| | Wadena, MN | Cherokee, IA | United States |
| Population | 4,283 | 5,141 | 329,725,481 |
| Female Population | 51.7% | 49.8% | 50.5% |
| Male Population | 48.3% | 50.2% | 49.5% |
| Median Age | 37.3 | 44.3 | 38.4 |
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| Population - 2010 | 4,072 | 5,272 | 309,327,143 |
| Population - 2000 | 4,294 | 5,369 | 285,036,114 |
| Population - 1990 | 4,131 | 6,026 | 251,960,433 |
| Pop. 2000 to Now | -4.0% | -9.8% | 15.6% |
| Pop. 1990 to Now | -0.2% | -19.7% | 30.8% |
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| Population Density | 793.0 | 786.0 | 93.4 |
| Land Area | 5.4 | 6.5 | 3,531,905.4 |
| Water Area | 0.0 | 0.0 | 264,836.8 |
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| Est. Total Population By Age | | | |
| | Wadena, MN | Cherokee, IA | United States |
| Age 0 to 4 | 7.1% | 5.2% | 5.9% |
| Age 5 to 9 | 6.7% | 4.7% | 6.1% |
| Age 10 to 14 | 8.5% | 9.6% | 6.6% |
| Age 15 to 17 | 4.6% | 5.1% | 3.9% |
| Age 18 to 20 | 4.9% | 3.0% | 4.0% |
| Age 21 to 24 | 2.9% | 2.5% | 5.2% |
| Age 25 to 34 | 13.2% | 8.4% | 13.8% |
| Age 35 to 44 | 8.1% | 13.2% | 12.9% |
| Age 45 to 54 | 12.4% | 13.3% | 12.6% |
| Age 55 to 59 | 3.5% | 5.8% | 6.7% |
| Age 60 to 64 | 7.2% | 6.8% | 6.3% |
| Age 65 to 74 | 10.2% | 11.0% | 9.6% |
| Age 75 to 84 | 6.6% | 7.5% | 4.5% |
| Age 85 and over | 4.0% | 3.9% | 1.9% |
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| Race | | | |
| | Wadena, MN | Cherokee, IA | United States |
| White | 92.9% | 95.6% | 59.4% |
| Black | 0.9% | 0.9% | 12.2% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 0.9% | 5.6% |
| Native American | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| Hawaiian, Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Other | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Two or More Races | 3.2% | 2.5% | 3.2% |
| Hispanic | 2.6% | 0.2% | 18.4% |
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| Marriage & Family | | | |
| | Wadena, MN | Cherokee, IA | United States |
| Married Population | 40.8% | 45.4% | 49.8% |
| Currently Married | 38.2% | 43.0% | 48.0% |
| Married but Separated | 2.6% | 2.4% | 1.8% |
| Single Population | 59.2% | 54.6% | 50.2% |
| Never Married | 37.9% | 33.9% | 33.8% |
| Divorced | 15.3% | 10.7% | 10.8% |
| Widowed | 6.0% | 10.1% | 5.6% |
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| Household Size | 2.21 | 2.09 | 2.60 |
| Households | 1,878 | 2,268 | 124,010,992 |
| Family Households | 1,023 | 1,078 | 80,755,759 |
| Married couple, w/children | 23.6% | 37.8% | 30.5% |
| Married couple, no children | 37.5% | 43.0% | 42.9% |
| Non Family Households | 855 | 1,190 | 43,255,233 |
| Single householder, w/children | 31.8% | 18.0% | 15.8% |
| Single householder, no children | 7.1% | 1.1% | 10.8% |