Cherokee County is the westernmost

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. It borders

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

to its west and

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

to its south. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,774. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Murphy.

History

This area was occupied for thousands of years by indigenous peoples who settled in the river valleys. It was part of the historic

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

homelands, a large territory composed of areas of what are now western Virginia, western North and South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and northeastern Georgia. The area that would become Cherokee County was explored by Spanish conquistador Hernando DeSoto as early as 1540. In 1813, the first highway was built through the area. The Unicoi Turnpike was the first to link

East Tennessee East Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. Geographically and socioculturally distinct, it comprises approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee. East Tennessee consists of 33 coun ...

North Georgia North Georgia is the northern hilly/mountainous region in the U.S. state of Georgia. At the time of the arrival of settlers from Europe, it was inhabited largely by the Cherokee. The counties of north Georgia were often scenes of important eve ...

, and

Western North Carolina Western North Carolina (often abbreviated as WNC) is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains; it is often known geographically as the state's Mountain Region. It contains the highest mountains in the Eastern United S ...

. Early white farmers who wed Native Americans were granted property along the Nottley River in 1817. A Baptist mission center was established in the area as early as 1820. Retrieved April 15, 2024. European Americans began to settle near present-day Murphy and a

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory in European and colonial contexts, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically a trading post allows people from one geogr ...

was established prior to 1828. The Old Tatham House at the base of Pisgah Road near

Andrews Andrews may refer to: Places Australia *Andrews, Queensland *Andrews, South Australia United States *Andrews, Florida (disambiguation), various places *Andrews, Indiana *Andrews, Nebraska *Andrews, North Carolina *Andrews, Oregon *Andrews, South ...

was built in 1833. The two-story log cabin built by Thomas Tatham is the oldest surviving structure in the county. Fort Butler was built near Murphy in July 1836 and early court trials were held there. In fall 1838, the area's land was put up for public sale in Franklin. Cherokee County was formed in 1839 from Macon County and named for the Cherokee Native Americans. A proposal to name the county Junaluska, in honor of the Cherokee leader, was rejected. The county's first brick courthouse was constructed in 1844 in downtown Murphy. Retrieved January 25, 2024. Murphy was incorporated as the county seat in 1851. Cherokee County's first industry, a tannery northeast of what would become Andrews, was established by James Stewart in 1852. As European-American population increased in the area in the 19th century, the state legislature created new counties. In 1861 the southeastern part of Cherokee County became

Clay County Clay County is the name of 18 counties in the United States. Most are named for Henry Clay, U.S. Senator and statesman: * Clay County, Alabama * Clay County, Arkansas (named for John Clayton, and originally named Clayton County) * Clay County, Fl ...

. In 1872, its northeastern part was separated and organized as Graham County. Harshaw Chapel, the oldest brick structure and church building in Cherokee County, was constructed in 1869. In the late 19th century, there was widespread interest in Native American cultures. In the 1870s, the Valentine brothers of

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, caused extensive damage to at least eight ancient mounds in Cherokee, Haywood, Jackson, and Swain counties. They roughly excavated and looted them, seeking artifacts for the museum of their father, Mann S. Valentine, which he operated in Richmond. The railroad came to Cherokee County in 1887, with Georgia & North Carolina Railroad's narrow gauge line from Marietta to Culberson – then the largest town in the county. The train reached Murphy the following year. The county's newspaper, the ''Cherokee Scout'', was founded in 1889.

20th century to present

The first known brick house in the county, the John Tatham House, was north of Andrews. It was destroyed in the early 1900s. The Cherokee County Fair started in 1923. The 43-inmate Cherokee County Jail was built in downtown Murphy in 1922. The current Cherokee County Courthouse was constructed next door four years later. The jail was demolished in 2008 after a new 150-inmate detention center was completed on Regal Street. The nation's oldest and largest folk school, John C. Campbell Folk School, was founded in southeast Cherokee County in 1925. The county's first medical institution was Petrie Hospital, founded in November 1933 by Dr. R.W. Petrie, an eye, ear, nose, and throat specialist. The hospital was a two-story white brick building atop a hill on Peachtree Street in downtown Murphy. It started with four registered nurses and a capacity of 21 patients. The Sisters of Providence of Holyoke came to Murphy in 1956 to manage Petrie Hospital and renamed it Providence Hospital. The 22-bed Murphy General Hospital was built by Dr. F. V. Taylor in 1941 and closed in July 1969 due to insufficient staff and property. In 1956, a $375,000, 30-bed non-profit regional hospital named District Memorial was constructed in Andrews. In January 1974 the Murphy Town Council approved spending $4,000 on a study to see whether constructing a new hospital was feasible. Following this study, Providence Hospital closed in 1978 and Murphy Medical Center was founded in 1979. Citing uncollected payments, District Memorial Hospital declared bankruptcy in 2000, closed soon afterward, and was demolished. Cherokee County operated on Central time as late as 1934. It is now located in the

Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 U.S. states, states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, and the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico. * Eastern Standard Time (EST) is five ...

