Murphy

County:: Cherokee County
County Seat:: No
Area (mi²):: 2.571
State:: North Carolina

Murphy is a town located in Cherokee County, North Carolina. Murphy has a 2025 population of 1,688. Murphy is currently growing at a rate of 0.96% annually and its population has increased by 4.84% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 1,610 in 2020.

The average household income in Murphy is $57,552 with a poverty rate of 20.6%. The median age in Murphy is 37.8 years: 28 years for males, and 46 years for females.

Demographics

The racial composition of Murphy includes 81.12% White, 5.83% Black or African American, and smaller percentages for Native American, other race, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and multiracial populations.

Population by Race

White

Two or more races

Black or African American

Native American

Other race

Asian

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Race	Population	Percentage (of total)
White	1,100	81.12%
Two or more races	140	10.32%
Black or African American	79	5.83%
Native American	21	1.55%
Other race	12	0.88%
Asian	4	0.29%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander	0	0%

Murphy Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

Never Married

Economics and Income Statistics

Murphy's average per capita income is $36,241. Household income levels show a median of $36,989. The poverty rate stands at 20.6%.

Families: A family includes the owner or renter of the home along with everyone related to them - whether through birth, marriage, or adoption. This includes relatives like spouses, children, parents, siblings, grandparents, and any other family members.

Households: A household includes all the people who occupy a housing unit (such as a house or apartment) as their usual place of residence.

Non Families: A nonfamily household is either someone living alone or when the owner/renter lives with people they aren't related to, like roommates.

Name	Median	Mean
Married Families	$80,341	-
Families	$66,250	$87,874
Households	$36,989	$57,552
Non Families	$35,758	$40,181

$36,241

Average Income

$36,989

Median Household Income

20.6%

Poverty Rate