1917 · Oneida Cotton Mill · Wikimedia Commons
Graham’s story
Graham in pictures
11 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 6 places on the National Register.
GrahamNC
A town of 18,048. A typical home worth about $292K.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Alamance County NC · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
18,048
+21.2% since 2010
Typical home
$292K
+1.6% in a year
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
37.8
years
Jobs based here
7,200
Balanced
What makes Graham stand out
The 3 things Graham does most differently from other towns.
$292Ktypical home
Housing
$292K typical home
13% below the NC typical home
Up 1.6% in a year.
100 U.S. towns● Graham
Health
60% of U.S. towns are healthier
on CDC estimates
Better than NC on 0 measures, worse on 6.
Outdoors
#88 most walkable in NC
4.3 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
1.5% of the town is conserved land.
A growing town
Graham has grown 21.2% since 2010
14,153 people in 2010; 18,048 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Graham’s report card
Housing$292K13% below the NC typical homeHealthC+Healthier than 40% of U.S. townsOutdoors4 miof trails · 1.5% conservedSafetyCLess crime than 26% of U.S. townsSchoolsCBeats 32% of NC districtsClimate89°/30°Summer high · winter low · 2″ snowCommute21 miHalf of commuters travel lessHazards47/100Moderate risk of storm & flood damage
Now in Graham
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Graham is #5 of 63 in NC for “Housing hasn't kept up”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Graham’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →59°
Clear
H 86° · L 61°
Local news
All →- River Mill Aca. vs Clover Garden - Girls Middle School Volleyball 10/02/2026 | Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Oct 2
- S. Alamance vs Away - Boys Varsity Basketball 01/19/2027 | Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 30
- River Mill Aca. vs Oxford Prep - Girls Varsity Volleyball 09/25/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 26
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Graham. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Graham home is worth about $292K
The typical Graham home is worth about $292,000, up 1.6% in a year, 13% below the North Carolina typical home.
$292KZillow home value
Typical home value
Graham$292K
North Carolina$335K
Market temperature
46
days on market
98.2%
sale-to-list price
+1.6%
value change, 1 year
23
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Health
Healthier than 40% of U.S. towns
Graham beats the North Carolina average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6.
C+Health Grade
32 measures vs. North Carolina
0 better26 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Graham | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 13.6% | 10.4% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 19.6% | 15.2% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 10.3% | 8.1% |
Alamance Regional Medical Center
6.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
40th
percentile among NC towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
1.5% of Graham is conserved land
4.3 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves.
1.5%conserved
1.5%
conserved · 103 of 7,090 acres
4.3 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
#88
most walkable in NC
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Graham Municipal Park | 0.7 mi | 41 |
| 2. South Graham Park | 0.2 mi | 34 |
| 3. Greenway Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 26% of U.S. towns
Graham reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 74% report less. Within North Carolina, it does better than 58% of towns.
CSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Graham2.9
North Carolina3.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Graham14.5
North Carolina18.1
U.S.15.5
26th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
58th
percentile among NC towns
58
violent crimes reported in 2025
288
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Schools
Graham’s public schools outperform 32% of North Carolina districts
The public schools Graham’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 68% of North Carolina’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
CSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance Community School | K–7 | 736 | C− |
| South Graham Elementary | PK–5 | 518 | C− |
| North Graham Elementary | PK–5 | 362 | D |
| Graham Middle | 6–8 | 553 | D |
| Graham High | 9–12 | 828 | B |
| ABSS Early College at ACC | 9–13 | 247 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduationAll 9 schools →
Climate
Mild winters, hot summers
Graham has mild winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
2″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–53°
Spring46–71°
Summer66–87°
Fall48–71°
Nov 3
typical first frost
Apr 4
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Graham
Most working residents leave Graham for work: only 8% work in town. The top destinations are Burlington (20%), Durham (8%) and Greensboro (8%). Half commute less than 21 miles.
8%work in town
Where working residents work
In Graham8%
Burlington20%
Durham8%
Greensboro8%
Mebane6%
21 mi
median commute distance
7,200
jobs based in Graham
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 47% of U.S. communities.
47risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHurricanes
27
paid flood claims since 1995
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
College town
Alamance Community College calls Graham home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
About Graham
City in North Carolina, United States
Graham is a city and the county seat of Alamance County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census the population was 17,153.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 17,157
- Area
- 9.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 653 ft
- ZIP code
- 27253
- Area code
- 336
Graham’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Graham.
BurlingtonHaw RiverGraham
More about Graham
Still missing for Graham:upcoming events