. In the late 1930s, Hiwassee Dam was built in northwest Cherokee County by the

Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolin ...

, creating Hiwassee Lake.Tennessee Valley Authority, ''The Hiwassee Project: A Comprehensive Report on the Planning, Design, Construction, and Initial Operations of the Hiwassee Project'' (Hiwassee Valley Projects Volume 1), Technical Report No. 5 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946), pp. 1–8, 39–40, 211, 230, 242, 248. It is the highest overspill dam in the Eastern United States and was the tallest in the world when it was completed in 1940. A second TVA dam, Apalachia, was built near the Tennessee border in 1942.Tennessee Valley Authority, ''The Hiwassee Valley Projects Volume 2: The Apalachia, Ocoee No. 3, Nottely, and Chatuge Projects'', Technical Report No. 5 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1948), pp. 1–13, 33, 34–35, 331, 493–494, 517, 526, 531. Western Carolina Regional Airport, the westernmost general aviation airport in North Carolina, was built in 1946. In the 1950s, the world's largest and most powerful pump was added to Hiwassee Dam. The Nantahala Regional Library, headquartered in Murphy, was organized in 1937. It is the oldest regional library in North Carolina and one of the first regional libraries formed in the United States. In the early 1940s, religious tourist attraction Fields of the Wood opened in western Cherokee County with the world's largest Christian cross and biggest

Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (), or the Decalogue (from Latin , from Ancient Greek , ), are religious and ethical directives, structured as a covenant document, that, according to the Hebrew Bible, were given by YHWH to Moses. The text of the Ten ...

, covering a mountainside. In June 1955, the county health department moved into a new building at its current location. Tri-County Community College was founded in Peachtree in late 1964. Cherokee County's only animal shelter, Valley River Humane Society, was founded in

Marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

in 1969. A four-lane highway was built between Murphy and Andrews around 1977. An F4 tornado in western Cherokee County killed four people (including two children) and injured 40 on April 3, 1974. It destroyed 45 homes near Murphy, causing $13 million (1974) in damages. The F4 was the deadliest of four tornadoes that struck the county during the first four days of April that year in the

1974 Super Outbreak The 1974 Super Outbreak was one of the most intense tornado outbreaks on record, occurring on April 3–4, 1974, across much of the United States. It was one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history. It was also the most violent t ...

. An EF-2 tornado hit Murphy the night of March 2, 2012, in the

Tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2012 On March 2 and 3, 2012, a large and deadly tornado outbreak occurred over a large section of the Southern United States into the Ohio Valley region. The storms resulted in 41 tornado-related fatalities, 22 of which occurred in Kentucky. Torn ...

, damaging businesses and temporarily closing two schools. An EF-1 tornado hit the Peachtree community on the night of May 8, 2024, in the Tornado outbreak of May 6–9, 2024. The Cherokee County Historical Museum was founded in 1977 and occupies a former Carnegie Library building in downtown Murphy. In 2014, the

U.S. Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's ...

made the decision to close Hanging Dog Campground in Nantahala National Forest. A proposal to open a 1,200-acre state park at the site was dismissed by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources in 2023, as officials said the project would cost more than $20 million. In 2025, Cherokee County's board of commissioners unanimously approved a petition to the federal government stating that the U.S. Forest Service owns too much land in the county, restricting private and commercial development, particularly along Hiwassee Lake. The petition further stated that the Forest Service is incapable of maintaining its property, hampering wildfire control, and it called on the agency to loosen logging restrictions. Lastly, the commission called for the Forest Service to relinquish property for a state park in the county. Tourism has become a major industry for Cherokee County. As of 2023, the tourism industry employs at least 590 people in the county and generates more than $100 million in annual visitor spending.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.38%) is water. The U.S. Forest Service owns 31 percent of the county, or 92,637 acres, as of 2025. Located in the southern

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...

, Cherokee County contains a varied

natural landscape A natural landscape is the original landscape that exists before it is acted upon by human culture. The natural landscape and the cultural landscape are separate parts of the landscape. However, in the 21st century, landscapes that are totally ...

. Portions of the county fall within the boundaries of the

Nantahala National Forest The Nantahala National Forest () is the largest of the four national forests in North Carolina, lying in the mountains and valleys of western North Carolina. The Nantahala is the second wettest region in the Continental US, after the Pacific Nor ...

