Cherokee: Housing & Real Estate
$189,900 is the median home value in Cherokee (estimated market value runs 14% higher at $216,089), with median rent $1,075 (1.4× higher than Swain County median $742; 1.1× below North Carolina median $1,228). Homeownership rate: 62.6%. That's 1.1× below the Swain County median ($207,000); 1.5× below the North Carolina median ($288,900). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 16.4%. New construction makes up 12.0% of stock. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 3.4× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs North Carolina 4.5×).
- 14.7 years to break even renting at the median (vs North Carolina 22y).
- 4-BR rent is 1.5× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent runs 11% above HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $189,900 — 0.5× the North Carolina median ($353,700). Median rent $1,075/month. homeownership rate 62.6% — below the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Home Price To Income | 3.4× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Home Affordability | moderate |
| Affordability · Rent Pct Income | 17.1% |
| Affordability · Rent Affordability | affordable |
| Affordability · Poverty Rate | 21.3% |
| Affordability · Property Tax Pct Income | 0.4% |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $840 (vs North Carolina $1,167) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $879 (vs North Carolina $1,429) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $964 (vs North Carolina $1,567) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,272 (vs North Carolina $1,905) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,276 (vs North Carolina $2,319) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Jackson County, NC |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $216,089 |
| Median Home Value | $189,900 (vs North Carolina $353,700) |
| Median Rent | $1,075 (vs North Carolina $1,360) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | warm |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 16.4% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 12.0% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | -1.5% |
| Housing Orgs · Total count | 1 |
Sources: IRS BMF NTEE L
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Facilities (2)
Systems (5)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at North Carolina median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at North Carolina median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at North Carolina median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 45.6% (vs North Carolina 63.3%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 1,368 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 14.13¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 5067762 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $8,727 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at North Carolina median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 0.934169279 (vs North Carolina 100.0%) |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Charging & Mobility
| Ev Charging · Stations | 4 |
|---|---|
| Ev Charging · Public Stations | 3 |
| Ev Charging · L2 Ports | 2 |
| Ev Charging · Dc Fast Ports | 2 |
Sources: DOE AFDC API
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 62.6% (vs North Carolina 52.8%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1988 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12