Grayson, KY

City in Carter County, KY, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

3,778

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

30.3

years ∙ half population younger than 30.3, half older

Diversity Index

21.4%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

1.6%

foreign-born population

98.4%Native

1.6% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Grayson is a city within Carter County, Kentucky, United States.

Location

City in Carter County, KY, US

Co-ordinates

DEC38.333895° N, 82.935811° W

DMS38° 20′ 02.02″ N, 82° 56′ 08.92″ W

Population Density & area

1,359/sq mi (525.5/km²)

Total Area

2.83 sq mi (7.33 km²)

Land Area

2.78 sq mi (7.19 km²) · 98.1%

Water Area

0.05 sq mi (0.14 km²) · 1.9%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

51.2% male

Male 51.2%

Female 48.8%

males per 100 females

Grayson 104.8

Carter County 97.2

Kentucky 98.2

Nativity

1.6%

foreign-born population

98.4%Native

1.6% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Grayson 1.6%

Carter County 1.1%

Kentucky 4.7%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

30.3

years ∙ half population younger than 30.3, half older

Grayson

30.3

Carter County

41.4

Kentucky

39.1

Dependency ratio

63.8

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Grayson 63.8

Carter County 73.9

Kentucky 66.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Grayson	Carter County	Kentucky
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	22.2%	22.6%	22.6%
Working age (18-64)	61.1%	57.5%	60.1%
Senior (65+)	16.7%	19.9%	17.3%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	63.8	73.9	66.4
Child dependency ratio	36.4	39.2	37.6
Old-age dependency ratio	27.4	34.7	28.8

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

88.4%

Black

1.7%

Asian

1.6%

Hispanic

Other

6.3%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

21.4%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Grayson 21.4%

Carter County 9.3%

Kentucky 32.6%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Grayson population

Racial and ethnic composition — Grayson vs Carter County vs Kentucky. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Grayson	Carter County	Kentucky
Hispanic or Latino	2%	0.9%	5%
Mexican	2%	0.7%	2.5%
Puerto Rican	0%	0%	0.5%
Cuban	0%	0%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0%	0.1%	1.3%
Not Hispanic or Latino	98%	99.1%	95%
One race	91.7%	95.8%	91.1%
White	88.4%	95.2%	81.5%
Black or African American	1.7%	0.3%	7.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0%	0.1%
Asian	1.6%	0.3%	1.6%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.1%
Some Other Race	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	6.3%	3.3%	3.9%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

52.2% family

Family 52.2%

Non family 47.8%

% family households

Grayson 52.2%

Carter County 68.2%

Kentucky 63.9%

Average household size

2.16

persons per household

Grayson

2.16

Carter County

2.39

Kentucky

2.43

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Grayson population

	Grayson	Carter County	Kentucky
Total households	1,493	10,794	1,814,469
Average houshold size	2.16	2.39	2.43
Family households	779	7,364	1,159,005
Average family size	3.16	2.92	3.03
Married couple family	510	6,029	844,820
Other families	269	1,335	314,185
Male householder	103	460	95,673
Female householder	166	875	218,512
Non-family households	714	3,430	655,464
One-person households	684	3,093	540,419
Male householder	213	1,233	247,145
Senior (65+) living alone	82	539	79,059
Female householder	471	1,860	293,274
Senior (65+) living alone	247	1,069	151,346
Other living arrangements	30	337	115,045

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

1,741

housing units

Grayson 1,741

Carter County 12,316

Kentucky 2,023,116

Occupancy status

85.8% occupied

Occupied 85.8%

Vacant 14.2%

vacancy rate

Grayson 14.2%

Carter County 12.4%

Kentucky 10.3%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

58.5%

Single family houses

58.5%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

26.1%

Mobile homes

15.3%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1981

Half of houses were built before 1981, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

25.4%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

52.3%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

22.5%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Grayson	Carter County	Kentucky
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.4	6	5.7
1–3 rooms	16.3%	6.7%	10.4%
4–6 rooms	56.6%	55.3%	54.2%
7+ rooms	27%	38%	35.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0.4%	0.7%	1.7%
1 bedroom	27.8%	6.3%	8.2%
2 bedrooms	15.2%	22.1%	25.1%
3 bedrooms	43.3%	53.8%	45.2%
4+ bedrooms	13.3%	17%	19.7%
At a glance
Median year built	1981	1985	1983
Total housing units	1,741	12,316	2,023,116

