Graves County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Graves County has a population of 36,630 residents and a median age of 40.4 years, making it the #1,302 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.9%. The median home value is $147,800, and the median household income is $50,772, which is 32% below the national median.
Demographics
Graves County has a population of 36,630, making it the #1,302 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.4 years, which is 3.9% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Graves County is $50,772, ranking #2,726 out of 3,222 counties — 32.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.9% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Graves County is $147,800 (-47.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $775/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Graves County, 18.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 45.4% below the national average, ranking #2,281 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Graves County is 73.0 years. 22.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.7% of adults in Graves County smoke , 40.5% are obese , and 14.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 12.8 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Graves County is 7.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 16.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 23.2 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
23.9% of children in Graves County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 34.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Graves County is 61.6%. The mean commute time is 22.8 min, which is 17.5% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Graves County voted Republican with a margin of 61.6%. The vote was 18.6% Dem / 80.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.9 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Graves County, Kentucky
Graves County, Kentucky has a total population of 36,630, making it the 1,302nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Graves County is 40.4 years, which is 3.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Graves County is $50,772, which ranks #2,726 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 32.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.
The median home value in Graves County is $147,800, 47.6% below the national median. Renters in Graves County pay a median gross rent of $775 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Graves County, 18.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 45.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.8 min.
Graves County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (8.1%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (4.2%).
All data for Graves County, Kentucky 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.