Grayson, Kentucky
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Grayson, Kentucky | |
|---|---|
| Carter County Courthouse in Grayson Carter County Courthouse in Grayson | |
| Motto(s): "Heart of the Parks" | |
| Location of Grayson in Carter County, Kentucky. Location of Grayson in Carter County, Kentucky. | |
| Coordinates: 38°19′55″N 82°56′14″W / 38.33194°N 82.93722°WCoordinates: 38°19′55″N 82°56′14″W / 38.33194°N 82.93722°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Carter |
| Named for | Landowner William Grayson |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Troy Combs |
| Area | |
| • Total | Template:Infobox settlement/areadisp |
| • Land | Template:Infobox settlement/areadisp |
| • Water | Template:Infobox settlement/areadisp |
| Elevation | Template:Infobox settlement/lengthdisp |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 3,834 Decrease |
| • Estimate (2024)[3] | 3,702 |
| • Density | Template:Infobox settlement/densdisp |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 41143 |
| Area code(s) | 606 |
| FIPS code | 21-32572 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2403732[2] |
| Website | www |
Grayson is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Carter County, Kentucky, United States,[4] 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.[5] 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. [citation needed]
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, mainly to serve the Interstate 64 traffic. Since 1990, the city has also seen significant growth in the residential sector with the Interstate making for a faster trip to and from Ashland. Beginning in 1995, AA Highway terminates in Grayson making the city a gateway to the Huntington-Ashland urban area.
History
[edit | edit source]After the Revolutionary War, George Washington's aide-de-camp Col. William Grayson received a 70,000-acre (280 km2) tract of land for his service during the war from the state of Virginia.[6] By 1838, a small portion of this tract was set aside for the development of a town named for him. Although Grayson had only five streets and eighty lots, it was established by the General Assembly on February 6, 1844, and it was incorporated on February 22, 1860.[7][8] Grayson, Kentucky was a stop on the Eastern Kentucky Railway.[9][10]
Geography
[edit | edit source]Grayson is located in east-central Carter County along the Little Sandy River, a tributary of the Ohio River.
Route 60 passes through the city as Main Street and is intersected in downtown by Kentucky Routes 1 and 7 (Carol Malone Boulevard). Interstate 64 runs through the northern end of the city, with access to KY 7 at Exit 172. Kentucky Route 9, the AA Highway, begins from KY 1-and-7 just north of the city limits and runs 111 miles (179 km) to the Cincinnati area. Huntington, West Virginia, is 29 miles (47 km) east of Grayson via I-64, and Lexington is 96 miles (154 km) to the west.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Grayson has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.5 km2), of which 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) is land and 0.039 square miles (0.1 km2), or 1.95%, is water.[11]
Climate
[edit | edit source]The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Grayson has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[12] Since 2002, nine different severe storms have struck Grayson, with each storm causing enough damage to warrant federal assistance for disaster recovery.[13]
Education
[edit | edit source]Grayson is served by Carter County Schools. Schools located within the city include:
- Heritage Elementary School
- Prichard Elementary School
- East Carter Middle School
- East Carter High School
The campus of Kentucky Christian University (formerly Kentucky Christian College) is located in Grayson.
Grayson has a lending library, a branch of the Carter County Public Library.[14]
Demographics
[edit | edit source]2020 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2020 census, Grayson had a population of 3,834. The median age was 35.8 years. 19.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.9 males age 18 and over.[15][16]
98.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 1.4% lived in rural areas.[17]
There were 1,469 households in Grayson, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 33.6% were married-couple households, 20.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 39.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[15]
There were 1,696 housing units, of which 13.4% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.5%.[15]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 3,452 | 90.0% |
| Black or African American | 177 | 4.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 16 | 0.4% |
| Asian | 26 | 0.7% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0 | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 33 | 0.9% |
| Two or more races | 130 | 3.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 88 | 2.3% |
2000 census
[edit | edit source]As of the census[18] of 2000, there were 3,877 people, 1,415 households, and 938 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.1 inhabitants per square mile (598.1/km2). There were 1,538 housing units at an average density of 614.5 per square mile (237.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.32% White, 0.52% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.77% of the population.
There were 1,415 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 19.0% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,683, and the median income for a family was $26,280. Males had a median income of $32,022 versus $18,875 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,879. About 27.7% of families and 31.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.8% of those under age 18 and 22.3% of those age 65 or over.
Notable residents
[edit | edit source]- Charlie Borders, former Kentucky State Senator
- Montana Fouts, All American softball pitcher for University of Alabama
- Jason Smith, chef, TV personality
- Robin L. Webb, Kentucky State Senator and former Kentucky State Representative
- Jill York, former member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
See also
[edit | edit source]- 1993 East Carter High School shooting, a school shooting that occurred in Grayson
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Template:GNIS
- ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Kentucky: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024 (SUB-IP-EST2024-POP-21)". May 2025. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ↑ Rennick, Robert M. (1988). "Place Names". Kentucky Place Names. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-0179-4. Retrieved on 9 October 2010.
- ↑ City of Grayson. Brochure. Retrieved on 2010-10-09
- ↑ Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Grayson, Kentucky". Accessed 29 July 2013.
- ↑ Eastern Kentucky Railway.
- ↑ Eastern Kentucky Railway (2007, Baldridge, Terry L.)
- ↑ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Grayson city, Kentucky". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
- ↑ Climate Summary for Grayson, Kentucky
- ↑ Places in the U.S. Where Disaster Strikes Again and Again
- ↑ "Kentucky Public Library Directory". Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Archived from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
- ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Grayson, Kentucky. |
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