Graves County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Graves County, KY Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageHealthier than 73% of counties in Kentucky
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 71% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Graves County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,630 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 65.8 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.25% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.6 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 14,139 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Graves County declined by 2.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 36,630 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Graves County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.9% of residents. That is 0.8 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,975 19.0% -2.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,193 19.6% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,658 20.9% +0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,818 18.6% +0.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Kentucky, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.2% of the people living in Graves County and men 48.8%.
- Women 51.2% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 48.8% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Graves County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Graves County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Graves County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $50,878 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.00% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Graves County is about 21% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Graves County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $307,143 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $775 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.1% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Graves County is about 33.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $775 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Graves County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 151 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Graves County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.2 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.4 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 151 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,696 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.4% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,958 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 539 | 832 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Kentucky:
Calloway County (13.9 min), Owsley County (15.0 min), Taylor County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Owen County (37.7 min), Spencer County (33.3 min), Bracken County (33.2 min).
The average commute time in Graves County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Kentucky.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Graves County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Graves County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.4% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.56 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Kentucky:
Fayette County (0.4), Oldham County (0.4), Campbell County (0.3).
Lowest:
Leslie County (0.1), Lee County (0.1), Elliott County (0.1).
Health
Graves County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Graves County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.6 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.8% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.9% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Kentucky:
Oldham County (0.8), Boone County (0.8), Scott County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.7), Bell County (0.7), McCreary County (0.7).
Graves County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
Graves County, KY is typical in size for this group, 36,630 residents against a local median of 38,226, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Graves County, KY apart most is median home price: $307,143, 185% above the local median of $107,661.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $50,878 against a local median of $66,255, 23% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Graves County, KY reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread $204,932 on median home price, so Graves County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Graves County, KY has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graves County, KY | 36,630 | $50,878 #4/4 | $307,143 #1/4 | 18.2 min #3/4 |
| McCracken County, KY | 67,525 | $66,255 | $23,192 | 15.5 min |
| Marshall County, KY | 31,743 | $67,559 | $228,124 | 21.0 min |
| Calloway County, KY | 38,226 | $53,083 | $107,661 | 13.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Graves County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Graves County, Kentucky?
About 36,630 people live in Graves County, Kentucky, in 14,139 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 40.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Graves County, Kentucky?
Averaged over its land area, Graves County, Kentucky has 66 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Graves County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 6.0 times the median household income ($307,143 against $50,878), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $775 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Graves County, Kentucky?
Unemployment in Graves County, Kentucky is only 3.4%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Graves County, Kentucky?
17.4% of adults in Graves County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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