| County: | Cherokee County |
| State: | Iowa |
| Founded Year: | 1851 |
| Seat Wl: | Cherokee |
| Largest City Wl: | Cherokee |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 577 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 577 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.2 |
| Area Percentage: | 0.03 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 11658 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Time Zone: | Central |
| Web: | https://www.cherokeecounty.iowa.gov/ |
| District: | 4th |
| Ex Image: | Cherokee County Courthouse (Iowa).JPG |
| Ex Image Cap: | Cherokee County Courthouse, July 2014 |
Cherokee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,658.[1] The county seat is Cherokee.[2] The county was formed on January 15, 1851, from open territory. It was named after the Cherokee people.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (0.03%) is water.[3]
The 2020 census recorded a population of 11,658 in the county, with a population density of . 96.59% of the population reported being of one race. 88.36% were non-Hispanic White, 0.75% were Black, 4.55% were Hispanic, 0.28% were Native American, 0.49% were Asian, 0.12% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 5.46% were some other race or more than one race. There were 5,558 housing units of which 5,008 were occupied.[1]
The 2010 census recorded a population of 12,072 in the county, with a population density of . There were 5,777 housing units, of which 5,207 were occupied.[4]
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 13,035 people, 5,378 households, and 3,597 families residing in the county. The population density was 23/mi2. There were 5,850 housing units at an average density of 10/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 98.33% White, 0.31% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.37% from other races, and 0.40% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,378 households, out of which 29.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 6.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.10% were non-families. 29.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.60% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 24.00% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 20.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,142, and the median income for a family was $42,897. Males had a median income of $29,612 versus $21,181 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,934. About 5.50% of families and 7.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.70% of those under age 18 and 5.70% of those age 65 or over.
Cherokee County is divided into sixteen townships:
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Cherokee County.[1]
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | † Cherokee | City | 5,199 | |
| 2 | Marcus | City | 1,079 | |
| 3 | Aurelia | City | 968 | |
| 4 | Quimby | City | 249 | |
| 5 | Washta | City | 209 | |
| 6 | Cleghorn | City | 240 | |
| 7 | Meriden | City | 161 | |
| 8 | Larrabee | City | 123 |