Rutherford County, NC

County

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2024 Population

64,930

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

16.8%

4.81% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$51,410

3.29% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$201,800

11.6% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

27,480

1.49% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Rutherford County, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.4% of the residents in Rutherford County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Rutherford County, NC are Isothermal Community College (878 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Rutherford County, NC was $201,800, and the homeownership rate was 73.9%.

Most people in Rutherford County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Rutherford County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Rutherford County, NC borders Buncombe County, NC, Burke County, NC, Cleveland County, NC, Henderson County, NC, McDowell County, NC, Polk County, NC, Cherokee County, SC, and Spartanburg County, SC.

United States North Carolina Forest City, NC

Population & Diversity

Rutherford County, NC is home to a population of 64.9k people, from which 98.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.12% of Rutherford County, NC residents were born outside of the country (2.03k people).

In 2024, there were 10.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (52.5k people) in Rutherford County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.98k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.62k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.4%

2024 Citizenship

98.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.4% of Rutherford County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Rutherford County, NC was 98.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Rutherford County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Rutherford County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
52.5k ± 346
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
4.98k ± 477
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
2.62k ± 488

5.7%

Hispanic Population

3.7k people

5.7% of the people in Rutherford County, NC are hispanic (3.7k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Rutherford County, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
224,963 ± 11,520 people
India
83,219 ± 7,055 people
Honduras
48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

Foreign-Born Population

3.12%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2.03k people

3.19%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.07k people

As of 2024, 3.12% of Rutherford County, NC residents (2.03k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Rutherford County, NC was 3.19%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Rutherford County, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,507 ± 276
Gulf War (2001-)
701 ± 165
Gulf War (1990s)
600 ± 178

Rutherford County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.15 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Rutherford County, NC.

Economy

The economy of Rutherford County, NC employs 27.5k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Rutherford County, NC were Manufacturing (4,284 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,827 people), and Retail Trade (3,099 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($108,030), Utilities ($64,265), and Information ($61,409).

Employment

Occupations

27.5k

2024 Value

± 1,303

1.49%

1 Year growth

± 6.67%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rutherford County, NC grew at a rate of 1.49%, from 27.1k employees to 27.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rutherford County, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,482 people), Production Occupations (2,472 people), and Management Occupations (2,330 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rutherford County, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

27.5k

2024 Value

± 1,303

1.49%

1 Year growth

± 6.67%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rutherford County, NC grew at a rate of 1.49%, from 27.1k employees to 27.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rutherford County, NC, are Manufacturing (4,284 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (3,827 people), and Retail Trade (3,099 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Rutherford County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Rutherford County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,044

Median earning men ± $2,326

$30,982

Median earning women ± $1,713

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($100,982), Wholesale Trade ($63,365), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($56,755).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($68,186), Information ($60,962), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($56,685).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

133
Other Services (except Public Administration)
100
Construction
90
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$188k
Manufacturing
$102k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$74.2k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Rutherford County, NC awarded 878 degrees. The student population of Rutherford County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 662 male students and 1,148 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Rutherford County, NC are White (681 and 77.7%), Hispanic or Latino (70 and 7.98%), Black or African American (66 and 7.53%), and Unknown (27 and 3.08%).

The largest universities in Rutherford County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Isothermal Community College (878 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Rutherford County, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (185 and 21.1%), General Business Administration & Management (127 and 14.5%), and Medical Office Management (44 and 5.01%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,810 students enrolled in Rutherford County, NC, 36.6% men and 63.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,304 records, of which 62.2% were women and 37.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
93 degrees awarded
Medical Office Management
32 degrees awarded
Horse Husbandry & Equine Management
30 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Rutherford County, NC was General Business Administration & Management with 93 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years from schools in Rutherford County, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Isothermal Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

878 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Isothermal Community College with 878 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 348 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Rutherford County, NC, which is 0.657 times less than the 530 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 681 degrees mean that there were 9.73 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 70 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($1,824) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($206) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,400) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Rutherford County, NC was $201,800 in 2024, which is 0.607 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $180,800 to $201,800, a 11.6% increase. The homeownership rate in Rutherford County, NC is 73.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Rutherford County, NC have an average commute time of 26.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Rutherford County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Rutherford County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.73%.

Housing

Property

$201,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,065

$19,684

Median Property Taxes

±$1,002

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Rutherford County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Rutherford County, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

73.9%

Homeownership

2024

64.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 73.9% of the housing units in Rutherford County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 74.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Rutherford County, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$51,410

Median Household Income

± $2,731

26.6k

Number of Households

± 1,280

In 2024, the median household income of the 26.6k households in Rutherford County, NC grew to $51,410 from the previous year's value of $49,771.

The following chart displays the households in Rutherford County, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Rutherford County, NC is from North Carolina.

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (79.7%)
Carpooled (8.86%)
Worked At Home (8.59%)

In 2024, 79.7% of workers in Rutherford County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (8.86%) and those who worked at home (8.59%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

26.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rutherford County, NC have a shorter commute time (26.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.69% of the workforce in Rutherford County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Rutherford County, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Rutherford County, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Rutherford County, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Rutherford County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.73%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

16.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rutherford County, NC (10.7k out of 63.7k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Rutherford County, NC is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 20.3% of the children was living in poverty in Rutherford County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 8.5%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 196 in Rutherford County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 49.3 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

88% of the population of Rutherford County, NC has health coverage, with 33% on employee plans, 18.4% on Medicaid, 17.9% on Medicare, 16.6% on non-group plans, and 2.03% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Rutherford County, NC see 2,227 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,227 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3821 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 512 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.2% were men and 51.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,227 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Rutherford County, NC

Primary care physicians in Rutherford County, NC see an average of 2,227 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,227 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Rutherford County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.6% under 18 years, 17.4% between 18 and 34 years, 39% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.2% were men and 51.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

12%

Uninsured

33%

Employer Coverage

18.4%

Medicaid

17.9%

Medicare

16.6%

Non-Group

2.03%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Rutherford County, NC grew by 1.73% from 11.8% to 12%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Rutherford County, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 59.9 in Rutherford County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Rutherford County, NC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 36.7% in Rutherford County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Rutherford County, NC.