Medicare in Cherokee County by the numbers
| Cherokee County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents age 65 and older | 9,468 | 4,188,063 statewide |
| Share of residents age 65+ | 18.1% | 13.7% statewide |
| People with Medicare | 11,687 | 5,048,909 statewide |
| Enrolled in Medicare Advantage | 6,208 | 2,770,279 statewide |
| Medicare Advantage share | 53.1% | 54.9% statewide |
Sources: Census Bureau 2023 estimates and CMS Medicare Advantage penetration, September 2026.
Cherokee County ranks 65th of 254 Texas counties by number of residents age 65 and older, with about 9,468 people in that age group, or 18.1% of residents (statewide: 13.7%). Another 3,118 residents are age 60 to 64 and will reach Medicare eligibility within about five years (see our turning 65 guide). By age, the 65-and-older group splits 59% ages 65 to 74, 32% ages 75 to 84 and 10% age 85 and up (Census 2023). About 53.1% of people with Medicare in Cherokee County are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. That is close to the Texas average of 54.9%. Averages cannot choose a plan for you. Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare with a Medigap plan each suit different people, depending on doctors, medicines and how you prefer to handle costs, and we compare both at your ZIP code.
Who has Medicare in Cherokee County
Cherokee County is a non-metro county with towns and small cities (USDA: urban population of 5,000 to 20,000, adjacent to a metro area). Care is often split between local providers and a bigger hospital elsewhere, which is worth testing against each plan’s network.
CMS counts 11,707 Medicare beneficiaries in Cherokee County (2023). Their average age is 73, about the same as the Texas average of 73. About 13% are “dual eligible,” meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid, close to the state figure of 11%.
Among people in Original Medicare in Cherokee County, CMS reported about 597 emergency room visits and 235 inpatient hospital stays per 1,000 beneficiaries in 2023, which is close to the state average for emergency visits (580) and close to it for hospital stays (226). About 11% received home health care. These figures describe how people use care under Original Medicare; they do not show what any plan covers or costs.
Sources: CMS Medicare Geographic Variation, 2023; USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, 2023.
Insurers choose which counties to serve each year, which means the Medicare Advantage and Part D plans you can pick in Cherokee County can be different from the ones offered next door. We are not based in Cherokee County; we help Cherokee County residents by phone or video call.
Hospitals located in Cherokee County
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lists these hospitals in Cherokee County:
- CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital- Jacksonville — Jacksonville (critical access; nonprofit; emergency services)
- UT Health East Texas Jacksonville Hospital — Jacksonville (acute care; for-profit; emergency services)
Network rules, not geography, decide whether a plan covers a hospital. We look up the hospitals and doctors you use and check them against each plan before you enroll. Ratings are CMS Care Compare overall hospital star ratings; they describe the hospital, not whether a plan covers it. Source: CMS Hospital General Information.
Where people live in Cherokee County
Census Bureau 2023 estimates put the biggest communities in Cherokee County at Jacksonville (14,420), Rusk (5,362), Alto (1,054), New Summerfield (888), Wells (879), Gallatin (340), counting only the part of each community inside the county.
We look up plans by ZIP code. In Cherokee County, that means areas such as 75757, 75759, 75764, 75766, 75780, 75785, 75789, 75925, 75976, based on Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas that lie mostly in the county.
Questions about Medicare in Cherokee County?
Reach out to us: fill out our short form or call (571) 354-0146, and a licensed agent will compare the plans available to you, check your doctors and drugs, and stay with you each year at renewal. For general Medicare information, the federal helpline is 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Medicare resources from official sources
- Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov, searchable by ZIP code.
- Social Security: Medicare to enroll or check status.
- Medicare.gov: Medigap on how Medicare Supplement works.
- HealthCare.gov if you are not yet on Medicare.
- Texas Department of Insurance: Texas’s insurance regulator, including agent license lookup.
Coverage we offer Cherokee County residents
We work with many carriers, which lets us compare more than one option for Cherokee County households, including ICHRA, group health insurance, life insurance, final expense insurance, annuities, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), Part D drug plans and ACA health insurance.
Get a clear answer for Cherokee County
A short call is enough to compare your options. Our help is free to you.
Get my plan comparisonPlain-English Medicare answers
- Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap: how to choose
- Can I change my Medicare plan after December 7?
- Do you really need a Medicare agent?
- Medicare 101 for families
Cherokee County compared with similar Texas counties
| County | Residents 65+ | Medicare Advantage share | Dual eligible share | Area type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navarro County | 9,263 | 52.3% | 16% | Smaller city/town |
| Lamar County | 9,755 | 37.6% | 13% | Smaller city/town |
| Anderson County | 9,081 | 54.3% | 12% | Smaller city/town |
| Polk County | 10,265 | 47.0% | 7% | Smaller city/town |
| Washington County | 8,599 | 40.8% | 9% | Smaller city/town |
| Gillespie County | 8,553 | 29.8% | 5% | Smaller city/town |
See every Texas county in our Texas directory or go to our Texas Medicare hub.