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Carter County, Kentucky courthouse
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GraysonKY

A town of 3,778, settled in 1844. Public schools that outperform most of Kentucky.

Photo: W.marsh · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
3,778
−9.1% since 2010
Typical home
$172K
−3.6% in a year
Household income
$28K
median
Median age
30.3
years
Jobs based here
2,803
A job hub

What makes Grayson stand out

The 3 things Grayson does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
A−School Grade
Schools
Better than 78%
of KY districts
School Grade A−.
Conserved land & trails
Outdoors
#13 most walkable in KY
0.0 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
0.3% of the town is conserved land.
$172Ktypical home
Housing
$172K typical home
26% below the KY typical home
Down 3.6% in a year.
A job hub

Every workday, about 2,506 people come to Grayson for work

Where Grayson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

11% → Ashland Ashland 11% 4% → Huntington Huntington 4% 3% → Morehead Morehead 3% 3% → Lexington-Fayette urban county Lexington-Fayette urban county 3% 1% → Olive Hill Olive Hill 1% 1% → Catlettsburg Catlettsburg 1% Grayson · 25% stay
2,803jobs based in Grayson
25%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

Grayson’s report card

See the data ↓
SchoolsA−Beats 78% of KY districtsOutdoors0 miof trails · 0.3% conservedHousing$172K26% below the KY typical homeCommute18 miHalf of commuters travel lessHazards86/100Very high risk of storm & flood damageClimate87°/24°Summer high · winter low · 18″ snowSafetyC+Less crime than 43% of U.S. towns

Now in Grayson

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Grayson is #125 of 125 in KY for “Fastest-rising home prices”. Fair?
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Local news

All →

Upcoming events

Nothing on the calendar.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Grayson. Another town gets a different order.

Schools

Grayson’s public schools outperform 78% of Kentucky districts

The public schools Grayson’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 78% of Kentucky’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

A−School Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Prichard Elementary SchoolPK–5612B
East Carter Middle School6–8490B−
East Carter County High School9–12678B
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduationAll 3 schools →
Outdoors

0.3% of Grayson is conserved land

0.0 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves.

0.3%conserved
Map of Grayson: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below
0.3%
conserved · 5 of 1,800 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
#13
most walkable in KY
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Dixie Park—3
2. City of Grayson Walking Trail—1
3. Veterans memorial park—1
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Housing

A typical Grayson home is worth about $172K

The typical Grayson home is worth about $172,000, down 3.6% in a year, 26% below the Kentucky typical home.

$172KZillow home value

Typical home value

Grayson$172K
Kentucky$233K
−3.6%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute

About one in four working residents works right in Grayson

About one in 4 of Grayson’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Ashland (11%), Huntington (4%) and Morehead (3%). Half commute less than 18 miles.

25%work in town

Where working residents work

In Grayson25%
Ashland11%
Huntington4%
Morehead3%
Lexington-Fayette urban county3%
18 mi
median commute distance
2,803
jobs based in Grayson
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Natural hazards

Very high risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 86% of U.S. communities.

86risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
86Very high riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingHeat waves
35
paid flood claims since 1978
13
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate

Four seasons, pleasant summers

Grayson has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

18″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter26–46°
Spring42–68°
Summer62–86°
Fall44–69°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Health

How healthy Grayson is

Grayson beats the Kentucky average on 0 of 5 CDC measures and trails it on 2.

5 measures vs. Kentucky
0 better3 too close to call2 worse
What stands outGraysonKY
More older adults who have lost all their teeth30.8%18.9%
Fewer adults seeing a dentist52.1%58.1%
King's Daughters' Medical Center
18.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Safety

Less crime per resident than 43% of U.S. towns

Grayson reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 57% report less.

C+Safety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Grayson1.4
Kentucky2.1
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Grayson9.5
Kentucky12.8
U.S.15.5
43rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
18th
percentile among KY towns
5
violent crimes reported in 2025
35
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
College town

11% of Grayson is in college

Kentucky Christian University497 students on campus
Admission
61%
Net price
$24,038
Graduate
37%
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Carter County, Kentucky courthouse
2007 · Carter County, Kentucky courthouse · Wikimedia Commons
Grayson’s story

182 years in pictures

9 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.

KYMap-doton-GraysonKentuckyChristianUniversityGrayson, Kentucky
Explore the history →

About Grayson

City in Kentucky, United States

Official town website ↗

Grayson is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Carter County, Kentucky, United States, on U.S. Route 60 and Interstate 64 in the state's northeastern region. It is approximately 21 miles west of Ashland. As of the 2020 census, Grayson had a population of 3,834. Along with Carter County, the city is closely associated with the nearby Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area and is often erroneously included in the MSA being just 9 miles west of the MSA's western boundary. The city has grown in size substantially since the opening of Interstate 64 in 1975 through Carter County. Immediately afterwards, Grayson experienced several years of commercial sector growth…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1844
Population
3,834
Area
2.8 sq mi
Elevation
633 ft
ZIP code
41143
Area code
606

More about Grayson

The handbookEverything you need to know about Grayson
Grayson Branch116 W Main Street
PlacesBusinesses & favorite spots
Town HallMeetings, officials & offices
Still missing for Grayson:upcoming events

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Photo of Grayson

Grayson, KY · Photo: W.marsh · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