Barton Hall · National Register of Historic Places
Cherokee’s story
170 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1936.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1856Cherokee is settled
CherokeeAL
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Population
975
2025 Census estimate · +0.3% since 2020
Typical home
$143K
+3.4% in a year
Household income
$51K
median
Median age
36.4
years
Jobs based here
60
A commuter town
Is Cherokee a good place to live?
21% of residents live below the poverty line in Cherokee, where Alabama’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Among 188 Alabama towns, just 9 have a lower January low than Cherokee. Its National Register listings include Barton Hall and William Koger House. Cherokee has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Cherokee stand out
Where Cherokee beats most towns.
Small town
975 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
All 12 attractions →Natchez Trace Parkway and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cherokee. Close and well known come first.
2 mi ParkwayNatchez Trace Parkway8.0M visitors a year
17 mi MuseumMuscle Shoals Sound Studio
31 mi National Military ParkShiloh National Military Park347K visitors a year15 mi MuseumAlabama Music Hall of Fame14 mi MuseumApron Museum
34 mi MuseumCorinth DepotSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Natchez Trace Parkway: Carol M. Highsmith (1946–), Public domain · Muscle Shoals Sound Studio: Dailynetworks, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Shiloh National Military Park: Ernest Mettendorf, Public domain · Corinth Depot: Ron Cogswell, CC BY 2.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Cherokee: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cherokee, and how to reach them.
PowerSheffield Utilities13.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCherokee Water & Gas DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers89% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Cherokee’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Alabama you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereColbert County Circuit ClerkColbert County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019
ZIP code3561635616 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Cherokee.
Housing
Cherokee’s typical home value is about $143K
The typical Cherokee home is worth about $143,000, up 3.4% in a year, 40% below the Alabama typical home.
$143KZillow home value
Typical home value
Cherokee$143K
Alabama$239K
+3.4%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in April
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Cherokee’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Colbert County school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 226 | C |
| Cherokee High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 206 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Cherokee has 0.2 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Cherokee for work: only 3% work in town. Since 2013, Cherokee has lost 29 jobs, to 60 in 2023. At $51,000, Cherokee’s median household income is below both Alabama’s towns ($62,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000).
3%work in town
| Cherokee | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Cherokee3%
Muscle Shoals15%
Florence10%
Huntsville9%
Tuscumbia7%
19 mi
median commute distance
60
jobs based in Cherokee
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Cherokee faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 71% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Cherokee since 2024.
71risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 2024
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Cherokee, expect mild winters and hot summers
Cherokee has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Cherokee is 90°F.
90°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–53°
Spring48–73°
Summer66–89°
Fall49–74°
Nov 3
typical first frost
Mar 30
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
90°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Cherokee
24 crimes were reported in Cherokee in 2025: 20 property and 4 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Cherokee is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
4
violent crimes reported in 2025
20
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Cherokee is
Cherokee beats the Alabama average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 18% of adults have diabetes in Cherokee.
| Cherokee | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 49% | 43% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 24% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Alabama
0 better21 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Cherokee | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11.2% | 8% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 5.5% | 4.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.6% | 7.3% |
Tishomingo Health Services
14.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cherokee
19pages on Cherokee
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Cherokee; the nearest are
Northwest Shoals Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Muscle Shoals16.4 mi$5,131 in-state tuitionUniversity of North AlabamaUniversity or college · Public · Florence16.5 mi$12,120 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Cherokee residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Cherokee for work
Where Cherokee’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
60jobs based in Cherokee
3%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Cherokee
Town in Alabama, United States
Cherokee is a town in west Colbert County, Alabama, United States. Located near the Tennessee River, it is part of the Florence–Muscle Shoals metropolitan area, known as "The Shoals". As of the 2020 census, Cherokee had a population of 970.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 531 ft
- ZIP code
- 35616
- Area code
- 256
Questions about Cherokee
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cherokee, AL a good place to live?
Cherokee has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
What is Cherokee, AL known for?
2 notable people were born here, including A. Tajudeen and Dominique Croom.