Rutherford County, TN

County

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2023 Population

351,591

2.29% 1-year growth

US Senator

Marsha Blackburn

Republican Party

US Senator

Bill Hagerty

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

0% 1-year change

2023 Poverty Rate

9.19%

6.58% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$82,588

5.49% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$346,400

13.5% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

188,778

2.59% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Rutherford County, TN had a population of 352k people with a median age of 34 and a median household income of $82,588. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Rutherford County, TN grew from 343,727 to 351,591, a 2.29% increase and its median household income grew from $78,291 to $82,588, a 5.49% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Rutherford County, TN are White (Non-Hispanic) (64.8%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (14.9%), Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) (4.14%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (3.97%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (3.52%).

None of the households in Rutherford County, TN 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.

94% of the residents in Rutherford County, TN are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Rutherford County, TN are Middle Tennessee State University (4,919 degrees awarded in 2023), Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro (345 degrees), and Paul Mitchell the School-Murfreesboro (144 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Rutherford County, TN was $346,400, and the homeownership rate was 65%.

Most people in Rutherford County, TN drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 28.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Rutherford County, TN was 2 cars per household.

Rutherford County, TN borders Bedford County, TN, Cannon County, TN, Coffee County, TN, Davidson County, TN, Marshall County, TN, Williamson County, TN, and Wilson County, TN.

About the photo: Stones River, Murfreesboro, TN

Photo by Casey Fleser

United States Tennessee Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

Population & Diversity

Rutherford County, TN is home to a population of 352k people, from which 94% are citizens. As of 2023, 10.3% of Rutherford County, TN residents were born outside of the country (36.1k people).

In 2023, there were 4.36 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (228k people) in Rutherford County, TN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 52.3k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 14.5k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94%

2023 Citizenship

95.1%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 94% of Rutherford County, TN residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Rutherford County, TN was 95.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Rutherford County, TN

White (Non-Hispanic)
228k ± 1.14k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
52.3k ± 1.34k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
14.5k ± 2.11k

11.6%

Hispanic Population

40.6k people

11.6% of the people in Rutherford County, TN are hispanic (40.6k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Rutherford County, TN 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 Tennessee.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
96,695 ± 7,581 people
Guatemala
27,777 ± 4,084 people
India
24,683 ± 3,850 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Tennessee was Mexico, the natal country of 96,695 Tennessee residents, followed by Guatemala with 27,777 and India with 24,683.

Foreign-Born Population

10.3%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

36.1k people

8.5%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

29.2k people

As of 2023, 10.3% of Rutherford County, TN residents (36.1k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Rutherford County, TN was 8.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
4,825 ± 604
Vietnam
4,387 ± 512
Gulf War (1990s)
3,510 ± 655

Rutherford County, TN has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.1 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Rutherford County, TN employs 189k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Rutherford County, TN were Manufacturing (23,826 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (23,605 people), and Retail Trade (21,904 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($88,185), Utilities ($75,491), and Finance & Insurance ($66,315).

Employment

Occupations

189k

2023 Value

± 4,516

2.59%

1 Year growth

± 3.26%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Rutherford County, TN grew at a rate of 2.59%, from 184k employees to 189k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rutherford County, TN, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (23,203 people), Management Occupations (20,468 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (16,332 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rutherford County, TN.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Tennessee (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

189k

2023 Value

± 4,516

2.59%

1 Year growth

± 3.26%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Rutherford County, TN grew at a rate of 2.59%, from 184k employees to 189k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rutherford County, TN, are Manufacturing (23,826 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (23,605 people), and Retail Trade (21,904 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Rutherford County, TN, though some of these residents may live in Rutherford County, TN and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$52,539

Median earning men ± $1,478

$40,024

Median earning women ± $977

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($68,672), Public Administration ($66,802), and Manufacturing ($66,772).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,188), Construction ($49,282), and Manufacturing ($47,141).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

3.15%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.29M people employed in Tennessee. This represents a 3.15% 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 10.8%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

403
Retail Trade
393
Construction
327
Other Services (except Public Administration)

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

$1.4M
Manufacturing
$871k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$669k
Retail Trade

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

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Tennessee went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.703%).

Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are the senators currently representing the state of Tennessee. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Tennessee is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Rutherford County, TN. Showing the available data for Tennessee.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (64.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (34.5%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.703%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Tennessee went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.703%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Tennessee for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Tennessee

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Tennessee.

Marsha Blackburn

Senator from Tennessee

Assumed office on January 3, 2019

Bill Hagerty

Senator from Tennessee

Assumed office on January 3, 2021

Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are the senators currently representing Tennessee.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Tennessee over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Tennessee

Tennessee is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Tennessee have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2023, universities in Rutherford County, TN awarded 5,440 degrees. The student population of Rutherford County, TN in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 9,838 male students and 11,253 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Rutherford County, TN are White (3,654 and 69.1%), followed by Black or African American (809 and 15.3%), Hispanic or Latino (374 and 7.07%), and Asian (215 and 4.06%).