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

39% owners

Renter-occupied 61%

Owner-occupied 39%

homeownership rate

Grayson 39%

Carter County 80%

Kentucky 68.3%

Average household size

2.51

Owner-occupied

1.94

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Grayson 2.51

Carter County 2.47

Kentucky 2.53

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Grayson	Carter County	Kentucky
Total occupied units	1,493	10,794	1,814,469
Year moved in
2020 or later	29.4%	15.5%	23.8%
2010 to 2019	39.5%	32.3%	38.4%
2000 to 2009	17.1%	19.2%	16.7%
1999 or earlier	14.1%	33%	21.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	100%	99%	98%
1.01 to 1.50	0%	1%	1.4%
1.51 or more	0%	0%	0.6%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	20.6%	8.3%	6.8%
1 vehicle	37.8%	24.3%	32.4%
2 vehicles	26.3%	32.4%	37.1%
3 or more vehicles	15.3%	35%	23.7%
House heating fuel used
Gas	14.7%	28.9%	41.5%
Electricity	83.5%	62.6%	54.9%
Solar	0%	0%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.3%	0.7%
All other fuels	1.8%	7.7%	2.3%
No fuel used	0%	0.4%	0.4%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.9%	0.6%	0.5%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.5%	0.6%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0%	1.6%	1.1%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$136,900

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Grayson

$136,900

Carter County

$132,800

Kentucky

$205,600

Housing Cost Burden

29.5%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

29.5%

Owners without a mortgage

17.6%

Renters

56.6%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Grayson	Carter County	Kentucky
Property value
Median Value	$136,900	$132,800	$205,600
Under $100,000	34.4%	39.5%	20.9%
$100,000 - $200,000	34.9%	31%	27.6%
$200,000 - $300,000	17.5%	15.9%	23.1%
$300,000 - $500,000	13.2%	10.6%	20.1%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	0%	2.9%	7.1%
$1,000,000 and more	0%	0.1%	1.2%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	51.2%	38.7%	56.1%
Without a mortgage	48.8%	61.3%	43.9%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$970	$1,273	$1,433
Without a mortgage	$329	$398	$469
Gross rent
Median rent	$745	$740	$967

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

18.7%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Grayson 18.7%

Carter County 15.9%

Kentucky 27.6%

Adults without a high school diploma

14.9%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Grayson 14.9%

Carter County 15.8%

Kentucky 11.1%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

887

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

K–12

54.3%

College / Undergraduate

45.7%

Graduate / Professional

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

63.5%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Grayson

63.5%

Carter County

42.5%

Kentucky

36%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Grayson	Carter County	Kentucky
Total enrolled (age 3+)	887	5,656	1,039,376
Nursery / preschool	0%	4.3%	5.5%
K–12	54.3%	73.3%	70.6%
Kindergarten	12.3%	5.8%	5.2%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	12.5%	18.5%	21.4%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	15.3%	24.5%	21.9%
High School: Grades 9–12	14.2%	24.5%	22.2%
College or graduate school	45.7%	22.4%	23.8%
College, undergraduate	45.7%	19.4%	18.9%
Graduate, professional school	0%	3%	5%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	63.5%	42.5%	36%
School type
Public school	80.4%	82.9%	81.9%
Private school	19.6%	17.1%	18.1%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

2,314

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

8.3%

9th-12th, no diploma

6.6%

HS graduate

49.2%

Some college no degree

12.7%

Associates degree

4.5%

Bachelors degree

5.1%

Graduate or professional degree

13.6%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

79.3% · 20.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

55.3% · 44.7%

HS graduate

55.8% · 44.2%

Some college no degree

34.5% · 65.5%

Associates degree

42.3% · 57.7%

Bachelors degree

50.4% · 49.6%

Graduate or professional degree

17.8% · 82.2%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Grayson	Carter County	Kentucky
Population (25+)	2,314	18,200	3,098,758
Less than 9th grade	8.3%	6.5%	4.3%
9th–12th, no diploma	6.6%	9.3%	6.8%
High school diploma or GED	49.2%	39.3%	32.6%
Some college, no degree	12.7%	19.3%	19.7%
Associate's degree	4.5%	9.7%	9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.7%	15.9%	27.6%
Bachelor's degree	5.1%	8.4%	16.2%
Graduate or professional	13.6%	7.6%	11.3%
High School or higher	85.1%	84.2%	88.9%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$31,310

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$30,208

Some college or associates

$57,763

Bachelors degree

$39,444

Graduate or professional degree

$60,264

Poverty Rate

2.4%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

59.4%

HS graduate

39%

Some college or associates

39.4%

Bachelors degree or higher

2.4%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Grayson	Carter County	Kentucky
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$31,310	$40,387	$46,524
Less than high school graduate	$—	$27,174	$29,659
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$30,208	$30,714	$37,177
Some college or associate's degree	$57,763	$47,577	$43,534
Bachelor's degree	$39,444	$51,865	$60,526
Graduate or professional degree	$60,264	$58,611	$70,952
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	59.4%	36%	33.5%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	39%	20.8%	17%
Some college or associate's degree	39.4%	14.6%	11.7%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2.4%	4.4%	4.7%

Insights for Grayson, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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