At the northern edge of Madison, Cherokee Park offers suburban living and plenty of outdoor activities about 20 minutes from Downtown Madison. Nature preserves, the Yahara River and a country club surround the small residential community. Though Cherokee Park doesn’t have its own shopping and dining scene, Sherman Avenue connects it to north side restaurants.
The neighborhood was developed on former farmland starting in the late 1950s, and most of its homes were built from the 1960s to ’80s. “Lots of great midcentury charm is a trademark of the neighborhood, as far as homes go,” says Michael Leeson, a Realtor with Realty Executives Cooper Spransy. Townhouses and condos in the Cherokee Garden Condominiums community have sold from the mid-$100,000s to the mid-$400,000s. “The Cherokee Garden Condo Association is really well-managed. Beautiful grounds, and they’ve got a couple of pools and a clubhouse,” Leeson says. “People who live there love the outdoor space. You can walk out the door and you’re in nature.” Single-family properties, including split-level and ranch-style homes, have gone from the mid-$400,000s to the mid-$700,000s. “In Burning Wood, there’s lots of great waterfrontage along the Yahara River,” Leeson says. Cherokee Park’s median sale price of around $290,000 is well below the citywide median. “For this whole north side area, if they want space and solid midcentury character at a lower price point than the rest of the city, this is a great area to be in from an investment standpoint in terms of future growth,” Leeson says.
Cherokee Park takes its name from a former hunting preserve, and much of the community is still dedicated to wildlife preservation. A small green space called Cherokee Park is a local go-to for fishing and kayaking on the Yahara River. The 2,000-acre Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park, split into northern and southern sections, is a huge stretch of wild wetlands. Visitors can stroll down boardwalks and catch sight of waterfowl in their natural habitat. The private TPC Wisconsin country club sits next to the Cherokee Garden Condominiums, and members can play on a recently revamped 18-hole course or at the club’s racquetball, pickleball and tennis courts. “The golf course has always been nice, but a few years ago they poured millions into it to upgrade it to TPC status, which is a professional golf classification. It’s a world-class golf course,” Leeson says. “I think that’s going to have a huge impact on the neighborhood in terms of future growth. It’s outdoor, natural space on one side, and a beautiful golf course on the other side.”
While Cherokee Park is rich in parkland and residential space, it has no retail scene of its own. However, Sherman Avenue runs south towards downtown and past several shops and restaurants. “There’s been several restaurants, bars and coffeeshops that have gone in 3 miles away. That stuff is on the rise within the neighborhood,” Leeson says. The Northside Town Center, less than 2 miles down the road, includes a Willy Street Co-op grocery store and the Northside Farmers Market, held on Sundays from May to October. Dining options include:
Cherokee Park’s location at Madison’s northern end doesn’t mean that conveniences are far away. Dane County Regional Airport is 3 miles away, while downtown Madison is a 7-mile drive down Packers Avenue and Wisconsin Highway 113. “It does have good proximity to the airport, but it’s got enough distance that you don’t hear the airport,” Leeson says. “It’s a 15- to 20-minute drive to the State Capitol, so it’s still an easy trip downtown.” Health care is 6 miles away at UW Health’s East Madison Hospital.
Students are zoned to attend the highly rated Madison Metropolitan School District, including Gompers Elementary School and Black Hawk Middle School a few blocks away. The state’s school choice policy means students can apply to public schools outside their zoning area and to charter and voucher-backed schools. Nearby private options include All Nations Academy and the Madison Country Day School, ranked the state’s top private K-12 school and one of the few schools in the Madison area to offer an International Baccalaureate program.
The Cherokee Park Neighborhood Association brings neighbors together with annual events. “We have an egg hunt for the kids in the spring, a huge Fourth of July barbecue with a kids' bike parade,” says longtime Cherokee Park resident Melissa Bjerke Markgraf, managing broker at Stark Company Realtors. Residents can also meet up for house-to-house snacking through the community's "Nibble and Mingle" event or catch Madison Mallards college baseball games at Warner Park.
Devery Cash
Keller Williams Realty
(608) 292-3846
80 Total Sales
1 in Cherokee Park
$250,000 Price
John Reuter
Integrity Homes - Real Broker LLC
(608) 292-2510
84 Total Sales
1 in Cherokee Park
$230,000 Price
Sue Gilbertson
Restaino & Associates
(608) 405-8109
27 Total Sales
2 in Cherokee Park
$260K - $495K Price Range
Tami McFarlane
Restaino & Associates
(608) 292-2349
72 Total Sales
2 in Cherokee Park
$242K - $315K Price Range
Lisa Avila
Flat Fee Pros WI
(608) 888-0247
47 Total Sales
2 in Cherokee Park
$214K - $350K Price Range
Matt Deadman
Real Broker LLC
(608) 292-3702
186 Total Sales
1 in Cherokee Park
$780,000 Price
| 1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime | Cherokee Park | US |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 3 | 4 |
| Sexual Assault | 2 | 4 |
| Assault with Weapon | 2 | 4 |
| Robbery | 2 | 4 |
| Burglary | 3 | 4 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 3 | 4 |
| Larceny | 3 | 4 |
| Crime Score | 2 | 4 |
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
On average, homes in Cherokee Park, Madison sell after 41 days on the market compared to the national average of 58 days. The median sale price for homes in Cherokee Park, Madison over the last 12 months is $285,000, down 1% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Bikeability
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This North Side community sits at Madison's highest elevation with great views
