Welcome to Cherokee County!
The Board of Commissioners, staff and I welcome you to Cherokee County! Cherokee County IS a great place to live, work and play. We truly are an award-winning County and if you live here, own a business here or visit here, we are glad you do and welcome you to explore and enjoy all that the County has to offer! Below are some of the great things that make our County proud!
- Cherokee County is the 7th largest county in Georgia.
- Niche ranks Cherokee County as #3 Best Counties for Outdoor Activities in Georgia (2024).
- Cherokee County is the third most affluent county in metro Atlanta (2024).
- Cherokee County has the lowest debt per capita, second lowest taxes per capita and third lowest expenses per capita in metro Atlanta. The county’s finance team has been awarded the Georgia Finance Officers Association Triple Crown Award.
- Standard & Poor’s and Moody's Investment Services rates Cherokee County AA+ and Aa1, respectively.
- Certified as a silver-level “Green Community” by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) (2023). The certification is renewed every four years.
- Cherokee County has one of the lowest crime rates in metro Atlanta.
- Our Sheriff’s Office is a National Sheriff’s Association Triple Crown Award recipient (top 1% in the nation) for its accreditation for law enforcement, corrections, and correctional health.
- Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services was recognized as EMS Service of the Year in 2024
- Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services earned international accreditation status from Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) (2023).
- Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services earns Public Protection Class 2 Rating, which represents the Top 3% in the Nation of public protection rated fire departments.
- E 9-1-1 received national accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA). It has been reaccredited four times. It was named the Call Center of the Year for the state of Georgia in 2024 by the Association of Public Safety Communications Professionals (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA).
- E 9-1-1’s training program is internationally accredited by APCO International’s Agency Training Program Certification, a Project 33 Initiative.
- Cherokee County Marshal's Office is the only nationally accredited Marshal's Office in the nation.
- Cherokee Recreation & Parks earned accreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies and the National Recreation and Park Association (2021).
- Cherokee Recreation and Parks was named the Georgia Recreation & Parks Association Agency of the Year for large counties (population 150,001 and over). (2021)
- Cherokee Recreation and Parks is CAPRA accredited and a National Alliance for Youth Sports Better Sports for Kids Quality Program Provider.
- Cherokee Youth Basketball awarded NACPRO Outstanding Program Award (2023).
- Niche ranks the Cherokee County School District in the Top 15% Best School Districts in Georgia (#22 of 180) (2024).
- All CCSD high school rank in the top 10% in the state for SAT and ACT scores, top 10% for HOPE scholarship eligibility, and top 10% for AP pass rate in Georgia.
- All six CCSD high schools were named to U.S. News and World Report’s 2024 “Best High Schools” list, which is based on factors including academic performance, college readiness, graduation rates and success of disadvantaged students. Five of CCSD’s high schools – Creekview, Etowah, River Ridge, Sequoyah, and Woodstock.
- Cherokee Water & Sewerage Authority received Best Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) in the Category of Small Surface Water System for our Salacoa Water System from the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (2022).
- CCWSA’s Etowah Water Treatment Plan received a Platinum Award for complete and consistent Safe Water Drinking Act permit compliance (2023).
- CCWSA’s Fitzgerald Creek Water Pollution Control Plant received a PlatinumAward for complete and consistent NPDES permit compliance (2023).
- CCWSA’s Rose Creek Water Pollution Control Facility received a Gold Award for complete and consistent NPDES permit compliance (2023).
Thanks for visiting our website. We hope that you can find what you are searching for. If I can ever be of service to you or answer any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Geoff Morton
County Manager