Cherokee County, GA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 34.24, -84.48.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 91st pct · 251st of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 96th pct · 6th of 159 Georgia counties · median $219,820
- 92nd pct · 3rd of 29 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median $342,031
- 14th pct · 2,610th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 13th pct · 138th of 159 Georgia counties · median +2.6%
- 39th pct · 18th of 29 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median -0.4%
- 85th pct · 207th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 83rd pct · 13th of 72 Georgia counties · median $1,651
- 75th pct · 7th of 25 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median $1,809
- 88th pct · 385th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 91st pct · 14th of 159 Georgia counties · median 7,095
- 75th pct · 8th of 29 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median 31,378
- 61st pct · 1,225th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 75th pct · 40th of 159 Georgia counties · median $964
- 42nd pct · 17th of 29 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median $1,138
- 93rd pct · 195th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 94th pct · 9th of 159 Georgia counties · median 4.3
- 92nd pct · 3rd of 29 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median 5.7
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $471,444 (Aug 2026), -1.0% over one year, +26.6% over five
- 91st pct · 251st of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 96th pct · 6th of 159 Georgia counties · median $219,820
- 92nd pct · 3rd of 29 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median $342,031
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, GA | $471,444 · -1.0% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Typical rent $2,053/mo (Aug 2026), +1.2% over one year; price-to-rent 19.1
- 85th pct · 207th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 83rd pct · 13th of 72 Georgia counties · median $1,651
- 75th pct · 7th of 25 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median $1,809
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, GA | $2,053/mo · +1.2% 1-yr |
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $2,581 a month on $471,444 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,758 a month: 54.2% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $471,444 × 80% = $377,155, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $2,581/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,098 × 52 / 12 = $4,758) = 54% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $471,444 / ($1,098 × 52) = 8.3
- price-to-rent = $471,444 / ($2,053 × 12) = 19.1
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
73,146 jobs at 8,333 employers (2026 Q1); -0.8% jobs and +2.4% average weekly wage over the year
- 88th pct · 385th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 91st pct · 14th of 159 Georgia counties · median 7,095
- 75th pct · 8th of 29 counties in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro · median 31,378
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County, GA | 73,146 jobs · $1,098/wk · -0.8% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 11,528 | $711 | 1.62 | -5.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 10,078 | $1,251 | 0.92 | +3.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 9,666 | $449 | 1.47 | -0.5% |
| Construction | 6,699 | $1,555 | 1.75 | -1.6% |
| Manufacturing | 5,591 | $1,326 | 0.95 | -5.7% |
| Administrative and waste services | 3,790 | $1,143 | 0.91 | +0.0% |
| Professional and technical services | 3,575 | $1,515 | 0.71 | -5.1% |
| Other services | 2,332 | $847 | 1.07 | +7.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 1,967 | $1,750 | 0.70 | -4.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 1,847 | $1,892 | 0.62 | +2.5% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 1,717 | $516 | 1.43 | +6.2% |
| Educational services | 1,207 | $536 | 0.77 | +0.9% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
D1 moderate drought
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
10 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 10, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| ALLATOONA LAKE NEAR CARTERSVILLE, GA | 835.9 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 25 km |
| CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER AT MORGAN FALLS DAM, GA | 865.2 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 32 km |
| LAKE SIDNEY LANIER NEAR BUFORD, GA | 1,064 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 38 km |
| CARTERS RE-REGULATION LAKE NEAR CARTERS, GA | 39.5 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 45 km |
| CARTERS LAKE NEAR CARTERS, GA | 1,072 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 45 km |
| RANDY POYNTER LAKE AT SPILLWAY, NEAR MILSTEAD, GA | 731.7 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 76 km |
| LAKE KEDRON NEAR PEACHTREE CITY, GA | 833.6 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 92 km |
| LAKE PEACHTREE HEADWATER AT PEACHTREE CITY, GA | 784.5 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 96 km |
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
172 gauges · 0 flooding · 67 with quality panels averaging 99 % · 18 stale
Sites found: 172, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| ETOWAH RIVER DOWNSTREAM OF I-575, AT CANTON, GA | flow 455.0 ft³/s | 1 km |
| ETOWAH RIVER AT CANTON, GA | flow 466.0 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) | 2 km |
| HICKORY LOG CREEK NEAR CANTON, GA | flow 5.09 ft³/s | 2 km |
