Rutherfordton, NC

Census Place

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2024 Population
3,680
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
38.9
0.256% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
12.7%
33.5% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$59,375
0.628% 1-year decline
2024 Median Property Value
$288,400
27.1% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
1,556
7.46% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Rutherfordton, 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.

95.6% of the residents in Rutherfordton, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Rutherfordton, NC was $288,400, and the homeownership rate was 64.3%.

Most people in Rutherfordton, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Rutherfordton, NC was 2 cars per household.

United StatesNorth CarolinaRutherford County, NCForest City, NCRutherford, Cleveland (West) & Polk Counties--Shelby City PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Rutherfordton, NC is home to a population of 3.68k people, from which 95.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 7.31% of Rutherfordton, NC residents were born outside of the country (269 people).

In 2024, there were 6.57 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.52k people) in Rutherfordton, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 384 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 344 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.6%
2024 Citizenship
96.4%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.6% of Rutherfordton, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Rutherfordton, NC was 96.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Rutherfordton, NC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    2.52k ± 321
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    384 ± 182
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    344 ± 205
9.95%
Hispanic Population
366 people

In 2024, there were 6.57 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.52k people) in Rutherfordton, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 384 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 344 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

9.95% of the people in Rutherfordton, NC are hispanic (366 people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    224,963 ± 11,520 people
  2. India
    83,219 ± 7,055 people
  3. 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.

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Foreign-Born Population

7.31%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
269 people
7%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
257 people

As of 2024, 7.31% of Rutherfordton, NC residents (269 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 Rutherfordton, NC was 7%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    59 ± 46
  2. Gulf War (1990s)
    16 ± 18
  3. Gulf War (2001-)
    12 ± 29

Rutherfordton, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.69 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Rutherfordton, NC employs 1.56k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Rutherfordton, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (349 people), Manufacturing (234 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (201 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($77,841), Manufacturing ($72,857), and Public Administration ($63,971).

Employment

Occupations

1.56k
2024 Value
± 327
7.46%
1 Year growth
± 27.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rutherfordton, NC grew at a rate of 7.46%, from 1.45k employees to 1.56k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rutherfordton, NC, are Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (169 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (165 people), and Production Occupations (141 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rutherfordton, NC.

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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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

1.56k
2024 Value
± 327
7.46%
1 Year growth
± 27.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rutherfordton, NC grew at a rate of 7.46%, from 1.45k employees to 1.56k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rutherfordton, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (349 people), Manufacturing (234 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (201 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Rutherfordton, NC, though some of these residents may live in Rutherfordton, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$35,640
Median earning men ± $24,690
$31,721
Median earning women ± $8,293

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($101,016), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($70,804), and Retail Trade ($63,984).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,181), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($51,080), and Manufacturing ($39,161).

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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.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Rutherfordton, NC was $288,400 in 2024, which is 0.867 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $226,900 to $288,400, a 27.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Rutherfordton, NC is 64.3%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Rutherfordton, NC have an average commute time of 22.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Rutherfordton, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$288,400
Median Property Value 2024
±$68,226
$997
Median Property Taxes
±$239

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 Rutherfordton, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

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Rent vs Own

64.3%
Homeownership
2024
70.2%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 64.3% of the housing units in Rutherfordton, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 65%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$59,375
Median Household Income
± $13,689
1.55k
Number of Households
± 296

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.55k households in Rutherfordton, NC declined from $59,375 from the previous year's value of $59,750.

The following chart displays the households in Rutherfordton, 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 $10k - $15k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Rutherfordton, 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (75.6%)
  2. Carpooled (13.9%)
  3. Worked At Home (10.5%)

In 2024, 75.6% of workers in Rutherfordton, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (13.9%) and those who worked at home (10.5%).

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.

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Commute Time

22.3 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rutherfordton, NC have a shorter commute time (22.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.43% of the workforce in Rutherfordton, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rutherfordton, NC (446 out of 3.52k 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 Males 25 - 34, followed by Females 5 and then Females 6 - 11.

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

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.

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Health

92.1% of the population of Rutherfordton, NC has health coverage, with 29% on employee plans, 20.6% on Medicaid, 24.2% on Medicare, 16.3% on non-group plans, and 1.96% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1,413 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1634 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 299 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 42.9% were men and 57.1% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.7% under 18 years, 21.6% between 18 and 34 years, 27.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 27% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 42.9% were men and 57.1% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

7.88%
Uninsured
29%
Employer Coverage
20.6%
Medicaid
24.2%
Medicare
16.3%
Non-Group
1.96%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Rutherfordton, NC declined by 37.4% from 12.6% to 7.88%.

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

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