Population 5,821 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Cherokee: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Cherokee
Household size in Cherokee
| Period | Cherokee | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.12 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.03 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.06 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.24 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.12 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Cherokee is a place of small households, averaging 2.24 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has climbed from 2.12 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the east and smallest in the west.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Cherokee
| Period | Cherokee | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.5 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.5 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.3 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.2 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −4.3 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Cherokee skews older than the country: its median age is 43.2, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has dropped from 47.5 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the southeast and oldest in the west.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Cherokee
| Period | Cherokee | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.3% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.1% of households in Cherokee, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged up 0.7 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Cherokee has a lower share of single-parent households than the great majority of Iowa cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Cherokee
Renters in Cherokee
| Period | Cherokee | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.6% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.6% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.2% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 31.4% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over three in ten households in Cherokee rent their homes (31.4%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Still, renters make up a bigger share here than in Iowa as a whole (28.3%). More than four in ten owners (43.4%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged up 0.9 points, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Cherokee
| Period | Cherokee | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.6% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Cherokee: 7.6% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. That is in line with the rest of Iowa. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged down 0.8 points, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Cherokee
| Period | Cherokee | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1955 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1955 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1952 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +6 | +6 |
Cherokee is a place of older homes: half were built before 1962, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1955 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Cherokee
| Period | Cherokee | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $476 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $546 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $604 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $761 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$285 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Cherokee runs $761 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $285 a month from 2006–10, a 60% jump, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 35.2% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the north.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Cherokee
Bachelor's degrees in Cherokee
| Period | Cherokee | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.4% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.9% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.6% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.7% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a quarter of adults 25 and older in Cherokee (26.7%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 8.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the northeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Cherokee
| Period | Cherokee | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.4% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.7% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.9% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.5% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Cherokee have finished high school (92.5%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Iowa. Compared with other Iowa cities, though, Cherokee has a lower share of high school graduates than most.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Cherokee
| Period | Cherokee | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.6% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.6% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.7% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Cherokee has been low: just 2.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Cherokee compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee | 2.24 | 43.2 | 7.1% | 31.4% | 7.6% | 1962 | $761 | 26.7% | 92.5% | 2.7% |
| Meriden | 2.02 | 53.3 | 6.2% | 20.8% | 9.8% | 1945 | $892 | 14.9% | 96.8% | 1.5% |
| Aurelia | 2.31 | 47.2 | 5.9% | 13.6% | 16.7% | 1957 | $825 | 28.3% | 96.2% | 2.1% |
| Larrabee | 2.47 | 40.1 | 12.3% | 29.4% | 11.9% | 1943 | $1,025 | 17.0% | 97.0% | 1.7% |
| Cleghorn | 2.29 | 45.3 | 5.4% | 16.0% | 4.8% | 1950 | $722 | 19.5% | 96.0% | 3.0% |
| Quimby | 2.16 | 45.8 | 12.8% | 20.7% | 12.6% | 1945 | $612 | 17.7% | 94.1% | 3.1% |
| Calumet | 2.36 | 49.5 | 2.9% | 14.0% | 5.0% | 1950 | $670 | 22.6% | 96.0% | 0.3% |
| Marcus | 2.37 | 46.0 | 4.4% | 16.4% | 8.5% | 1954 | $620 | 22.9% | 88.7% | 2.3% |
| Alta | 2.79 | 38.0 | 11.7% | 22.5% | 9.4% | 1966 | $960 | 26.8% | 88.5% | 13.3% |
| Washta | 2.37 | 50.2 | 3.7% | 14.5% | 8.7% | 1946 | $503 | 21.1% | 93.7% | 3.1% |
| Peterson | 2.20 | 47.1 | 3.0% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 1954 | $924 | 30.0% | 96.9% | 0.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Kildeer, IL · Imperial, PA · Indian River Estates, FL · Indian Springs, NV · Iowa Colony, TX · Jasper, TN · Jay, OK · Jones, OK · Jonesboro, LA · Kanab, UT
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Cherokee. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.