HomeNorth CarolinaGraham County
Graham County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Graham County, North Carolina had an estimated 8,179 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,030, across 292 square miles. County output reached $329.9 m in 2024, 164 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $10.5 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Graham County
How many people live in Graham County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20248,072
- Households3,524
- Average household size2.29
- Median household income$49,684
- Median age45.6
- Median gross rent$676 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$170,600
- Home value to household income3.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,013
- Population under 181,544
- Share under 1819.1 percent
- Population 65 and over2,062
- Share 65 and over25.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,466
- Civilian labor force3,434
- Unemployment rate7.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over52.6 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties98th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2650th of 3,222
Graham County is the 98th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.4 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.5 percent against 19.1 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Graham County
Is Graham County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20248,179
- Census 2020 base population8,030
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.86 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024100
- Births, 202499
- Deaths, 2024121
- Natural change, 2024-22
- Net domestic migration, 2024119
- Net international migration, 20243
- Total net migration, 2024122
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024224
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1215th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.86 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Graham County
Where are people moving to Graham County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving141
- People arriving, from those returns274
- Tax returns filed by households leaving129
- Net household movement12
- Adjusted gross income arriving$8.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$2.9 m
- Average income of an arriving household$58,830
- Average income of a leaving household$41,496
- Largest single destinationCherokee County (20 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|
Households arriving report $17,334 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Graham County
What is the Graham County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$329.9 m
- County GDP, 2023$317.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.9 percent
- GDP change over five years28.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Carolina areas BEA publishes94th of 100
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2656th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$40,866
Output grew 3.9 percent in the latest year and 28.6 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Graham County
Employment by industry in Graham County
- Covered employment, annual average2,011
- Establishments reporting228
- Average annual pay$48,748
- Average weekly wage$937
- Construction, employment421
- Construction, average annual pay$66,132
- Retail trade, employment237
- Retail trade, average annual pay$29,056
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment71
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$59,276
- Finance and insurance, employment56
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$56,885
- Wholesale trade, employment31
- Other services, except public administration, employment30
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 421 | 46 | $66,132 |
| Retail trade | 237 | 26 | $29,056 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 71 | 15 | $59,276 |
| Finance and insurance | 56 | 8 | $56,885 |
| Wholesale trade | 31 | 8 | $83,913 |
| Other services, except public administration | 30 | 15 | $28,035 |
| Information | 13 | 4 | $55,790 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 11 | 12 | $64,281 |
Construction is the largest private sector at 421 jobs, 20.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Graham County
How many businesses are in Graham County?
- Establishments, all industries164
- Employment at those establishments1,439
- Annual payroll$69.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Graham County
Building permits in Graham County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202431
- Declared construction value permitted$9.0 m
- Single family units authorized31
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$291,733
- Units authorized per 1,000 households8.8
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Graham County
SBA loans in Graham County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$10.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,746,900
- Median 7(a) approval$1,008,350
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)88
- Jobs per approval14.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term303 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer83.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (3)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Graham County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Graham County
Do SBA loans in Graham County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Graham County
How large is Graham County?
- Land area292 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties83rd of 100
- Width, east to west25.5 mi
- Height, north to south17.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land28
- Establishments per square mile0.56
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Graham County
Flood risk in Graham County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Graham County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 370105
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Graham County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Graham County (community 370105), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Graham County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Graham County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Graham County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20248,072
- Households3,524
- Average household size2.29
- Median household income$49,684
- Median age45.6
Common questions
Graham County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Graham County, North Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 8,179 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 8,072, in 3,524 households, ranking 98th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Graham County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.86 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,030, to 8,179 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 99 births against 121 deaths, with net migration of 122. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Graham County?
$49,684. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $170,600, which is 3.4 times income, and median gross rent is $676 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Graham County?
164 establishments, employing 1,439 people with an annual payroll of $69.4 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Graham County?
Construction is the largest private sector at 421 jobs, 20.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,011 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,748, or $937 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Graham County?
6 7(a) approvals totaling $10.5 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $1,008,350. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Graham County?
31 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $9.0 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Graham County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Are traffic counts available for Graham County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Graham County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Graham County
Cities and places in Graham.
3 Census places lie wholly or partly in Graham County. All 3 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robbinsville | town | 577 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Santeetlah | town | 82 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fontana Dam | town | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |