All Countries
Cherokee, NC
Full City Profile · North Carolina · Swain County County
2.7
/5.0
C+
Fair
1,631
Population
135/sq mi density
$48,173
Median Income
$25,300 per capita
$192,700
Home Value
$325,379 Zillow
$799
Median Rent
19.9% income on rent
55°F
Avg Temperature
301 sunny days/yr
499
Violent Crime/100K
6,828 property/100K
C+
Overall
2.7 / 5.0
Fair overall score based on economy, affordability, safety and education
C+
Economy
2.8 / 5.0
$48,173 median income, 0.8% unemployment
A
Affordability
4.4 / 5.0
$192,700 home value, $799/mo rent
F
Safety
1.0 / 5.0
499 violent crimes/100K (31% above avg)
C+
Education
2.6 / 5.0
20.3% bachelor's degree or higher
Income Overview
Median Household Income
$48,173
36% below
US avg: $75,149
Per Capita Income
$25,300
35% below
US avg: $39,052
Unemployment Rate
0.8%
78% below
US avg: 3.6%
Poverty Rate
30.3%
144% above
US avg: 12.4%
Income Comparison: Cherokee vs. U.S. Average
Each bar shows Cherokee’s value as a percentage of the national average (100% line = U.S. avg)
Median Household
US: $75,149
$48,173
64%
Per Capita
US: $39,052
$25,300
65%
IRS Avg AGI
US: $72,000
$54,403
76%
Avg Weekly Wage
US: $1,432
$894
62%
Thin line = U.S. average (100%)
Employment & Commute
Avg Weekly Wage
$894
38% below US avg ($1,432)
Mean Commute Time
12 min
58% below US avg (28 min)
Work From Home
0.0%
100% below US avg (15.2%)
Drive Alone
93.4%
28% above US avg (73.2%)
Public Transit
0.0%
100% below US avg (5.0%)
County GDP
$916M
County-level GDP (BEA 2024)
How Residents Get to Work
Drive Alone
93.4%
Public Transit
0%
Work From Home
0%
Other
6.6%
Average commute time
12 minutes
US avg: 28 min
Business Landscape
Total Establishments
515
Restaurants
82
Healthcare
32
Retail
98
Manufacturing
9
Tax & Financial
IRS Avg Adjusted Gross Income
$54,403
24% below US avg ($72,000)
Avg Property Tax
$2,369
32% below US avg ($3,500)
Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below national average (100 = US avg)
Complete Economy Data
Income & Wages
| Median Household Income | $48,173 |
| Per Capita Income | $25,300 |
| IRS Avg Adjusted Gross Income | $54,403 |
| Avg Weekly Wage | $894 |
| County GDP | $916M |
Hardship Indicators
| Unemployment Rate | 0.8% |
| Poverty Rate | 30.3% |
| Gini Coefficient | 0.447 |
| Cost of Living Index | 94.3 |
Commute
| Mean Commute | 12 minutes |
| Drive Alone | 93.4% |
| Public Transit | 0.0% |
| Work From Home | 0.0% |
Businesses
| Total Establishments | 515 |
| Restaurants | 82 |
| Healthcare | 32 |
| Retail | 98 |
| Manufacturing | 9 |
Tax
| IRS Avg AGI | $54,403 |
| Avg Property Tax | $2,369 |