| SHARP MTN CREEK AT OLD GA 5, BELOW BALL GROUND, GA | flow 19.9 ft³/s | 10 km |
| SHOAL CREEK AT GA 108, NEAR WALESKA, GA | flow 8.46 ft³/s | 11 km |
| LITTLE RIVER AT GA 5, NEAR WOODSTOCK, GA | flow 85.8 ft³/s | 14 km |
| SETTINGDOWN CREEK NEAR BALL GROUND, GA | flow 16.0 ft³/s | 20 km |
| NOONDAY CREEK AT SHALLOWFORD ROAD, NR WOODSTOCK,GA | flow 21.4 ft³/s | 20 km |
| NOONDAY CREEK AT HAWKINS STORE RD, NR WOODSTOCK,GA | flow 21.4 ft³/s | 22 km |
| SCARECORN CREEK ABOVE HINTON, GA | flow 8.10 ft³/s · STALE | 24 km |
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
49 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 49, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-341913084325301 | depth -1.05 ft · 2008-04-29 | 11 km |
| USGS-342125084083301 | depth 30.6 ft · 2026-07-10 | 33 km |
| USGS-335612084312901 | depth 5.10 ft · 2008-04-22 | 34 km |
| USGS-335612084312902 | depth 22.5 ft · 2026-10-05 | 34 km |
| USGS-335605084312102 | depth 11.8 ft · 2000-04-03 | 35 km |
| USGS-335605084312801 | depth 7.45 ft · 2000-07-05 | 35 km |
| USGS-335605084312101 | depth 9.88 ft · 1999-10-31 | 35 km |
| USGS-335602084313102 | depth 17.4 ft · 1999-09-29 | 35 km |
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
low (0.16)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.25 + 0.2×0.01 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$5.7 bn in deposits at 43 offices of 17 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,161, moderately concentrated. $1.7 bn federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $1.6 bn, grants $54.9 m), $22,821 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $1.4 bn · 24.7% share · 7 offices | |
| Pinnacle Bank | $664.0 m · 11.7% share · 2 offices | |
| Truist Bank | $545.0 m · 9.6% share · 4 offices | |
| Cherokee, GA | $1.7 bn FY2026 · $22,821/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $1.6 bn · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $1,396,078,000 | 24.7% | 7 |
| Pinnacle Bank | $663,995,000 | 11.7% | 2 |
| Truist Bank | $544,959,000 | 9.6% | 4 |
| Regions Bank | $494,853,000 | 8.8% | 5 |
| Bank of America, National Association | $445,773,000 | 7.9% | 3 |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $399,902,000 | 7.1% | 5 |
| Ameris Bank | $345,823,000 | 6.1% | 3 |
| Bank OZK | $344,090,000 | 6.1% | 2 |
| United Community Bank | $285,788,000 | 5.1% | 2 |
| Renasant Bank | $217,782,000 | 3.9% | 3 |
Deposit concentration is 1,161 across 17 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 17 banks with deposits in the county = 24.7² + 11.7² + 9.6² + … (14 more) = 1,161
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | $1,372,634,664 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $204,549,120 |
| Department of Transportation | $36,708,505 |
| Department of Agriculture | $14,831,821 |
| Department of Defense | $13,834,859 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $7,905,336 |
| Department of Homeland Security | $6,630,683 |
| Department of Education | $3,510,146 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | $3,452,972 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $2,172,547 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $2,134,116 |
| National Science Foundation | $332,976 |
That is $22,821 per covered job, against 73,146 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $1.7 bn / 73,146 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $22,821
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 12.28 | 2026-10-04 | -0.1% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.60 | 2026-10-05 | +0.1% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 6.00 | 2026-09-22 | -14.3% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 6,830.00 | 2026-08-01 | +7.4% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 96.16 | 2026-09-29 | -3.2% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.28 | 2026-10-01 | +3.6% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -88,576.00 | 2026-07-01 | -24.4% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 646,347.00 | 2026-08-01 | +1.1% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
Cherokee County, GA: 12 findings, 3 at a watch level and 9 noted
watchCherokee County, GA's years of wages of 8.3 ranks 195th of 3,063 US counties, a watch level here: years of wages in the top tenth of US counties (position among the counties that published both a ZHVI value and a QCEW average weekly wage; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- test: yearsOfWages percentile = 93.66427171783148 >= 90
- typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52); one average covered job, not a household
position among the counties that published both a ZHVI value and a QCEW average weekly wage; not an official level
watchCherokee County, GA's typical home value is -1.0% against a year earlier, a watch level here: typical home value below a year ago (arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- test: home.yoyPct = -0.9980772917533616 < 0
arithmetic on Zillow ZHVI, county and metro files; not an official level
watchCherokee County, GA's covered employment is -0.8% against a year earlier, a watch level here: covered employment below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.emp = -0.8 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
noteCherokee County, GA's average weekly wage was 2.4% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +2.4 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteCherokee County, GA's covered employment was 0.8% lower than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- -0.8 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
Read all 12 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.