. The

Hiwassee River The Hiwassee River is a river in the states of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. It originates from a spring on the north slope of Rocky Mountain (Georgia), Rocky Mountain in Towns County, Georgia, Towns County in n ...

flows into Tennessee after passing through this county from southeast to northwest; it is a tributary of the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is a long river located in the Southern United States, southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. Flowing through the states of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, it begins at the confluence of Fren ...

. Both rivers are known to have had several historic

towns and villages located along their banks. As of 2022, the county had 25,410 acres of agricultural land and 246 farms. Cherokee County has a total of 28 dams according to the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wor ...

. Thirteen are classified as high-hazard, meaning a dam failure may be deadly; nine of those have no emergency action plans. Of the 13 high-hazard dams, eight are marked as potentially dangerous; one is considered an immediate threat. In April 1974, parts of Cherokee County were affected by a historic weather event, the

of tornadoes. This affected parts of 13 states and was the second-largest such event to be recorded in the U.S.

Cherokee reserve

Portions of the

Qualla Boundary The Qualla Boundary or The Qualla is territory held as a land trust by the United States government for the federally recognized Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), who reside in Western North Carolina. The area is part of the large histori ...

are located in Cherokee County. These are non-contiguous and are separate from the main part of the Qualla Boundary, which is in Swain and

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...

counties. The land is exclusive territory of the federally recognized

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), (Cherokee language, Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᏱ ᏕᏣᏓᏂᎸᎩ, ''Tsalagiyi Detsadanilvgi'') is a List of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States, federally recognized Indian Tribe, ...

and is protected by their Tribal Police. Following the success of Harrah's Cherokee Tribal Casino in Cherokee, the EBCI opened a second tribal casino in 2015 on a plot of their land here, located within the Murphy city limits.

National protected area

(part)

State and local protected areas

* Cherokee Lake Recreation Area * Fires Creek Wildlife Management Area (part) * Hanging Dog Recreation Area * Nantahala National Forest Game Land (part)

Major water bodies

* Appalachia Lake * Harold Wells Lake * Hiwassee Lake *

* Junaluska Creek *

Little Tennessee River The Little Tennessee River (known locally as the Little T) is a tributary of the Tennessee River that flows through the Blue Ridge Mountains from Georgia, into North Carolina, and then into Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. It dra ...

* Moccasin Creek * Nottely River * Peachtree Creek * Valley River * Welch Mill Creek

Adjacent counties

* Graham County – north *

– east * Macon County – east * Fannin County, Georgia – southwest * Union County, Georgia – south * Polk County, Tennessee – west *

Monroe County, Tennessee Monroe County is a County (United States), county located on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 46,250. Its county seat is Madisonville, Tennessee, Madisonville, ...

– northwest

Major highways

* * (Andrews) * (Murphy) * * * * * * US 64, the longest highway in North Carolina, and a cross-country highway, passes through the county from east–west. US 74, which links

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...

, Asheville, Charlotte, and Wilmington, is a major 4-lane highway through the county. US 19 and US 129 also pass through the county, providing connections to

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

to the south and

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

to the north. There is also a plan to extend Interstate 24 from Chattanooga to Charlotte.

Major infrastructure

* Western Carolina Regional Airport

Demographics

As of 2024, Cherokee County has the second-oldest population of any county in North Carolina. The county's median age is 52.2, just behind Brunswick County. Ten percent of Cherokee County residents are veterans; the county has the highest concentration of veterans in the state after counties with significant military and naval facilities. Cherokee County ranks second in the state for residents age 16-24 who are neither in school nor employed. The county's homeless population was about 200 as of 2025. The ''Cherokee Scout'' wrote in 2025 that affordable housing is a "serious need" in the county. A 2022 study reported the county has a housing shortage of 1,400 units. As of 2024, Cherokee County has the third-lowest per capita income in the state: $40,021. One-fourth of its children live in poverty. As of 2025, the county's median worker income is $36,400 and the median household income is $51,500. According to North Carolina's 2025 Economic County Snapshots, Cherokee County's unemployment rate is 3.5 percent, 15 percent of residents have no kind of health insurance, and the average life expectacy is 75. Ninety-three percent of Cherokee County's students graduate from high school on time and 24 percent go on to complete a college degree.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 28,774 people, 12,471 households, and 8,465 families residing in the county.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 24,298 people, 10,336 households, and 7,369 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 13,499 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 94.82%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.59%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.63% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.45% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. 1.25% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. 34.3% were of American, 10.8% Irish, 10.6%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

and 10.3% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.7% spoke English and 1.2%

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

as their first language. There were 10,336 households, out of which 25.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.80% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.76. In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.60% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 24.40% from 25 to 44, 28.80% from 45 to 64, and 19.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $27,992, and the median income for a family was $33,768. Males had a median income of $26,127 versus $18,908 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $15,814. About 11.70% of families and 15.30% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 19.20% of those under age 18 and 18.00% of those age 65 or over.

