History
Graham was laid out in 1849 as the county seat of the newly formed Alamance County, and was incorporated as a town in 1851; it became a city in 1961. It was named for William A. Graham, United States Senator from North Carolina (1840-1843) and Governor of North Carolina (1845-1849).
Geography
Graham is located at 36°3'52" North, 79°23'53" West (36.064486, -79.397941)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.1 km² (8.1 mi²). 21.1 km² (8.1 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 12,833 people, 5,241 households, and 3,385 families residing in the city. The population density is 609.5/km² (1,579.3/mi²). There are 5,685 housing units at an average density of 270.0/km² (699.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 72.88% White, 21.64% African American, 0.44% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 3.19% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. 10.14% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 5,241 households out of which 29.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% are married couples living together, 16.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% are non-families. 30.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.37 and the average family size is 2.91.
In the city the population is spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $35,706, and the median income for a family is $40,769. Males have a median income of $27,844 versus $22,163 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,865. 14.9% of the population and 11.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 19.8% are under the age of 18 and 14.9% are 65 or older.