City · Kentucky
Grayson, Kentucky
Grayson, city, in Carter County, Kentucky. Grayson had 3,728 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.8% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 3,834 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,778 (±14). GEOID 2132572.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
3,728
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 3,834 · ACS 2020-2024: 3,778 ±14
Median household income
$27,542
±$6,385 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $63,726
Median home value
$136,900
±$29,617 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $205,600
Median gross rent
$745
±$107 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $967
Where is Grayson and what county is it in?
Grayson is a city in Carter County, Kentucky. It covers 2.8 square miles of land, 1,382 residents per square mile in 2020.
Grayson is in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 8 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Grayson, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 3,728 people lived in Grayson on July 1, 2025, down 2.8% since 2020, while Kentucky grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 3,834 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 3,778 (±14).
| Measure | Grayson | Carter County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,778 ±14 | 26,341 | −198 |
| Households | 1,493 ±159 | 10,794 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.16 ±0.23 | 2.39 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,741 ±194 | 12,316 | no clear change |
Grayson's population since 2000
From 3,877 in 2000 to 3,728 in 2025: down 3.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Grayson as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Grayson?
The median resident of Grayson is 30.3 years old; 22.2% are under 18 and 16.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 88.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 6.3%.
| Measure | Grayson | Carter County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.3 ±2.4 | 41.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.2% ±5.1 pts | 22.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.7% ±4.1 pts | 19.9% | – |
| Male | 51.2% ±5.0 pts | 49.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.9% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 88.4% ±5.5 pts | 95.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.7% ±1.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±2.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.3% ±4.7 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.6% ±2.2 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.6% ±2.5 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.3% ±2.8 pts | 7.4% | – |
| With a disability | 14.3% ±4.3 pts | 20.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.2% ±2.5 pts | 7.1% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 85.1% ±4.7 pts | 84.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.7% ±5.8 pts | 15.9% | +8.9 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 13.6% ±5.4 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 76.7% ±8.7 pts | 91.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.5% ±2.6 pts | 1.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Grayson earn?
Half of Grayson's 1,493 households earn less than $27,542 a year (±$6,385), against $51,235 in Carter County and $63,726 in Kentucky. In 2015-2019 it was $36,372 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 37.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Grayson | Carter County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $27,542 ±$6,385 | $51,235 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $47,591 ±$7,967 | $69,045 | – |
| Per capita income | $19,838 ±$3,278 | $27,994 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 37.9% ±9.0 pts | 19.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 56.0% ±19.3 pts | 22.0% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 25.8% ±8.1 pts | 19.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 83.0% ±8.1 pts | 88.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 74.1% ±8.3 pts | 81.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Grayson?
Owners occupy 39.0% of Grayson's occupied homes and renters 61.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $136,900 by its owner (±$29,617). The median renter pays $745 a month including utilities, and 50.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Grayson | Carter County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $136,900 ±$29,617 | $132,800 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $745 ±$107 | $740 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 50.6% ±15.4 pts | 42.1% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $970 ±$205 | $1,273 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 39.0% ±9.8 pts | 80.0% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 61.0% ±9.8 pts | 20.0% | – |
| Housing units | 1,741 ±194 | 12,316 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.4% ±2.4 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 3.2% ±4.5 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 53.9% ±10.3 pts | 68.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 15.3% ±8.1 pts | 25.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.9% ±1.5 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.0% ±3.6 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 20.6% ±8.5 pts | 8.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Grayson building?
Builders took permits for 2 new housing units in Grayson in 2025 (2 in single-family houses), 0.5 per 1,000 residents against 3.2 across Kentucky.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Grayson work and get to work?
64.2% of Grayson's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 23.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 7.6%.
| Measure | Grayson | Carter County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 48.4% ±7.8 pts | 48.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 7.6% ±4.0 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 64.2% ±10.2 pts | 80.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 14.3% ±7.7 pts | 11.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 14.1% ±8.4 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.8% ±2.5 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.7 min ±6.4 | 30.4 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Grayson?
No census tract lies mostly in Grayson; 3 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9606.02Carter County | 4,838 | $42,364 |
| Tract 9605Carter County | 4,197 | $48,984 |
| Tract 9606.01Carter County | 1,562 | $57,841 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Grayson) · Census block assignment files
How does Grayson compare with other places in Kentucky?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Grayson is the 5,703rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 96th-most populous of 418 in Kentucky.
Grayson ranks 221st of 230 places in Kentucky with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 96th | 418 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 166th | 204 |
| Residents per square mile | 81st | 232 |
| Median household income | 221st | 230 |
| Per capita income | 213th | 232 |
| Median home value | 158th | 225 |
| Median gross rent | 144th | 217 |
| Poverty rate | 14th | 203 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 138th | 223 |
| Median age | 214th | 232 |
| Owner-occupied share | 216th | 229 |
| Travel time to work | 83rd | 232 |
Grayson's figures with every place in Kentucky (CSV)
Every place in Kentucky, sortable · Compare Grayson with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Grayson?
17 of the 57 figures for Grayson on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Grayson are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Grayson.