How many people live in Cherokee County, OK?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 48,700 people living in Cherokee County, OK. That makes Cherokee County the 19th-most populous county in Oklahoma. It is home to 1.2% of people living in the state.
48.7K
population of Cherokee County, OK (2024)
1.2%
County share of the Oklahoma population (2024)
About 48,700 people lived in Cherokee County, OK in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Cherokee County, OK’s age demographics?
About 8,900 Cherokee County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 18.3% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 17% of Oklahoma’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 10,200 Cherokee County residents, or 21% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 23.7% of Oklahoma’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Cherokee County, OK's population is aged 18–24 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Cherokee County, OK’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native residents make up 33.7% of the Cherokee County, OK population, higher than the national share of 0.72%. Cherokee County, OK also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic two or more races (9.5%) than the US overall (2.5%).
In contrast, Cherokee County’s non-Hispanic white population accounts for 45.5%, below the 57.5% nationwide, and the Hispanic population makes up 8.7% of the county, compared with 20% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Cherokee County, OK has a higher share of a non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native population than Oklahoma as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Cherokee County, OK is Tahlequah with about 17,300 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Cherokee County, OK ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Tahlequah | 17,319 |
| 2. | Hulbert | 493 |
| 3. | Fort Gibson (pt.) | 12 |
| 4. | Oaks (pt.) | |
| 5. | Balance of Cherokee County | 30,905 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
