Rutherford County, North Carolina
CountyPopulation: 64,850 (2023 estimate)
Located in North Carolina
County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Rutherford County
- What is the median household income in Rutherford County?
- The median household income in Rutherford County is $49,771 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Rutherford County?
- The poverty rate in Rutherford County is 13.3% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Rutherford County?
- $180,800 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Rutherford County?
- The median gross rent in Rutherford County is $748 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Rutherford County residents have a college degree?
- 20.7% of adults in Rutherford County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
64,850
Median Income
$49,771
Median Home Value
$180,800
Poverty Rate
13.3%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
5.5%
Median Age
45.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$7,163 (+16.8%)
Home Value:
+$62,500 (+52.8%)
Poverty Rate:
+1.5 pp (+12.7%)
Bachelor's+:
+2.9 pp (+16.3%)
Unemployment:
-1.7 pp (-23.6%)
Demographics
Total Population
64,850
Median Age
45.0
Female
51.4%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
White (non-Hisp.) 81.1%
Black 8.1%
Asian 0.5%
Two or More 5.6%
Other 2.6%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Vietnamese
0.2%
Filipino
0.1%
Korean
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
3.4%
Puerto Rican
0.3%
Cuban
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$49,771
±$2,569
-$20,133 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$71,332
Median Family Income
$61,796
Poverty Rate
13.3%
+3.9 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
21.8%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
19.2%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
28.1%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
4.8%
$10–15k
6.5%
$15–25k
11.0%
$25–35k
12.2%
$35–50k
15.8%
$50–75k
17.8%
$75–100k
12.7%
$100–150k
11.7%
$150–200k
3.6%
$200k+
3.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
32,682
Owner-Occupied
74.1%
Renter-Occupied
25.9%
Vacancy Rate
18.6%
Median Home Value
$180,800
-$78,600 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$748
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
18.6%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
37.6%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
10.4%
$50–100k
16.0%
$100–200k
14.6%
$200–300k
21.5%
$300–500k
14.1%
$500k–$1M
5.7%
$1M+
2.3%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
11.5%
$500–1k
69.3%
$1–1.5k
16.1%
$1.5–2k
1.1%
$2–2.5k
1.1%
$3.5k+
1.0%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
5.4%
1 vehicle
29.2%
2 vehicles
35.8%
3+
29.5%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
73.3%
Single-fam. att.
1.8%
2–4 units
1.6%
5–19 units
2.3%
20+ units
1.0%
Mobile home
16.5%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
7.6%
1940–1969
7.2%
1970–1999
14.5%
2000–2009
13.8%
2010+
5.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
86.6%
Bachelor's or Higher
20.7%
-14.0 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
7.4%
Some College / Associate
23.1%
Less Than High School
4.4%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
53.9%
Unemployment Rate
5.5%
+0.7 pp vs. state
Work from Home
6.7%
Self-Employed
7.5%
Government Workers
13.3%
Private For-Profit
79.0%
Industry
Edu/Health
22.4%
Manufacturing
16.1%
Retail
10.9%
Prof. Services
10.5%
Arts/Entmt.
8.8%
Construction
8.3%
Transportation
6.0%
Finance
4.3%
Public Admin
3.3%
Information
1.6%
Agriculture
1.3%
Wholesale
0.7%
Occupation
Management
30.8%
Food Prep
21.2%
Production
18.7%
Sales
17.2%
Construction
12.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
26.3 min
Drove Alone
81.2%
Carpool
9.0%
Public Transit
0.1%
Work from Home
6.7%
Walked
1.3%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
26,589
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
45.9%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
13.2%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
5.0%
5–9
6.4%
10–14
5.2%
15–19
5.9%
20–24
5.0%
25–34
11.3%
35–44
11.0%
45–54
13.4%
55–64
6.9%
65–74
7.8%
75–84
13.1%
85+
7.3%
Under 18: 20.3%
Working age (18–64): 79.7%
65 and over: 22.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
3.2%
Naturalized Citizen
51.8%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
2.0%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
70.7%
Asia
15.9%
Europe
7.9%
Africa
1.1%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
8.0%
With a Disability
21.4%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
88.2%
Uninsured
11.8%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
82.6%
Has a Computer
90.1%
Same House 1 Year Ago
88.3%
Moved from Abroad
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Rutherford County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Rutherford County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Other flows - South | 335 | 608 |
| Cleveland County | 171 | 356 |
| Buncombe County | 111 | 188 |
| Other flows - West | 79 | 130 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 78 | 141 |
| Spartanburg County | 77 | 155 |
| Polk County | 71 | 136 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 61 | 104 |
| Henderson County | 58 | 115 |
| McDowell County | 58 | 112 |