Graham County, North Carolina

Cherokee reserve

Portions of the Qualla Boundary are located in Graham County. These sections of the Qualla Boundary are non-contiguous from the primary part of the Qualla Boundary located in Swain, Jackson, Cherokee and Haywood counties. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who live in Graham County form the Snowbird Cherokee community.

National protected areas

• Appalachian Trail (part)
• Cherohala Skyway (part)
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park (part)
• Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness (part)
• Nantahala National Forest (part)

State and local protected area

• Nantahala National Forest Game Land (part)^[16]

Major water bodies

• Deep Creek
• Fontana Lake
• Hooper Mill Creek
• Little Santeetlah Creek
• Little Tennessee River
• Santeetlah Creek
• Santeetlah Lake
• Snowbird Creek
• Tulula Creek

Adjacent counties

• Blount County, Tennessee – north
• Swain County – northeast
• Macon County – southeast
• Cherokee County – south
• Monroe County, Tennessee – west

Major highways

• US 129
• NC 28
• NC 143
• 
  NC 143 Bus.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 8,030 people and 2,178 families residing in the county.^[27][28]

The median age was 46.8 years. 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 25.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.5 males age 18 and over.^[27]

The racial makeup of the county was 86.1% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 7.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.2% from some other race, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.7% of the population.^[28]

<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.^[29]

There were 3,317 households in the county, of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.1% were married-couple households, 18.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[27]

There were 5,212 housing units, of which 36.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 81.5% were owner-occupied and 18.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 18.3%.^[27]

Racial and ethnic composition

2000 census

At the 2000 census,^[39] there were 7,993 people, 3,354 households, and 2,411 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile (10 people/km²). There were 5,084 housing units at an average density of 17 units per square mile (6.6 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.91% White, 0.19% Black or African American, 6.84% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 0.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 27.6% were of American, 15.1% Irish, 12.7% English, 10.6% German and 5.1% Scots-Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.7% spoke English and 1.3% Cherokee as their first language.

There were 3,354 households, out of which 27.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.80% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.00% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 27.50% from 45 to 64, and 18.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,645, and the median income for a family was $32,750. Males had a median income of $24,207 versus $18,668 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,237. About 14.40% of families and 19.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.30% of those under age 18 and 20.40% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Graham County is governed by an elected five-member board of commissioners. The county is a member of the regional Southwestern Commission council of governments. In 2021, the county began allowing alcoholic beverages to be purchased within the county.^[40] It was the last dry county (in which alcohol sales are generally forbidden with only a few exceptions) in North Carolina.^[41]

Public safety

The Graham County Sheriff's Office protects the court and all county owned facilities, operates the jail, and provides patrol and detective services.^[43] Graham County Emergency Medical Services provide full-time paramedic level care to all of Graham County, and to a small portion of northwest Swain County. As there are no hospitals in Graham County, all patients are transported out of county for emergency care.

Towns

• Fontana Dam^[44]
• Lake Santeetlah
• Robbinsville (county seat and largest community)

Townships

• Cheoah
• Stecoah
• Yellow Creek

Unincorporated communities

Many smaller communities in Graham County are named for bodies of water, notable landscape features, or early settlers. Other unincorporated communities in Graham County include:

• Atoah
• Bear Creek Junction
• Cheoah
• Dentons
• Dry Creek
• Hidetown
• Jenkins Meadow
• Junction
• McGuires
• Meadow Branch
• Milltown
• Rymers Ferry
• Sawyers Creek
• Stecoah
• Sweetgum
• Tapoco (named for the Tallassee Power Company^[45])
• Tulula (just south of Robbinsville; may have been named for a mythological Cherokee Indian)
• Tuskeegee
• Yellow Creek