Graham County, North Carolina

NC · FIPS 37075 Republican

Located in North Carolina, Graham County has a population of 8,072 residents and a median age of 45.6 years, making it the #2,650 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 6.7%. The median home value is $170,600, and the median household income is $49,684, which is 34% below the national median.

8,072
Population
#2,650 of 3,222
$49,684
Median Income
-33.9% #2,787 of 3,222
45.6 years
Median Age
+17.2% #653 of 3,222
6.7%
Poverty Rate
-46.8% #177 of 3,222

Demographics

Graham County has a population of 8,072, making it the #2,650 most populous county in the US. The median age is 45.6 years, which is 17.2% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.1%
Native Born
1.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Graham County is $49,684, ranking #2,787 out of 3,222 counties — 33.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 6.7% and unemployment stands at 7.0%.

Income#2,787
$49,684
-33.9%
vs nation
13th percentile
Per Capita#2,317
$30,648
-25.7%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poverty#177
6.7%
-46.8%
vs nation
95th percentile
Unemployment#2,803
7.0%
+32.4%
vs nation
13th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Graham County is $170,600 (-39.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $676/mo and the homeownership rate is 80.7%.

Home Value#1,798
$170,600
-39.5%
vs nation
44th percentile
Rent#2,846
$676
-41.9%
vs nation
11th percentile
Homeownership#525
80.7%
+25.3%
vs nation
84th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Graham County, 17.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 47.8% below the national average, ranking #2,415 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
17.6% −47.8% vs nation
Rank #2,415 of 3,222
25th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Graham County is 74.5 years. 19.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 16.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,779
74.5
-0.8%
vs nation
42th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,606
19.0%
-2.9%
vs nation
49th percentile
Diabetes#1,380
10.4%
-6.6%
vs nation
56th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#781
34.3%
-8.1%
vs nation
75th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,362
5.5
-1.8%
vs nation
57th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,549
4.4
-1.1%
vs nation
51th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,796
16.5%
+57.2%
vs nation
11th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,010
23.7%
-10.2%
vs nation
68th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,401
16.8%
+16.6%
vs nation
24th percentile

Substance Use

18.7% of adults in Graham County smoke , 34.0% are obese , and 21.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 40.8 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,887
18.7%
+4.1%
vs nation
40th percentile
Adult Obesity#571
34.0%
-10.3%
vs nation
82th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,990
21.0%
+5.5%
vs nation
37th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,619
40.8
+26.2%
vs nation
23th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 24.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 18.6 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,055
24.7
+25.3%
vs nation
20th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,963
23.3
+30.6%
vs nation
20th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,430
18.6
-8.2%
vs nation
49th percentile

Families & Children

23.3% of children in Graham County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 37.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,725
37.2
+70.3%
vs nation
9th percentile
Child Poverty#2,351
23.3%
+22.7%
vs nation
25th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Graham County is 70.6%. The mean commute time is 27.2 min, which is 1.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
70.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
27.2 min −1.3% vs nation
Rank #1,430 of 3,222
56th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Graham County voted Republican with a margin of 63.8%. The vote was 17.6% Dem / 81.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +63.8%
17.6% 81.4%
Dem 4,769 votes Rep
2020 REP +60.1%
19.4% 79.5%
Dem 4,665 votes Rep
2016 REP +61.0%
18.6% 79.6%
Dem 4,094 votes Rep
2012 REP +41.7%
28.5% 70.2%
Dem 3,910 votes Rep
2008 REP +37.4%
30.3% 67.7%
Dem 4,171 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Graham County, North Carolina

Graham County, North Carolina has a total population of 8,072, making it the 2,650th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Graham County is 45.6 years, which is 17.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Graham County is $49,684, which ranks #2,787 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 33.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 6.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.0%.

The median home value in Graham County is $170,600, 39.5% below the national median. Renters in Graham County pay a median gross rent of $676 per month. The homeownership rate is 80.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Graham County, 17.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 47.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.2 min.

Graham County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 84.9% of the population, followed by American Indian (non-Hispanic) (9.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.0%).

All data for Graham County, North Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.