Graham County Demographics
A map of Graham County's Population by Race
Graham County, North Carolina has an estimated population of 8,072, a less than 1% change from the 8,030 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 84.9% White, 10.0% Native American/Other, 3.0% Hispanic, 1.1% Multiracial, 0.7% Asian, and 0.4% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Graham County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.
Graham has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than North Carolina overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Graham County, that probability was 25.8% in 2020 and 26.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.
Graham County is ranked the 98th most populous county in North Carolina, out of 100 counties. Graham County was ranked the 98th most populous county in the 2020 Census.
Graham County's White Population
6,853 residents of Graham County, or 84.9% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Graham County is significantly higher than in North Carolina overall, where 60% of the population is White. Graham County ranks 13th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.
Since the 2020 Census, Graham County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Graham County's population has decreased from 85.7% to 84.9%.
Graham County is more White than neighboring Swain County (59.2% White). Graham County is less White than neighboring Clay County (90.2% White), Cherokee County (89.3% White), Blount County (88.5% White), and Monroe County (86.9% White).
Graham County's Black Population
30 residents of Graham County, or 0.4% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Graham County is significantly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 20% of the population is Black. Graham County ranks 96th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.
Since the 2020 Census, Graham County's Black population has declined by an estimated 34.8%. Black residents' share of Graham County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.
Graham County is less Black than neighboring Clay County (2.2% Black), Cherokee County (1.8% Black), Blount County (2.5% Black), Swain County (2.6% Black), and Monroe County (2% Black).
Graham County's Asian Population
54 residents of Graham County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Graham County is slightly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 3.3% of the population is Asian. Graham County ranks 92nd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.
Since the 2020 Census, Graham County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 170.0%. Asian residents' share of Graham County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.
Graham County is more Asian than neighboring Clay County (0.6% Asian), Cherokee County (0.5% Asian), Swain County (0.5% Asian), and Monroe County (0.2% Asian). Graham County is less Asian than neighboring Blount County (0.8% Asian).
Graham County's Hispanic Population
240 residents of Graham County, or 3.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Graham County is lower than in North Carolina overall, where 11.3% of the population is Hispanic. Graham County ranks 96th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.
Since the 2020 Census, Graham County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 9.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Graham County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.0%.
Graham County is less Hispanic than neighboring Clay County (4.1% Hispanic), Cherokee County (3.7% Hispanic), Blount County (4.7% Hispanic), Swain County (5.5% Hispanic), and Monroe County (4.7% Hispanic).
Graham County's Native American/Other Population
805 residents of Graham County, or 10.0% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Graham County is higher than in North Carolina overall, where 1.4% of the population is Native American/Other. Graham County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.
Since the 2020 Census, Graham County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 39.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Graham County's population has increased from 7.2% to 10.0%.
Graham County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Clay County (1.1% Native American/Other), Cherokee County (1.3% Native American/Other), Blount County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Monroe County (0.5% Native American/Other). Graham County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Swain County (27.3% Native American/Other).
Graham County's Multiracial Population
90 residents of Graham County, or 1.1% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Graham County is slightly lower than in North Carolina overall, where 4.1% of the population is Multiracial. Graham County ranks 58th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 100 counties.
Since the 2020 Census, Graham County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 68.1%. Multiracial residents' share of Graham County's population has decreased from 3.5% to 1.1%.
Graham County is less Multiracial than neighboring Clay County (1.8% Multiracial), Cherokee County (3.4% Multiracial), Blount County (3% Multiracial), Swain County (5% Multiracial), and Monroe County (5.7% Multiracial).
Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.