Graham County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Graham County, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 77% of counties in North Carolina
-
D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 76% of counties in North Carolina
-
F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 86% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Graham County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,067 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 26.7 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.85% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.0 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,523 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Graham County grew by 1.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,067 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Graham County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.8% of residents. That is 5.8 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,559 19.3% -2.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,433 17.8% -3.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,711 21.2% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,843 22.8% +5.8 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 North Carolina, 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 51.3% of the people living in Graham County and men 48.7%.
- Women 51.3% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 48.7% North Carolina 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Graham County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Graham County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Graham County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,669 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.57% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Graham County is about 31% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Graham County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $342,999 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $676 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.7% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Graham County is about 42.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $676 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Graham County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 148 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Graham County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.7 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.5 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 148 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,581 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 2.2% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,362 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 279 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Carolina:
Macon County (17.2 min), Watauga County (17.2 min), Dare County (17.4 min).
Slowest:
Gates County (35.9 min), Currituck County (33.9 min), Tyrrell County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Graham County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
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
Graham County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Graham County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.5% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.24 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.5), Wake County (0.4), Durham County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hyde County (0.2), Greene County (0.2), Tyrrell County (0.2).
Health
Graham County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Graham County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.2 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.5% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.9% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.8), Wake County (0.8), Watauga County (0.8).
Lowest:
Robeson County (0.8), Lenoir County (0.8), Halifax County (0.8).
Graham County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Graham County, NC is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 8,067 residents against a local median of 47,695. Where Graham County, NC breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 23% above the local median of $279,032 at $342,999.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 17.7 min against a local median of 22.9 min, 23% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 23% below the local median it puts Graham County, NC at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $124,289 on median home price, so Graham County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Graham County, NC has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graham County, NC | 8,067 | $49,669 #4/4 | $342,999 #1/4 | 17.7 min #1/4 |
| Cherokee County, NC | 29,563 | $54,386 | $210,710 | 20.5 min |
| Blount County, TN | 139,333 | $78,165 | $334,999 | 22.9 min |
| Monroe County, TN | 47,695 | $56,619 | $279,032 | 25.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Graham County, North Carolina.
What is the population of Graham County, North Carolina?
About 8,067 people live in Graham County, North Carolina, in 3,523 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 46.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
Is Graham County, North Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Graham County, North Carolina has 27 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 31% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Graham County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 6.9 times the median household income ($342,999 against $49,669), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $676 a month takes about 16% 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 Graham County, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Graham County, North Carolina is 7.0%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Graham County, North Carolina?
12.5% of adults in Graham County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →