Cherokee County, Iowa Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Cherokee County, Iowa, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Cherokee County, Iowa. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Cherokee County, Iowa. The estimated population of Cherokee County, Iowa is 11,606 people, with a median age of 44.8.

We can look at the total population in Cherokee County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
11,606
+2.88%
+0.25%
2020
11,281
 -0.55% -
2019
11,343
 -1.09% -
2018
11,468
 -0.94% -
2017
11,577
 - -

Population of Cherokee County, Iowa by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
90.6%
94%
 -3.62%
Black/African American
1.4%
1%
 +40.00%
Native
0%
0.4%
 -100.00%
Hispanic
4.3%
3.4%
 +26.47%
Asian
0.4%
0.4%
 0.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
3.2%
0.9%
 +255.56%
Other
0.1%
0%
 0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Cherokee County, Iowa by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 44.8 -2.4% 43.4 +0.93% 45.7 -3.59%
2020 45.9 -0.86% 43 -2.49% 47.4 -1.04%
2019 46.3 -1.07% 44.1 -0.68% 47.9 -3.04%
2018 46.8 +1.08% 44.4 0% 49.4 +3.56%
2017 46.3 - 44.4 - 47.7 -

The median age of Cherokee County, Iowa gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 821 -19.51% 620 +3.44% 665 631
10 to 19 489 +67.21% 680 +15.7% 821 783
20 to 29 678 -36.12% 522 -0.93% 453 517
30 to 39 662 -10.34% 536 +3.46% 589 554
40 to 49 575 +42.7% 621 -5.42% 804 581
50 to 59 909 -14.26% 827 -6.68% 783 772
60 to 69 805 +11.75% 818 +11.52% 902 907
70+ 865 -1.46% 1,149 -14.16% 852 992

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Cherokee County, Iowa is $59,881.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Cherokee County.

  • Under 25
    $65,972.00
  • 25 to 44
    $73,411.00
  • 45 to 64
    $57,346.00
  • 65 and over
    $49,475.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Cherokee County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Cherokee County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Cherokee County, Iowa is currently $77,638.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

4.92% of households in Cherokee County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Cherokee County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    18.65%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    23.43%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    19.20%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    11.98%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    16.23%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    5.60%
  • $200,000 or more
    4.92%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Cherokee County is $34,489.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Cherokee County by the total population of Cherokee County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Cherokee County, Iowa, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Cherokee County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    7.16%
  • Bachelor's degree
    22.69%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    11.05%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    57.24%
  • Less than high school diploma
    1.87%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Cherokee County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Cherokee County over the age of 16 is 9,345.

Of those people, a total of 65.90% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Cherokee County is 64.00%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 639 38.70% 9.30%
20 to 24 years 415 88.40% 0.00%
25 to 29 years 555 94.60% 3.40%
30 to 34 years 615 91.40% 2.50%
35 to 44 years 1,350 95.30% 3.50%
45 to 54 years 1,198 91.90% 4.10%
55 to 59 years 920 90.10% 1.30%
60 to 64 years 925 74.60% 2.50%
65 to 74 years 1,421 30.50% 0.00%
75 years and over 1,307 8.60% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Cherokee County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 8,854 64.30% 2.80%
Black or African American 136 96.30% 6.10%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 0 0.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 18 100.00% 0.00%
Two or more races 337 92.00% 2.60%
Hispanic or Latino 317 66.90% 10.80%
Not Hispanic or Latino 8,686 64.80% 2.50%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Cherokee County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Cherokee County is 5,981, with median earnings of $37,645.00.

Women in Cherokee County, Iowa earning approximately 59.20% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 5,981 $37,645.00
Male 3,268 $46,534.00
Female 2,713 $27,534.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 786 $44,481.00
Business and Financial 70 $80,000.00
Computer and Mathematical 17 $110,139.00
Architecture and Engineering 42 $39,600.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 25 $0.00
Community and Social Service 84 $38,095.00
Legal 25 $92,768.00
Educational and Library 467 $49,345.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 72 $37,583.00
Healthcare Practitioners 439 $48,625.00
Healthcare Support 95 $28,750.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 8 $26,250.00
Law Enforcement 42 $36,875.00
Food Preparation and Serving 226 $9,531.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 265 $19,567.00
Personal Care and Service 160 $20,577.00
Sales 618 $27,958.00
Office and Administrative Support 601 $31,690.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 61 $51,618.00
Construction and Extraction 285 $47,929.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 343 $62,545.00
Production 318 $41,061.00
Transportation and Material Moving 199 $45,820.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 617 $48,625.00 169 $29,311.00
Business and Financial 52 $86,429.00 18 $46,250.00
Computer and Mathematical 17 $110,139.00 0 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 8 $81,875.00 34 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 0 $0.00 25 $0.00
Community and Social Service 49 $38,512.00 35 $33,250.00
Legal 22 $93,036.00 3 $0.00
Educational and Library 104 $61,121.00 363 $46,652.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 12 $6,000.00 60 $37,833.00
Healthcare Practitioners 68 $67,500.00 371 $38,750.00
Healthcare Support 9 $0.00 86 $28,750.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 5 $36,250.00 3 $0.00
Law Enforcement 36 $35,000.00 6 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 65 $4,063.00 161 $11,199.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 170 $35,793.00 95 $10,677.00
Personal Care and Service 22 $30,667.00 138 $19,643.00
Sales 261 $41,162.00 357 $14,698.00
Office and Administrative Support 120 $42,955.00 481 $31,305.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 54 $52,132.00 7 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 285 $47,929.00 0 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 322 $63,482.00 21 $0.00
Production 232 $50,259.00 86 $27,500.00
Transportation and Material Moving 178 $46,641.00 21 $0.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 5,126 households in Cherokee County, with an average household size of 2.18 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 3,003 families in Cherokee County with an average family size of 2.85 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 2,477 180 346 2,123
Average Household Size 2.88 3.18 2.94 1.14
Total Families 2,477 180 346 0
Average Household Size 2.88 2.83 2.63 0

Poverty

Of the 3,003 families in Cherokee County, 6.10% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Cherokee County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 5,583 housing units in Cherokee County, Iowa.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 5,126 91.81%
Vacant 457 8.19%

19.22% of the total 5,583 housing units in Cherokee County are rental units. This is approximately 1,073 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 3,846 are occupied by the owner - or 68.89% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Cherokee County is $544.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Cherokee County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    207
  • Less than $500
    376
  • $500 to $999
    581
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    103
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    0
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    13

Property Value

The median value of a property in Cherokee County is $120,800.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Cherokee County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    475
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,185
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    590
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    662
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    619
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    246
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    69
  • $1,000,000 or more
    0

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Cherokee County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Cherokee County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    2,074
  • 1940 to 1949
    421
  • 1950 to 1959
    682
  • 1960 to 1969
    812
  • 1970 to 1979
    787
  • 1980 to 1989
    221
  • 1990 to 1999
    263
  • 2000 to 2009
    178
  • 2010 to 2013
    145
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Cherokee County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    416
  • 1 vehicle available
    1,291
  • 2 vehicles available
    1,925
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    1,494

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Cherokee County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Cherokee County that commute to work in a particular way.

18.7 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Cherokee County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    914
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    1,209
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    881
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    674
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    511
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    174
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    406
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    22
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    120
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    173
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    105
  • 90 or more minutes
    161

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Cherokee County, Iowa in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Cherokee County, Iowa

We have data for 21 places in Cherokee County, Iowa. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.