Cherokee County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.3 | 29,959 people · 49th most distressed in North Carolina
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Cherokee County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.3 — 1120th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within North Carolina, it ranks 49th of 100 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cherokee County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 76.5 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 76.5
Uninsured Rate 88
Disability Rate 66
Income & Poverty 70.7
Poverty Rate 59
Income vs. State Median 75
Child Poverty Rate 78
Debt & Delinquency 55.1
Debt in Collections 52
Medical Debt 74
Student Loan Delinquency 96
Auto Loan Delinquency 53
Credit Card Delinquency 42
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 13
Employment & Wages 41.9
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 47
Business Formation Rate 37
Housing Cost Burden 37.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 59
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 29
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 46
Homeownership Rate 6
Rent-to-Income Ratio 48

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Cherokee County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cherokee County
Cherokee County, NC 56.3 Elevated —
Polk County, TN 66.3 Serious +10.0
Monroe County, TN 62.7 Elevated +6.4
Graham County, NC 59.6 Elevated +3.3
Clay County, NC 57.5 Elevated +1.2
Macon County, NC 52.9 Elevated -3.4
Fannin County, GA 52.4 Elevated -4.0
Union County, GA 45.7 Normal -10.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cherokee County
Crenshaw County, AL 56.4 Elevated +0.0
Macon County, TN 56.3 Elevated -0.0
Nicholas County, WV 56.4 Elevated +0.0
Scott County, MO 56.3 Elevated -0.1
Jasper County, GA 56.4 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Cherokee County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Cherokee County

Find an Attorney

North Carolina State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

North Carolina State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-662-7407

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Cherokee County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of North Carolina 1-866-219-5262
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy 704-376-1600
NC Equal Access to Justice Commission
Duke Law School Community Enterprise Clinic

Self-Help Resources

NC Courts Self-Help Resources — Foreclosure Official NC court system resources for foreclosure proceedings and borrower rights
NCHFA Homeowner Resources Assistance programs, counselor referrals, and HAF information

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in North Carolina →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Cherokee County, North Carolina?

    Cherokee County has a County Distress Index score of 56.3 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,120th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 49th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cherokee County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cherokee County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 76.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Cherokee County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cherokee County (56.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Polk County, TN (66.3); Monroe County, TN (62.7); Graham County, NC (59.6).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Cherokee County?

    Cherokee County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 29,959 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.