The largest universities in Rutherford County, TN by number of degrees awarded are Middle Tennessee State University (4,919 and 90.4%), Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro (345 and 6.34%), and Paul Mitchell the School-Murfreesboro (144 and 2.65%).

The most popular majors in Rutherford County, TN are General Business Administration & Management (481 and 8.84%), Other Multidisciplinary Studies (293 and 5.39%), and General Psychology (290 and 5.33%).

The median tuition cost in Rutherford County, TN for a public four year colleges is $7,536 for in-state students and $27,072 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Rutherford County, TN, the percentage of applicants admitted was 68%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 31.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 21,091 (46.6% men and 53.4% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 21,091 students enrolled in Rutherford County, TN, 46.6% men and 53.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 13,509 records, of which 52.6% were women and 47.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
242 degrees awarded
Other Multidisciplinary Studies
293 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
248 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Rutherford County, TN was General Psychology with 242 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Rutherford County, TN according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Middle Tennessee State University
4,919 degrees awarded
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro
345 degrees awarded
Paul Mitchell the School-Murfreesboro
144 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Middle Tennessee State University with 4,919 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 2,345 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Rutherford County, TN, which is 0.758 times less than the 3,095 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 3,654 degrees mean that there were 4.52 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 809 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

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($7,536) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,970) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,260) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2023, 0.917% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.783% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (1.75M), Some college (1.18M), and Bachelors Degree (984k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Rutherford County, TN was $346,400 in 2023, which is 1.14 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $305,100 to $346,400, a 13.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Rutherford County, TN is 65%, which is lower than the national average of 65%.

People in Rutherford County, TN have an average commute time of 28.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Rutherford County, TN is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Rutherford County, TN is $82,588. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Rutherford County, TN was Census Tract 403.07, Rutherford County, TN with a value of $131,500, followed by Census Tract 413.01, Rutherford County, TN and Census Tract 408.08, Rutherford County, TN, with respective values of $128,598 and $128,425.

In 2024, 12.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Rutherford County, TN. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 1.45%.

Housing

Property

$346,400

Median Property Value 2023

±$4,587

$81,828

Median Property Taxes

±$2,565

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, TN 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, TN compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

65%

Homeownership

2023

68.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 65% of the housing units in Rutherford County, TN were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 65.2%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 403.07, Rutherford County, TN
Census Tract 413.01, Rutherford County, TN
Census Tract 408.08, Rutherford County, TN

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Rutherford County, TN was Census Tract 403.07, Rutherford County, TN with a value of $131,500, followed by Census Tract 413.01, Rutherford County, TN and Census Tract 408.08, Rutherford County, TN, with respective values of $128,598 and $128,425.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Rutherford County, TN colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$82,588

Median Household Income

± $1,854

126k

Number of Households

± 3,393

In 2023, the median household income of the 126k households in Rutherford County, TN grew to $82,588 from the previous year's value of $78,291.

The following chart displays the households in Rutherford County, TN 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, TN is from Tennessee.

0.459

2023 Wage GINI in Tennessee

0.462

2022 Wage GINI in Tennessee

In 2023, the income inequality in Tennessee was 0.459 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.619% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Tennessee was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Tennessee in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (75%)
Worked At Home (13%)
Carpooled (10%)

In 2023, 75% of workers in Rutherford County, TN drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (13%) and those who carpooled to work (10%).

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

28.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rutherford County, TN have a longer commute time (28.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2% of the workforce in Rutherford County, TN have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Rutherford County, TN 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, TN distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Rutherford County, TN have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 12.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Rutherford County, TN. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 1.45%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

9.19% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rutherford County, TN (31.8k out of 346k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Rutherford County, TN is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

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 2024, 10.7% of the children was living in poverty in Rutherford County, TN. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 6%.

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 492 in Rutherford County, TN. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 66.4 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

90.2% of the population of Rutherford County, TN has health coverage, with 56.2% on employee plans, 12.2% on Medicaid, 8.01% on Medicare, 12.5% on non-group plans, and 1.39% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Rutherford County, TN see 2,287 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.59% decrease from the previous year (2,324 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1859 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 871 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,287 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Rutherford County, TN

Primary care physicians in Rutherford County, TN see an average of 2,287 patients per year. This represents a 1.59% decrease from the previous year (2,324 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.3% under 18 years, 24.9% between 18 and 34 years, 37.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 10.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

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

Uninsured People

9.77%

Uninsured

56.2%

Employer Coverage

12.2%

Medicaid

8.01%

Medicare

12.5%

Non-Group

1.39%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Rutherford County, TN grew by 5.34% from 9.27% to 9.77%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2024, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 49.6 in Rutherford County, TN.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2024, 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 34.7% in Rutherford County, TN.

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