Graham County, North Carolina Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Graham County, North Carolina, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Graham County, North Carolina. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Graham County, North Carolina. The estimated population of Graham County, North Carolina is 8,089 people, with a median age of 46.

We can look at the total population in Graham County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
8,089
 -4.85% -6.02%
2020
8,501
 -0.09% -
2019
8,509
 -0.56% -
2018
8,557
 -0.58% -
2017
8,607
 - -

Population of Graham County, North Carolina by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
85.3%
87.4%
 -2.40%
Black/African American
0.2%
0.2%
 0.00%
Native
9.2%
10.6%
 -13.21%
Hispanic
4%
1.1%
 +263.64%
Asian
0%
0%
 0.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
1.3%
0.7%
 +85.71%
Other
0.1%
0%
 0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Graham County, North Carolina by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 46 -0.86% 46.9 -1.47% 43.9 -1.79%
2020 46.4 +0.43% 47.6 +6.97% 44.7 -4.28%
2019 46.2 +0.43% 44.5 +2.06% 46.7 0%
2018 46 +2.22% 43.6 +2.83% 46.7 -0.85%
2017 45 - 42.4 - 47.1 -

The median age of Graham County, North Carolina gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 499 -39.2% 385 -2.41% 315 374
10 to 19 584 -13.43% 579 +12.84% 504 649
20 to 29 438 +5.22% 439 +2.02% 452 442
30 to 39 442 -24.23% 502 +6.09% 338 510
40 to 49 508 -6.62% 443 -10.24% 469 384
50 to 59 576 +5% 662 -17.43% 602 552
60 to 69 603 0.62% 661 -4.81% 601 623
70+ 562 +1.29% 724 -1.13% 564 710

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Graham County, North Carolina is $41,977.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Graham County.

  • Under 25
    $0.00
  • 25 to 44
    $54,279.00
  • 45 to 64
    $41,888.00
  • 65 and over
    $34,931.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Graham County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Graham County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Graham County, North Carolina is currently $55,524.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

1.40% of households in Graham County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Graham County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    25.05%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    32.98%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    19.52%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    7.97%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    9.14%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    3.94%
  • $200,000 or more
    1.40%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Graham County is $23,604.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Graham County by the total population of Graham County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Graham County, North Carolina, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Graham County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    8.48%
  • Bachelor's degree
    17.87%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    12.26%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    59.85%
  • Less than high school diploma
    1.54%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Graham County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Graham County over the age of 16 is 6,742.

Of those people, a total of 51.10% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Graham County is 48.10%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 495 45.10% 14.80%
20 to 24 years 434 79.50% 6.40%
25 to 29 years 460 73.50% 26.90%
30 to 34 years 393 75.10% 0.00%
35 to 44 years 855 72.60% 4.70%
45 to 54 years 1,052 68.80% 2.20%
55 to 59 years 555 57.10% 0.00%
60 to 64 years 578 55.40% 2.80%
65 to 74 years 1,111 21.50% 2.10%
75 years and over 809 3.00% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Graham County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 5,925 50.50% 6.80%
Black or African American 14 14.30% 100.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 558 53.90% 0.00%
Asian 0 0.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 172 86.60% 0.00%
Two or more races 73 0.00% 0.00%
Hispanic or Latino 221 78.30% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 5,871 50.50% 6.90%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Graham County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Graham County is 3,241, with median earnings of $31,598.00.

Women in Graham County, North Carolina earning approximately 64.20% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 3,241 $31,598.00
Male 1,694 $39,886.00
Female 1,547 $25,610.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 278 $55,731.00
Business and Financial 22 $35,000.00
Computer and Mathematical 15 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 8 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 9 $0.00
Community and Social Service 59 $40,179.00
Legal 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 281 $35,598.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 13 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 115 $60,134.00
Healthcare Support 287 $34,609.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 14 $0.00
Law Enforcement 50 $56,518.00
Food Preparation and Serving 352 $15,000.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 316 $26,875.00
Personal Care and Service 76 $2,499.00
Sales 186 $19,167.00
Office and Administrative Support 244 $37,130.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 10 $4,286.00
Construction and Extraction 348 $40,670.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 107 $32,303.00
Production 187 $28,208.00
Transportation and Material Moving 167 $42,664.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 143 $63,304.00 135 $55,323.00
Business and Financial 3 $0.00 19 $29,583.00
Computer and Mathematical 15 $0.00 0 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 8 $0.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 9 $0.00 0 $0.00
Community and Social Service 51 $40,655.00 8 $0.00
Legal 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 63 $42,109.00 218 $35,109.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 13 $0.00 0 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 21 $0.00 94 $60,982.00
Healthcare Support 15 $0.00 272 $35,142.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 14 $0.00 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 50 $56,518.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 171 $28,750.00 181 $13,958.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 147 $43,438.00 169 $12,083.00
Personal Care and Service 0 $0.00 76 $2,499.00
Sales 41 $28,646.00 145 $16,467.00
Office and Administrative Support 80 $71,500.00 164 $35,185.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 10 $4,286.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 348 $40,670.00 0 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 107 $32,303.00 0 $0.00
Production 142 $35,000.00 45 $22,750.00
Transportation and Material Moving 167 $42,664.00 0 $0.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 3,150 households in Graham County, with an average household size of 2.54 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 2,011 families in Graham County with an average family size of 3.25 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 1,693 62 256 1,139
Average Household Size 3.24 3.53 3.51 1.23
Total Families 1,693 62 256 0
Average Household Size 3.24 2.84 3.46 0

Poverty

Of the 2,011 families in Graham County, 10.40% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Graham County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 5,310 housing units in Graham County, North Carolina.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 3,150 59.32%
Vacant 2,160 40.68%

8.66% of the total 5,310 housing units in Graham County are rental units. This is approximately 460 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 2,537 are occupied by the owner - or 47.78% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Graham County is $541.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Graham County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    153
  • Less than $500
    216
  • $500 to $999
    237
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    7
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    0
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Graham County is $115,600.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Graham County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    438
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    574
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    609
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    347
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    313
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    212
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    34
  • $1,000,000 or more
    10

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Graham County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Graham County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    97
  • 1940 to 1949
    287
  • 1950 to 1959
    231
  • 1960 to 1969
    495
  • 1970 to 1979
    1,050
  • 1980 to 1989
    968
  • 1990 to 1999
    938
  • 2000 to 2009
    1,039
  • 2010 to 2013
    194
  • 2014 or later
    11

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Graham County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    215
  • 1 vehicle available
    961
  • 2 vehicles available
    1,037
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    937

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Graham County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Graham County that commute to work in a particular way.

24.6 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Graham County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    168
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    768
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    410
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    342
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    319
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    105
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    249
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    25
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    0
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    233
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    317
  • 90 or more minutes
    94

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Graham County, North Carolina in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Graham County, North Carolina

We have data for 4 places in Graham County, North Carolina. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.