Law, government, and politics

Government

Mandated by the laws of the State of North Carolina, Cherokee County is governed by an elected five-member board of commissioners who each serve a four-year term. The board directs the actions of the appointed Cherokee County Manager. The commission, as of 2023, is composed of Ben Adams, Dr. Dan Eichenbaum, Jan Griggs (vice-chair), Randy Phillips, and Cal Stiles (chair). Maria Hass is the clerk to the board and Darryl Brown is the county attorney. The county annual budget is $63.4 million as of 2025. Cherokee County is a member of the regional Southwestern Commission Council of Governments. Cherokee County faces more than $50 million in costs related to lawsuits over its Department of Social Services practice of separating children from families with an unlawful form to bypass judicial approval.

Public safety

Thirty percent of Cherokee County's budget is spent on public safety as of 2025, making it the largest share of annual expenditures.

Sheriff and police

Court protection, jail management, and security for county owned property plus patrol and detective services for unincorporated county areas is provided by the Cherokee County Sheriff. The towns of Murphy and Andrews have municipal police departments. The Qualla Boundary tribal police provide security for the Cherokee Nation's Qualla Boundary territories throughout the county.

Fire and EMS

Fire protection is provided by thirteen all-volunteer fire departments in the county including those at Culberson and Murphy. Cherokee County Fire Inspector activity is part of the Cherokee County Building Code Enforcement Office.

Politics

Politically, Cherokee County is dominated by the Republican Party. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Cherokee County since

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

in 1976, and the past six Republican candidates have all exceeded 65 percent of the county's vote, with

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

exceeding 75 percent in 2016, 2020, and 2024. Cherokee County lies within the 50th State Senate district, represented by Republican Senator Jim Davis, in the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The Senate ...

. It lies within the 120th district, and is represented by Republican Kevin Corbin, in the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, Speaker of the House, who holds powers si ...

Education

Cherokee County Schools manages 13 schools including Murphy,

, and Hiwassee Dam high schools. As of 2025, the school system has a total enrollment of 3,001 students. The cost to educate each local student in the 2023-24 academic year was $14,972. As of 2025, 13.2 percent of Cherokee County's annual budget goes toward education. The ''Cherokee Scout'' wrote in 2025 that "it is common for young professionals to move across county and state lines to send their children to better-funded schools." As of 2025, only 24 percent of Cherokee County high school graduates are considered "college or career ready." Thirty-six percent of the county's students are considered "chronically absent." Approximately 20 percent of Cherokee County students are homeschooled as of 2025. Higher education is offered at Tri-County Community College in Murphy. The John C. Campbell Folk School, is located in Brasstown, an unincorporated village near Murphy. It exists partly in Cherokee County and partly in Clay County. This education center focuses on creative folk arts, music, and dance for all ages.

Healthcare

Cherokee County is served by Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital, which is certified by the

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the US federal government created to protect the health of the US people and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Im ...

. The facility is licensed for 191 beds, of which 120 are nursing home beds, 57 are general-use beds, and the remaining 14 are devoted to

Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

patients. The hospital began as Murphy Medical Center. It was acquired by Erlanger Health System and renamed in 2019. Today it is the only hospital in the state west of Bryson City and Franklin. Health and human services comprises 25.9 percent of Cherokee County's annual budget as of 2025 and is the county's second largest expenditure.

Media

The '' Cherokee Scout'' has been published weekly in Murphy since 1889. After merging with ''The Andrews Journal'' on January 1, 2019, the ''Scout'' has been the only newspaper serving Cherokee County. WKRK 1320 AM, WCVP 600 AM, and WCNG 102.7 FM are three radio stations currently broadcast from Murphy. Local TV 4 is a Murphy-based television news station.

Communities

Towns

(largest community) * Murphy (county seat)

Census-designated place

Village

* Hiwassee

Unincorporated communities

* Bellview * Culberson *

Friendship Friendship is a Interpersonal relationship, relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. Althoug ...

* Grape Creek * Hanging Dog * Hothouse * Liberty * Martins Creek * Owl Creek * Peachtree * Ranger * Rhodo * Texana * Tomotla * Topton * Unaka * Violet * Wehutty

Townships

* Beaverdam * Hothouse * Murphy * Notla * Shoal Creek * Valleytown

References

Works cited

External links

* *
Cherokee County, North Carolina profile with photos
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cherokee County, North Carolina 1839 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1839 North Carolina placenames of Native American origin