Editing Cherokee County, North Carolina (section)

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1840 = 3427
| 1850 = 6838
| 1860 = 9166
| 1870 = 8080
| 1880 = 8182
| 1890 = 9976
| 1900 = 11860
| 1910 = 14136
| 1920 = 15242
| 1930 = 16151
| 1940 = 18813
| 1950 = 18294
| 1960 = 16335
| 1970 = 16330
| 1980 = 18933
| 1990 = 20170
| 2000 = 24298
| 2010 = 27444
| 2020 = 28774
| estyear=2023
| estimate=29959
| estref =<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts"/>
| align-fn=center
| footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 13, 2015}}</ref><br />1790–1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=January 13, 2015|archive-date=August 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811110448/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|url-status=dead}}</ref> 1900–1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/nc190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=January 13, 2015}}</ref><br />1990–2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=January 13, 2015}}</ref> 2010<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37/37039.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 18, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805235140/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37/37039.html|archive-date=August 5, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> 2020<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/cherokeecountynorthcarolina|title=QuickFacts: Cherokee County, North Carolina|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 21, 2024}}</ref>
}}As of 2024, Cherokee County has the second-oldest population of any county in North Carolina. The county's median age is 52.2, just behind [[Brunswick County, North Carolina|Brunswick County]]. Ten percent of Cherokee County residents are veterans; the county has the highest concentration of veterans in the state after counties with significant military and naval facilities.<ref name=":2" /> Cherokee County ranks second in the state for residents age 16-24 who are neither in school nor employed.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Foster |first=Randy |date=2024-09-11 |title=Needs of schools daunting |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-newsletter/needs-schools-daunting |access-date=2024-09-21 |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |pages=1A, 9A}}</ref> The county's homeless population was about 200 as of 2025.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Foster |first=Randy |date=2025-02-26 |title=Homeless county shows a slight decline in last year |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |page=9A}}</ref>

As of 2024, Cherokee County has the third-lowest per capita income in the state: $40,021. One-fourth of its children live in poverty.<ref name=":4" /> As of 2025, the county's median worker income is $36,400 and the median household income is $51,500.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=David |date=2025-04-02 |title=A way from all numbers |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |page=4A}}</ref> According to North Carolina's 2025 Economic County Snapshots, Cherokee County's unemployment rate is 3.5 percent, 15 percent of residents have no kind of health inusrance, and the average life expectacy is 75. Ninety-three percent of Cherokee County's students graduate from high school on time and 24 percent go on to complete a college degree.<ref name=":5" />

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Cherokee County, North Carolina – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Cherokee County, North Carolina |url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=050XX00US37039&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Cherokee County, North Carolina |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US37039&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Cherokee County, North Carolina |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US37039&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|22,875
|23,341
|style='background: #ffffe6; |25,366
|94.14%
|92.34%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |88.16%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|382
|327
|style='background: #ffffe6; |373
|1.57%
|1.19%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.30%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|394
|336
|style='background: #ffffe6; |417
|1.62%
|1.22%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.45%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|68
|131
|style='background: #ffffe6; |158
|0.28%
|0.48%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.55%
|-
|[[Native Hawaiian]] or [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|3
|8
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0
|0.01%
|0.03%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other Race]] alone (NH)
|2
|3
|style='background: #ffffe6; |66
|0.01%
|0.01%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.23%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|271
|610
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,495
|1.12%
|2.22%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5.20%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|303
|688
|style='background: #ffffe6; |899
|1.25%
|2.51%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.12%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''24,298'''
|'''27,444'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''28,774'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 28,774 people, 12,471 households, and 8,465 families residing in the county.

===2000 census===
At the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]],<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> there were 24,298 people, 10,336 households, and 7,369 families residing in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|53|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people}}. There were 13,499 housing units at an average density of {{convert|30|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 94.82% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 1.59% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 1.63% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.28% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.01% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.45% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.21% from two or more races. 1.25% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race. 34.3% were of [[United States|American]], 10.8% [[Irish people|Irish]], 10.6% [[German people|German]] and 10.3% [[English people|English]] ancestry according to [[Census 2000]]. 97.7% spoke [[English language|English]] and 1.2% [[Spanish language|Spanish]] as their first language.

There were 10,336 households, out of which 25.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.80% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.60% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 24.40% from 25 to 44, 28.80% from 45 to 64, and 19.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,992, and the median income for a family was $33,768. Males had a median income of $26,127 versus $18,908 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $15,814. About 11.70% of families and 15.30% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 19.20% of those under age 18 and 18.00% of those age 65 or over.