Cherokee County, Oklahoma: commercial real estate data.
Cherokee County, Oklahoma has a population of 47,942 across 749 square miles, up 3.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.93 bn in 2024, 767 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 18 7(a) approvals worth $12.1 m.
119 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Cherokee County
How many people live in Cherokee County
- Population47,942
- Households18,698
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$53,218
- Median age37.3
- Median gross rent$831 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$168,500
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher29.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over30,907
- Population under 1810,159
- Share under 1821.2 percent
- Population 65 and over8,527
- Share 65 and over17.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6429,256
- Civilian labor force21,987
- Unemployment rate5.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.2 percent
- Rank by population among Oklahoma counties19th of 77
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1040th
Cherokee County is the 19th largest of 77 Oklahoma counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.2 percent against 17.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cherokee County
Is Cherokee County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.52 percent
- Census 2020 base population47,074
- Births, 2024524
- Deaths, 2024604
- Natural change, 2024-80
- Net domestic migration, 2024568
- Net international migration, 202467
- Total net migration, 2024635
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,844
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents772nd
The county has grown 3.52 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Cherokee County
Where people moving to Cherokee County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,207
- People arriving, from those returns2,274
- Adjusted gross income arriving$58.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$48,569
- Largest single originCherokee County Non-migrants (14,414 households)
- Largest single destination (14,414 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County Non-migrants | 14,414 | 30,868 | $849.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 462 | 881 | $25.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 201 | 378 | $11.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 167 | 311 | $6.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 131 | 257 | $7.9 m |
| Tulsa County | 118 | 185 | $6.6 m |
| Muskogee County | 114 | 217 | $5.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 108 | 204 | $5.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Cherokee County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Cherokee County
What the Cherokee County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.93 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.80 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.4 percent
- GDP change over five years37.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among Oklahoma counties26th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1313th
- GDP per resident$40,238
Output grew 7.4 percent in the latest year and 37.3 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Cherokee County
Who employs people in Cherokee County
- Covered employment, annual average17,947
- Establishments reporting921
- Average annual pay$49,123
- Average weekly wage$945
- Sector 44-45, employment1,703
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,641
- Sector 72, employment1,467
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,129
- Sector 62, employment1,206
- Sector 62, average annual pay$43,901
- Sector 23, employment360
- Sector 23, average annual pay$48,196
- Sector 53, employment348
- Sector 52, employment313
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 1,703 | 136 | $30,641 |
| Sector 72 | 1,467 | 92 | $19,129 |
| Sector 62 | 1,206 | 116 | $43,901 |
| Sector 23 | 360 | 83 | $48,196 |
| Sector 53 | 348 | 40 | $37,833 |
| Sector 52 | 313 | 54 | $58,328 |
| Sector 31-33 | 272 | 29 | $52,393 |
| Sector 54 | 213 | 84 | $50,591 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,703 jobs, 9.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Cherokee County
What businesses operate in Cherokee County
- Establishments, all industries767
- Employment at those establishments8,864
- Annual payroll$374.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents16.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Cherokee County
What is being built in Cherokee County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202448
- Declared construction value permitted$7.5 m
- Single family units authorised32
- Multifamily units authorised16
- Multifamily share of units33.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$157,229
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.6
Multifamily is 33.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cherokee County
How much SBA lending happens in Cherokee County
- 7(a) approvals recorded18
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$12.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$673,078
- Median 7(a) approval$486,000
- 10th percentile approval$23,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,710,000
- Largest single approval$3,155,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)165
- Jobs per approval9.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals16
- Median 7(a) term210 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer44.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms8
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter9
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (2)
- Most active lenderArvest Bank (5)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.7 m
- Average 504 approval$467,125
- Median 504 approval$360,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval9.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved21.1
- Most active CDCTulsa Economic Development Corporation (4)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals69.2 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$15.9 m
The average approval of $673,078 sits close to the median of $486,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 44.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cherokee County
Do SBA loans in Cherokee County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded6
- Paid in full5
- Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure11
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Paid in full5
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 6 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cherokee County
Which parts of Cherokee County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- Tahlequah, approvals14
- Hulbert, approvals2
- Cookson, approvals1
- LOCUST GROVE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Tahlequah | 14 | $10,869,700 |
| Hulbert | 2 | $363,700 |
| Cookson | 1 | $532,000 |
| LOCUST GROVE | 1 | $350,000 |
Tahlequah accounts for 14 approvals against 2 in Hulbert. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cherokee County
How big is Cherokee County
- Land area749 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Oklahoma counties45th of 77
- Width, east to west27 mi
- Height, north to south36.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land64
- Establishments per square mile1.02
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Cherokee County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Cherokee County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population47,942
- Households18,698
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$53,218
- Median age37.3
Common questions
Cherokee County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cherokee County, Oklahoma?
47,942, in 18,698 households, ranking 19th of 77 Oklahoma counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cherokee County growing?
The population has grown 3.52 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 524 births against 604 deaths, with net migration of 635. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cherokee County?
$53,218. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $168,500, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $831 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Cherokee County?
767 establishments, employing 8,864 people with an annual payroll of $374.5 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Cherokee County?
Average annual pay is $49,123, or $945 a week, across 17,947 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cherokee County?
18 7(a) approvals totalling $12.1 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $486,000, plus 8 504 approvals worth $3.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Cherokee County?
48 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.5 m. Multifamily was 33.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cherokee County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Cherokee County come from?
The largest single origin is Cherokee County Non-migrants, with 14,414 households. Arriving households report an average income of $48,569 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Cherokee County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Cherokee County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.