Rutherfordton, NC

Census Place

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2023 Population

3,669

0.0545% 1-year decline

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

2.5% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

19.1%

13.7% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$59,750

1.42% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$226,900

17.3% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

1,448

4.17% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Rutherfordton, NC had a population of 3.67k people with a median age of 39 and a median household income of $59,750. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Rutherfordton, NC declined from 3,671 to 3,669, a −0.0545% decrease and its median household income grew from $58,913 to $59,750, a 1.42% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Rutherfordton, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (72.2%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (9.62%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (9.38%), Other (Hispanic) (3.35%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (3.08%).

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.

96.4% of the residents in Rutherfordton, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Rutherfordton, NC was $226,900, and the homeownership rate was 65%.

Most people in Rutherfordton, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Rutherfordton, NC was 2 cars per household.

United States North Carolina Rutherford County, NC Forest City, NC Rutherford, Cleveland (West) & Polk Counties--Shelby City PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Rutherfordton, NC is home to a population of 3.67k people, from which 96.4% are citizens. As of 2023, 7% of Rutherfordton, NC residents were born outside of the country (257 people).

In 2023, there were 7.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.65k people) in Rutherfordton, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 353 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 344 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.4%

2023 Citizenship

95%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 96.4% of Rutherfordton, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Rutherfordton, NC was 95%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Rutherfordton, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
2.65k ± 276
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
353 ± 157
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
344 ± 149

7.06%

Hispanic Population

259 people

7.06% of the people in Rutherfordton, NC are hispanic (259 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Rutherfordton, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
214,508 ± 11,254 people
India
79,868 ± 6,912 people
Honduras
39,759 ± 4,886 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 214,508 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 79,868 and Honduras with 39,759.

Foreign-Born Population

2023 Foreign-Born Population

257 people

10.4%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

381 people

As of 2023, 7% of Rutherfordton, NC residents (257 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Rutherfordton, NC was 10.4%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
88 ± 71
Gulf War (1990s)
11 ± 15
Gulf War (2001-)
7 ± 23

Rutherfordton, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 8 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Rutherfordton, NC employs 1.45k people. The largest industries in Rutherfordton, NC are Health Care & Social Assistance (273 people), Accommodation & Food Services (184 people), and Manufacturing (176 people), and the highest paying industries are Educational Services ($250,001), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($113,516), and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($77,135).

Males in North Carolina have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $57,464. The income inequality in North Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.47, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

1.45k

2023 Value

± 305

−4.17%

1 Year decline

± 30.7%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Rutherfordton, NC declined at a rate of −4.17%, from 1.51k employees to 1.45k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rutherfordton, NC, are Sales & Related Occupations (165 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (146 people), and Production Occupations (142 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rutherfordton, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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

1.45k

2023 Value

± 305

−4.17%

1 Year decline

± 30.7%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Rutherfordton, NC declined at a rate of −4.17%, from 1.51k employees to 1.45k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rutherfordton, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (273 people), Accommodation & Food Services (184 people), and Manufacturing (176 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

$30,656

Median earning men ± $11,893

$31,297

Median earning women ± $3,863

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($122,031), Manufacturing ($64,250), and Retail Trade ($61,600).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($75,104), Manufacturing ($38,929), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($31,563).

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.

Education

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.944% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.805% 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 North Carolina.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.16M), Some college (1.84M), and Bachelors Degree (1.63M).

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 Rutherfordton, NC was $226,900 in 2023, which is 0.748 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $193,400 to $226,900, a 17.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Rutherfordton, NC is 65%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Rutherfordton, NC have an average commute time of 21.3 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

$226,900

Median Property Value 2023

±$52,795

$935

Median Property Taxes

±$220

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 $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

65%

Homeownership

2023

62.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 65% of the housing units in Rutherfordton, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 68.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Rutherfordton, NC 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 9604
Census Tract 9606

The following map shows all of the places in Rutherfordton, NC 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.

$59,750

Median Household Income

± $15,938

1.44k

Number of Households

± 272

In 2023, the median household income of the 1.44k households in Rutherfordton, NC grew to $59,750 from the previous year's value of $58,913.

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.

Wage Distribution

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

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2021 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.47 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0732% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (74%)
Carpooled (17.5%)
Motorcycle (4.71%)

In 2023, 74% of workers in Rutherfordton, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (17.5%) and those who used a motorcycle to get to work (4.71%).

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

21.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rutherfordton, NC have a shorter commute time (21.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.93% 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.

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.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

19.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rutherfordton, NC (660 out of 3.46k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 5, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Females 25 - 34.

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.

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.

Health

87.4% of the population of Rutherfordton, NC has health coverage, with 26% on employee plans, 22.1% on Medicaid, 21.7% on Medicare, 15.4% on non-group plans, and 2.28% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Rutherford County, NC see 2236 patients per year on average, which represents a 6.6% decrease from the previous year (2394 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3799 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 593 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Rutherford County, NC.

2,236 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Rutherford County, NC

Primary care physicians in Rutherford County, NC see an average of 2,236 patients per year. This represents a 6.6% decrease from the previous year (2,394 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 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.2% under 18 years, 20.8% between 18 and 34 years, 28.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 25.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 42.1% were men and 57.9% were women.

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

Uninsured People

12.6%

Uninsured

26%

Employer Coverage

22.1%

Medicaid

21.7%

Medicare

15.4%

Non-Group

2.28%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Rutherfordton, NC grew by 15.9% from 10.8% to 12.6%.

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.

Keep Exploring

North Carolina

State

Rutherford County, NC