Cherokee County GIS Maps
Cherokee County, Iowa, has 11,658 residents and covers 576.9 square miles. The population declined 3.4% between the 2010 and 2020 census. More residents left than arrived over that decade. The FIPS code for Cherokee County is 19035.
Cherokee is the county's largest population center. Cherokee County also includes 8 zip codes, 7 public school districts and 32 municipalities. Those boundaries help explain why population, schools, and housing can look different from one part of the county to another. The map below shows how those county lines, zip codes, and school districts fit together, and the sections that follow use that same geography to show population, demographics, school enrollment and housing patterns in more detail.
Maps, GIS layers and sample data. Paid packages add full layers, analytics and database files.
Cherokee County Trends
- Population
- 11,658▾
- Median Home Value
- $145,100▾
- K-12 Enrollment
- 4,193▾
County analytics dashboards with historical trends & projections included in package downloads.
Free starter access previews county maps, lightweight GIS, and sample data. Paid packages unlock full GIS layers, analytics, and database files.
Cherokee County Maps
The maps below show a few of the county map styles included in our downloads. County packages include map exports in JPEG, PNG, SVG, PDF and GeoTIFF formats plus more than 20 GIS layers for mapping, research and analysis. Available layers include zip codes, area codes, subdivisions, school districts, political boundaries, roads, water features, points of interest and more.
County packages also include historical county demographics, business intelligence, analytical dashboards, AI-ready prompts, markdown files and related reference data. Everything is organized to save hours of manual work collecting current data, cleaning it and joining it together. That makes it easier to move faster on analytics, due diligence, business planning and location research. Paid packages are built for commercial use, but some package contents include source-specific attribution or notice guidance. Review Licensing & Data Source Notices.
Cherokee County Population
Cherokee County had 11,658 residents in 2020. That was 3.4% lower than in 2010. Cherokee County had 1,377 fewer people in 2020 than it did in 2000, which points to a long-term population decline. The county is fairly spread out, with about 20 people per square mile. Some of the county's most populated postal areas include Cherokee, Marcus and Aurelia.
Population Trend in Cherokee County IA
Cherokee County Population per 2000, 2010 and 2020 census counts with a baseline 2030 projection.
Cherokee County Zip Codes
Cherokee County has 8 zip codes. Some of the county's most populated zip codes include Cherokee (51012), Marcus (51035) and Aurelia (51005). Cherokee is the largest zip by population, with about 6,592 residents or 57% of the county total. Together, the three largest zips account for about 82% of all county residents based on 2020 population estimates.
Most Populated Zip Codes in Cherokee County IA
| ZIP | Area | Population | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51012 | Cherokee | 6,592 | ▾ -0.8% |
| 51035 | Marcus | 1,535 | ▾ -8.9% |
| 51005 | Aurelia | 1,474 | ▾ -1.1% |
| 51014 | Cleghorn | 546 | ▴ 3.4% |
| 51049 | Quimby | 425 | ▾ -16% |
| Download all zip code data | |||
Cherokee County Zip Code populations and trends per most recent census data.
Cherokee County Demographics
Cherokee County has a median age of 44.5, which makes the county a little older than Iowa overall. About 21.8% of residents are under 18, while 24.6% are 65 or older. That gives the county a fairly even mix of younger families and older adults. The largest age group is 25 to 44 at about 27.4% of the population, which points to a solid working-age base. About 21.6% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the statewide figure of 30.9%. The county is mostly White by population, though Hispanic, Asian, Black and multiracial residents are also part of the local mix.
Key Demographics for Cherokee County IA
Median Age
44.5
Under 18
21.8%
Age 65+
24.6%
Bachelor's+
21.6%
Cherokee County School Districts
Cherokee County is served by 7 public school districts with 4,193 students enrolled in 2024. The largest districts on the county map are Cherokee Community, Alta-Aurelia Community and South O'Brien Community. Those three districts account for about 61% of public school enrollment in the map area. Total enrollment has grown modestly since 2017 across the districts shown on the county map.
