common questions
Cherokee County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cherokee County, Kansas?
The Census Bureau estimates 19,133 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 19,151, in 7,887 households, ranking 28th of 105 Kansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cherokee County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.16 percent since the 2020 census base of 19,358, to 19,133 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 129 births against 285 deaths, with net migration of 196. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cherokee County?
$57,668. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $100,100, which is 1.7 times income, and median gross rent is $799 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Cherokee County?
325 establishments, employing 4,974 people with an annual payroll of $299.6 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Cherokee County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 1,642 jobs, 28.2 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 5,829 jobs at an average annual pay of $56,667, or $1,090 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cherokee County?
6 7(a) approvals totaling $1.2 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $125,450, plus 1 504 approvals worth $547,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Cherokee County?
14 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cherokee County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Cherokee County come from?
The largest single origin is Jasper County, with 123 households. Arriving households report an average income of $46,046 against $39,613 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Cherokee County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Cherokee County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Cherokee County
Cities and places in Cherokee.
11 Census places lie wholly or partly in Cherokee County. All 11 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter Springs | city | 3,855 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Columbus | city | 2,881 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Galena | city | 2,754 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Weir | city | 855 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Riverton | CDP | 769 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Scammon | city | 371 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lowell | CDP | 278 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| West Mineral | city | 154 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Crestline | CDP | 139 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Roseland | city | 63 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hallowell | CDP | 39 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |