Housing, rent, and a comparison to the US average.
The median home value in Cherokee, IA is $150,502 as of 2026-04. That places Cherokee below the US average for housing cost, with a cost index of approximately 42 versus a national baseline of 100.
Over the past 12 months, the median home value in Cherokee has climbed 6.3%, and over the past five years it has averaged +5.0% annual growth. The current price sits -0.3% from its 5-year peak in 2026-03.
Beyond housing, day-to-day costs in Cherokee are shaped by state and local taxes, utility rates, transportation, and groceries. This page focuses on the housing component, which is the largest single line in most household budgets and the easiest to compare across cities using consistent national data.
Housing
| Median home value | $150,502 |
| 1-year change | +6.3% |
| 5-year price growth | +5.0% |
| 10-year price growth | +5.7% |
| vs 5-year peak | -0.3% |
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI).
How Cherokee compares
| Cost index | 42 (below US) |
| Median home vs US (~$355k) | -57.6% |
| Population | 5,186 |
| Momentum score | 70 (Rising) |
Cost index is currently a housing-only proxy; full BLS basket coming with ACS pull.
Affordability reality
Prices only mean something against local pay. Here’s how Cherokee’s housing lines up with what people here actually earn.
| Median rent vs income | 14% of local median income |
| Home price-to-income | 2.4× local median income |
At $722/mo, rent eats about 14% of the local median household income of $61,750 — within the 30% rule of thumb for affordable housing.
The median home runs about 2.4× the local median income (historically affordable).
Daily life in Cherokee
Climate
Summers run mild (highs near 84°F) and winters are cold (highs near 28°F), with about 30″ of snow a year.
Natural-hazard & insurance risk
Insurance heads-up: in Cherokee, flood damage isn’t covered by standard home insurance — budget for a separate NFIP/private flood policy and check the FEMA flood zone for the exact address.
Getting around
The average commute is 14 min — shorter than the US average of ~27 min; 9% of workers are remote; 68% own their home.
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.