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COUNTY

Rutherford County

North Carolina · 65,745 residents (2025 est.) · 565 sq mi
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The short version

Rutherford County is a county of 64,930 people in North Carolina. At a median age of 45.3, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. The foreign-born share is 3%. Households here earn about 29% less than in North Carolina as a whole. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $201,800.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 45.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 55%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
64,930
+3%since 2000
from 62,899 in 2000
65,745 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
115 / sq mi
+3%since 2009
from 112 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
45.3
+18%since 2000
from 38.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
565 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
56K59K62K66K69K19902000201020202024Rutherford County
202465K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55%(3,216)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.9%(3,836)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.4%(3,529)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.8%(3,775)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.1%(3,323)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.5%(7,493)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4410.9%(7,069)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.3%(8,609)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.8%(9,622)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7413.1%(8,524)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 847.5%(4,869)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.6%(1,065)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$51,410
−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $31,122 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$30,460
+87%since 2000
from $16,270 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
34.3%
+18.9 ptssince 2009
from 15.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
16.8%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 13.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.467
+4%since 2010
from 0.448 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade15.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.3%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7.7%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services4.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical3.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration3.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Education & health services1.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction1%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing0.5%
US avg: 2.2%
Manufacturing0.3%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$201,800
+55%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $71,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$783
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $404 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
73.9%
−0.6 ptssince 2000
from 74.5% in 2000
26.1% rent
Vacancy rate
18.7%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 17.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.39 people
+2%since 2009
from 2.34 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
17.1%
−6.2 ptssince 2009
from 23.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
38.5%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 36.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.9
+39%since 2009
from 2.8 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
58
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic85.8%(53,957)
Black11.2%(7,028)
Hispanic / Latino1.8%(1,136)
Asian0.3%(191)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic80.8%(52,457)
Black7.7%(4,984)
Hispanic / Latino5.7%(3,698)
Asian0.5%(304)
Other5.4%(3,487)
Diversity Score
42
+27%since 2009
from 33 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
31
+1%since 2020
from 31 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.4%(2,227)
Colombian0.6%(369)
Honduran0.4%(228)
Puerto Rican0.3%(225)
Bolivian0.1%(70)
Venezuelan0.1%(55)
Spaniard0.1%(40)
Chilean0.1%(37)
Cuban0%(20)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.2%(120)
Filipino0.1%(80)
Korean0%(31)
Hmong0%(30)
Chinese0%(17)
Pacific Islander origin
Tongan0%(12)
Samoan0%(3)
Ancestry
English13.9%(9,027)
American10.8%(7,025)
Irish10.7%(6,956)
German9.8%(6,376)
Scotch-Irish3.2%(2,049)
Scottish2.5%(1,622)
Italian2.3%(1,478)
Polish1%(621)
Dutch0.8%(549)
Welsh0.8%(539)
French0.7%(470)
Swedish0.4%(288)
+ 30 more ancestry groups with data
British0.3%(204)
Russian0.2%(161)
Czech0.2%(137)
Australian0.2%(131)
Hungarian0.2%(125)
Danish0.2%(108)
Norwegian0.1%(94)
Brazilian0.1%(85)
West Indian0.1%(78)
Portuguese0.1%(58)
Greek0.1%(56)
Ukrainian0.1%(56)
Belgian0.1%(50)
Barbadian0.1%(48)
Swiss0.1%(43)
Slovak0.1%(34)
Arab0%(23)
Canadian0%(19)
Jamaican0%(18)
Finnish0%(16)
Romanian0%(14)
Serbian0%(9)
Turkish0%(7)
Iranian0%(3)
Haitian0%(2)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
21.5%
+9.0 ptssince 2000
from 12.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
87.2%
+16.9 ptssince 2000
from 70.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
8.2%
+4.3 ptssince 2000
from 3.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.1 min
+75%since 2000
from 14.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
79.7%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 83.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.9%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
8.6%
+5.8 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.1%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 7.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.3%
−6.8 ptssince 2011
from 13.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
54.9%
−1.2 ptssince 2011
from 56.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
69.1%
+7.2 ptssince 2020
from 61.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
13.1%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 13.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
32.2%
+6.2 ptssince 2009
from 26.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.4%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 47.8% in 2009
Female
51.6%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 52.2% in 2009
Foreign born
3.1%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.4%
−3.3 ptssince 2009
from 10.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
21.2%
+1.2 ptssince 2012
from 20.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
12.0%
−6.0 ptssince 2013
from 18.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
82.9%
+19.7 ptssince 2017
from 63.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
89.9%
+5.2 ptssince 2020
from 84.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
89.1%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 86.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
95.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2016
from 95.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.6%
+0.5 ptssince 2016
from 3.1% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married28.6%(7,506)
Married54%(14,171)
Widowed4.7%(1,232)
Divorced12.6%(3,310)
Women 15+
Never married24.6%(6,916)
Married49.5%(13,916)
Widowed12.7%(3,572)
Divorced13.2%(3,726)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
12.0%
−6.0 ptssince 2013
from 18.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
41.3%
−2.7 ptssince 2020
from 44.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
18.4%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 17.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
26.2%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 25.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
23.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 23.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 3.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
58.5%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 59.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
46.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 45.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)18.2%(701)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.3%(784)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era40.2%(1,549)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.6%(176)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.1%(4)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 3,853 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Rutherford County to nearby counties

RUTHERFORD COUNTY VS
Polk County
Income$67,758+32%
Home value$315,000+56%
Population20,533−69%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RUTHERFORD COUNTY VS
McDowell County
Income$57,168+11%
Home value$171,100−15%
Population45,198−31%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RUTHERFORD COUNTY VS
Cleveland County
Income$58,534+14%
Home value$200,000−1%
Population103,325+57%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RUTHERFORD COUNTY VS
Burke County
Income$58,592+14%
Home value$185,400−8%
Population88,655+35%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Rutherford County, North Carolina?

Rutherford County, North Carolina has about 64,930 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Rutherford County, North Carolina?

The typical household in Rutherford County, North Carolina earns about $51,410 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Rutherford County, North Carolina expensive?

In Rutherford County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $201,800, and the typical rent is about $783 a month.

How educated are people in Rutherford County, North Carolina?

About 21.5% of adults age 25 and over in Rutherford County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Rutherford County, North Carolina?

About 16.8% of people in Rutherford County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Rutherford County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Rutherford County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 8,012 residents, a change of about 14 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →