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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Rutherford County

Tennessee · 341,486 residents · 619 sq mi
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Part of the Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government metro area
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The short version

Rutherford County is a county of 341,486 people in Tennessee. Since 2000 the county has more than doubled, up 159,463 people. The median age is 34.4, younger than the US median of 38.8. Households here earn about 25% more than in Tennessee as a whole. The foreign-born share is 7%. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $234,700.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 34.4
US median: 38.8
Average education
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 40%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
341,486
+88%since 2000
from 182,023 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
34.4
+10%since 2000
from 31.2 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
619 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
94K167K240K312K385K19902000201020202024Rutherford County
2024361K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56.3%(21,616)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97%(23,899)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 147.5%(25,668)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197.6%(26,078)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.9%(26,866)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.6%(49,755)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4414.4%(49,100)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.6%(43,136)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6410.8%(37,008)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 747.1%(24,152)
US avg: 10%
75 to 843.2%(10,848)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1%(3,360)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$68,718
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,312 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$31,195
+56%since 2000
from $19,938 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
44.4%
+13.5 ptssince 2009
from 30.9% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
10.3%
+1.4 ptssince 2000
from 9.0% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade13.4%
US avg: 10%
Information11.8%
US avg: 11.1%
Finance & insurance6.8%
US avg: 5.5%
Wholesale trade6.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services6.4%
US avg: 6.6%
Professional, scientific, technical6.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration4.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing3.3%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food2.1%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$234,700
+40%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $111,600 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,117
+24%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $601 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
62.6%
−7.3 ptssince 2000
from 69.8% in 2000
37.4% rent
Persons per household
2.77 people
+8%since 2009
from 2.57 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.4
+18%since 2009
from 2.9 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.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic84.5%(153,762)
Black9.4%(17,197)
Hispanic / Latino2.8%(5,065)
Asian1.9%(3,443)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic64.2%(219,194)
Black15.6%(53,270)
Hispanic / Latino11.2%(38,317)
Asian3.6%(12,394)
Other3.8%(12,882)
Segregation Score
29
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
Mexican4.3%(14,065)
Central American1.6%(5,158)
Puerto Rican0.9%(2,960)
Salvadoran0.8%(2,487)
South American0.7%(2,301)
Guatemalan0.6%(1,870)
Venezuelan0.2%(725)
Honduran0.2%(600)
Cuban0.2%(514)
Peruvian0.1%(480)
Dominican0.1%(462)
Colombian0.1%(436)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.1%(267)
Argentine0.1%(201)
Ecuadorian0.1%(181)
Chilean0%(92)
Bolivian0%(83)
Asian origin
Laotian1.4%(4,463)
Asian Indian0.4%(1,315)
Chinese0.4%(1,285)
Filipino0.2%(802)
Burmese0.2%(743)
Thai0.2%(626)
Japanese0.2%(514)
Korean0.1%(329)
Indonesian0.1%(247)
Vietnamese0%(116)
Pakistani0%(91)
Nepalese0%(65)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Hmong0%(62)
Cambodian0%(50)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(75)
Ancestry
German9.3%(30,301)
English9.2%(29,710)
Irish9.1%(29,604)
American8.6%(27,984)
Italian2.8%(9,139)
Scotch-Irish1.9%(6,216)
Scottish1.9%(6,165)
French1.6%(5,203)
Polish1.3%(4,297)
Welsh0.8%(2,483)
Dutch0.7%(2,330)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
British0.6%(1,940)
Norwegian0.6%(1,784)
Egyptian0.5%(1,720)
Swedish0.4%(1,301)
Russian0.3%(1,103)
West Indian0.3%(970)
Hungarian0.2%(667)
Swiss0.2%(546)
Austrian0.2%(500)
Czech0.2%(498)
Greek0.1%(476)
Danish0.1%(446)
Lebanese0.1%(432)
Ghanaian0.1%(382)
Nigerian0.1%(364)
Iraqi0.1%(354)
Slovak0.1%(300)
Barbadian0.1%(258)
Haitian0.1%(257)
Ukrainian0.1%(249)
Portuguese0.1%(247)
Palestinian0.1%(227)
Croatian0.1%(225)
Ethiopian0.1%(215)
Canadian0.1%(203)
Arab0.1%(196)
Jordanian0.1%(180)
Lithuanian0.1%(174)
Iranian0%(155)
Jamaican0%(149)
Armenian0%(144)
Finnish0%(118)
Australian0%(108)
Latvian0%(105)
Slovene0%(82)
Turkish0%(80)
Brazilian0%(75)
Serbian0%(69)
Bulgarian0%(62)
Belgian0%(61)
Syrian0%(51)
Romanian0%(49)
Israeli0%(27)
Somali0%(3)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
32.6%
+9.6 ptssince 2000
from 22.9% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
92.4%
+10.6 ptssince 2000
from 81.8% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
9.7%
+3.1 ptssince 2000
from 6.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
28.8 min
+50%since 2000
from 19.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
81.5%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 85.2% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
2.6%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.2%
−4.2 ptssince 2011
from 8.4% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
71.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2011
from 71.1% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.7%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
36.0%
+4.0 ptssince 2009
from 31.9% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 49.6% in 2009
Female
50.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.4% in 2009
Foreign born
7.5%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
9.0%
−4.6 ptssince 2013
from 13.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
95.3%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
84.0%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married37.4%(52,503)
Married53%(74,414)
Widowed1.9%(2,624)
Divorced7.8%(10,922)
Women 15+
Never married32.4%(47,591)
Married49.9%(73,357)
Widowed6.2%(9,120)
Divorced11.6%(17,037)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
9.0%
−4.6 ptssince 2013
from 13.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
63.9%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
12.5%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
12.0%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
14.6%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.6%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
74.9%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
26.0%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)28.7%(5,153)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)26%(4,667)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era29.6%(5,310)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War3.8%(689)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II1.5%(273)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 17,924 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
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Head to head

Compare Rutherford County to nearby counties

RUTHERFORD COUNTY VS
Cannon County
Income$59,443−13%
Home value$252,000+7%
Population15,296−96%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RUTHERFORD COUNTY VS
Wilson County
Income$95,839+39%
Home value$428,000+82%
Population175,033−55%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RUTHERFORD COUNTY VS
Bedford County
Income$67,225−2%
Home value$281,200+20%
Population55,273−86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RUTHERFORD COUNTY VS
Williamson County
Income$135,594+97%
Home value$751,900+220%
Population272,061−30%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Rutherford County, Tennessee?

Rutherford County, Tennessee has about 341,486 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Rutherford County, Tennessee?

The typical household in Rutherford County, Tennessee earns about $68,718 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Rutherford County, Tennessee expensive?

In Rutherford County, Tennessee, the median home is worth about $234,700, and the typical rent is about $1,117 a month.

How educated are people in Rutherford County, Tennessee?

About 32.6% of adults age 25 and over in Rutherford County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Rutherford County, Tennessee?

About 10.3% of people in Rutherford County, Tennessee live below the federal poverty line.

Has Rutherford County, Tennessee grown since 1990?

Yes, Rutherford County, Tennessee has grown since 1990. The population has added about 222,916 residents, a change of about 188 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 →