HomeNorth CarolinaCherokee County
Cherokee County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Cherokee County, North Carolina had an estimated 30,373 residents on July 1, 2024, up 5.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 28,774, across 455 square miles. County output reached $1.18 bn in 2024, 649 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 14 7(a) approvals worth $14.7 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 2020-202429,562
- Households13,241
- Average household size2.23
- Median household income$53,628
- Median age53.5
- Median gross rent$813 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$232,300
- Home value to household income4.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over23,155
- Population under 184,716
- Share under 1816.0 percent
- Population 65 and over9,303
- Share 65 and over31.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6415,543
- Civilian labor force12,546
- Unemployment rate4.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over50.5 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties72nd of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1488th of 3,222
Cherokee County is the 72nd largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 4.3 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 31.5 percent against 16.0 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cherokee County
Is Cherokee County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202430,373
- Census 2020 base population28,774
- Population change since the 2020 census base5.56 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024421
- Births, 2024313
- Deaths, 2024435
- Natural change, 2024-122
- Net domestic migration, 2024550
- Net international migration, 2024-8
- Total net migration, 2024542
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,363
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents467th of 3,144
The county has grown 5.56 percent 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 arriving983
- People arriving, from those returns1,708
- Tax returns filed by households leaving662
- Net household movement321
- Adjusted gross income arriving$68.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$33.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$69,738
- Average income of a leaving household$53,036
- Largest single originClay County (69 households)
- Largest single destinationClay County (54 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 69 | 119 | $2.5 m |
| Fannin County | 31 | 47 | $1.0 m |
| Union County | 28 | 52 | $935,000 |
| Lee County | 22 | 37 | $1.3 m |
| Manatee County | 22 | 36 | $2.2 m |
| Hillsborough County | 21 | 33 | $2.1 m |
| Graham County | 20 | 38 | $656,000 |
Households arriving report $16,702 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 Clay 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$1.18 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.11 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.1 percent
- GDP change over five years36.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Carolina areas BEA publishes72nd of 100
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1704th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$40,039
Output grew 7.1 percent in the latest year and 36.9 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 average7,976
- Establishments reporting929
- Average annual pay$45,626
- Average weekly wage$877
- Retail trade, employment1,441
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,384
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,003
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$23,750
- Manufacturing, employment667
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$53,653
- Construction, employment444
- Construction, average annual pay$51,712
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment426
- Other services, except public administration, employment231
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,441 | 114 | $31,384 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,003 | 90 | $23,750 |
| Manufacturing | 667 | 28 | $53,653 |
| Construction | 444 | 123 | $51,712 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 426 | 98 | $58,336 |
| Other services, except public administration | 231 | 89 | $28,606 |
| Finance and insurance | 174 | 50 | $63,608 |
| Wholesale trade | 154 | 25 | $78,786 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,441 jobs, 18.1 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 industries649
- Employment at those establishments7,678
- Annual payroll$303.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.0
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, 2024232
- Declared construction value permitted$63.0 m
- Single family units authorized232
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$271,546
- Units authorized per 1,000 households17.5
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 recorded14
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$14.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,047,921
- Median 7(a) approval$1,060,800
- Largest single approval$3,625,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)142
- Jobs per approval10.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active10
- Distinct industries receiving approvals10
- Median 7(a) term150 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer42.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter7
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals14.3 percent
- Most active lenderUnited Community Bank (3)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 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 recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
Only 3 loans have 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 lending2
- Murphy, approvals11
- Andrews, approvals3
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Murphy | 11 | $13,073,900 |
| Andrews | 3 | $1,597,000 |
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 area455 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties52nd of 100
- Width, east to west35 mi
- Height, north to south21 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land65
- Establishments per square mile1.43
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 370059
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 10
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 10
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Cherokee County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Cherokee County (community 370059), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 10, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Cherokee County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 10, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 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 2020-202429,562
- Households13,241
- Average household size2.23
- Median household income$53,628
- Median age53.5
Common questions
Cherokee County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cherokee County, North Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 30,373 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 29,562, in 13,241 households, ranking 72nd of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cherokee County's population growing?
The population has grown 5.56 percent since the 2020 census base of 28,774, to 30,373 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 313 births against 435 deaths, with net migration of 542. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cherokee County?
$53,628. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $232,300, which is 4.3 times income, and median gross rent is $813 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Cherokee County?
649 establishments, employing 7,678 people with an annual payroll of $303.0 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?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,441 jobs, 18.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 7,976 jobs at an average annual pay of $45,626, or $877 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?
14 7(a) approvals totaling $14.7 m since FY2020, across 10 lenders, with a median approval of $1,060,800. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Cherokee County?
232 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $63.0 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 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Clay County, with 69 households. Arriving households report an average income of $69,738 against $53,036 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.
3 Census places lie wholly or partly in Cherokee County. All 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrews | town | 1,998 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Murphy | town | 1,604 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Marble | CDP | 472 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |