Cherokee County, Alabama
Among the top 17% of US counties for affordability.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade B+, better than 83% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade B+, better than 77% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade F, better than 6% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade D, better than 13% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade D, better than 15% of US counties
- top 5% for property tax rate
- top 7% for cost of living
- bottom 7% for violent crime
Cherokee County is a county in Alabama with about 25,000 residents. It grades B+ for affordability and F for safety & wellbeing. Standout strengths include property tax rate, cost of living, and annual snowfall. It rates lower on walkability and violent crime.
- The median home value in Cherokee County is $159k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Cherokee County is $47k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Cherokee County is $700 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Cherokee County has a violent crime rate of 1979/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Cherokee County is 30 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Cool winters · Wet
cold
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warm
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76%56%clearovercast
Precipitation 5.4 in4.1 in
muggy 92%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$47k14th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$41kbetter than 93% of US counties
Home Value$159k50th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$700better than 79% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$8kbetter than 48% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.38%better than 95% of US counties
Income Tax5.00%better than 46% of US counties
Sales Tax9.29%better than 10% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden9.35%better than 52% of US counties
Unemployment4.0%better than 65% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)41°F68th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)78°F52nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation57.5 in92nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.4 inbetter than 84% of US counties
Sunny Days249 daysbetter than 63% of US counties
Summer Humidity69°Fbetter than 26% of US counties
Comfortable Days82 daysbetter than 57% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk63.3better than 36% of US counties
School Quality43.8better than 24% of US counties
Violent Crime1979/100kbetter than 7% of US counties
Property Crime2110/100kbetter than 12% of US counties
Community
Population25,06949th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age46.886th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.1630th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9619th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+7395th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)90.7%74th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)4.0%62nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)1.9%15th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.1%14th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.3%46th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time30 minbetter than 17% of US counties
Walkability4.3/20better than 7% of US counties
Airport Distance80 mibetter than 61% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access77.8%better than 23% of US counties
Amenities Nearby1.20better than 39% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 25% of US counties
Data sources
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Frequently asked questions
- Is Cherokee County an affordable place to live?
- Cherokee County is relatively affordable. Its cost-of-living index is $41k, better than 93% of comparable areas. Median rent is $700.
- Is Cherokee County safe?
- Cherokee County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1979/100k (better than 7%). Property crime is 2110/100k.
- What is the weather like in Cherokee County?
- Cherokee County averages 78°F in July and 41°F in January, with 57.5 in of annual precipitation and about 249 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Cherokee County?
- Public-school quality in Cherokee County is below average, scoring better than 24% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Cherokee County?
- The average one-way commute in Cherokee County is 30 min.