Largest School Districts by Enrollment in Cherokee County IA
| District | Enrollment | Share | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Community School District | 1,163 | 27.7% | ▾ -4.4% |
| Alta-Aurelia Community School District | 829 | 19.8% | ▴ 0.9% |
| South O'Brien Community School District | 569 | 13.6% | ▴ 2% |
| Galva-Holstein Community School District | 522 | 12.4% | ▴ 0.6% |
| Kingsley-Pierson Community School District | 440 | 10.5% | ▴ 0.5% |
| Download all school district data | |||
Cherokee County school district enrollment and trends per most recent NCES reporting data.
Cherokee County Housing & Real Estate
Cherokee County has a median home value of $145,100 and a median gross rent of $711. About 73% of occupied homes in the county are owner-occupied, so the local housing market leans heavily toward ownership. Home values run below the Iowa median, while rents come in below the state average. In March 2026, the median listing price was $160,500 and homes spent about 69 days on the market.
Cherokee County Housing Mix
Cherokee County housing mix: owner, renter and vacant units.
Cherokee County Housing Trends
Cherokee County median home value and rent trend (last 5 years).
Businesses in Cherokee County, IA
Cherokee County has 545 business listings across 225 categories. The largest categories in Cherokee County business listings are Churches & Religious Organizations (21, 3.9%), Auto Repair (13, 2.4%), and Gas Stations (11, 2.0%). The full Cherokee County business listings dataset includes names, categories, addresses and contact details where available. Cherokee County packages also include U.S. Census County Business Patterns data with establishment counts, employment and payroll by industry sector.
Top Business Categories in Cherokee County, IA
| Category | Businesses | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Churches & Religious Organizations | 21 | 3.9% |
| Auto Repair | 13 | 2.4% |
| Gas Stations | 11 | 2.0% |
| Insurance Agencies | 11 | 2.0% |
| Shipping Center | 9 | 1.7% |
| Retirement Home | 8 | 1.5% |
| Hair Salons | 8 | 1.5% |
| Convenience Stores | 8 | 1.5% |
| Contractors | 8 | 1.5% |
| Landmark And Historical Building | 7 | 1.3% |
Cherokee County Business Listings
| Business | Category | City |
|---|---|---|
| Historic Lewis Hotel | Accommodation | Cherokee |
| AgState Cooperative | Agricultural Cooperatives | Cherokee |
| Hog Slat, Inc. | Agricultural Service | Marcus |
| Cherokee County Regional Airport | Airport | Cherokee |
| Cherokee County, IA Emergency Management Agency | Ambulance And Ems Services | Cherokee |
| Carey's Restaurant | American Restaurants | Cherokee |
| Kid 2 Kid Consignment | Antique Store | Cherokee |
| Mama Tot's Treasure Cove | Arts And Crafts | Cherokee |
| LibertyX Bitcoin ATM | ATMs | Cherokee |
| Ames Auto Body | Auto Body Shop | Marcus |
| Download Cherokee County business listings | ||
Cherokee County business listings sourced from Overture Maps. Includes locations with a high level of confidence.
Cherokee County Basemaps
Cherokee County map and data packages include a set of useful basemaps to help you get started quickly. These include a custom light grey canvas, USGS topo, imagery and other reference layers that make it easier to build clear, meaningful county maps using the included GIS layers, your own data or both. Pre-rendered map tiles for the light grey basemap are included so you can use them offline or host them on your own CDN.
Get the Full Cherokee County Data Package
This page shows a preview of what's included in the Cherokee County data package. The full package gives you a ready-to-use county data system with GIS layers, historical data, maps, database files and planning tools that save hours of manual data gathering, cleanup and joins. Everything is organized to help you skip data wrangling and start analysis faster.
- 20+ GIS layers for zip codes, school districts, roads, water, boundaries and more
- Historical county demographics, housing, income and trend data
- ZIP code population files and school district enrollment history
- Database files, markdowns, AI-ready prompts and documentation
- Map exports in PNG, JPEG, PDF, SVG and GeoTIFF formats
- Offline-ready data explorer, map and analytics tools
Paid packages support commercial use, client work, and derived outputs. Some package contents may include source-specific attribution or provider notices. See Licensing & Data Source Notices.
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Nearby Counties
Browse county data pages for the counties that border Cherokee County. These nearby pages include the same mix of county maps, demographic summaries, school district context, housing trends and package links.