Rutherford County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Rutherford County has a population of 64,930 residents and a median age of 45.3 years, making it the #849 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.8%. The median home value is $201,800, and the median household income is $51,410, which is 32% below the national median.
Demographics
Rutherford County has a population of 64,930, making it the #849 most populous county in the US. The median age is 45.3 years, which is 16.5% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Rutherford County is $51,410, ranking #2,697 out of 3,222 counties — 31.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.8% and unemployment stands at 6.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Rutherford County is $201,800 (-28.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $783/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Rutherford County, 21.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 36.3% below the national average, ranking #1,740 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Rutherford County is 71.9 years. 20.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
19.8% of adults in Rutherford County smoke , 36.7% are obese , and 19.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 52.4 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Rutherford County is 4.1 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 19.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 20.9 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
20.3% of children in Rutherford County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 23.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Rutherford County is 65.9%. The mean commute time is 28.8 min, which is 4.2% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Rutherford County voted Republican with a margin of 47.8%. The vote was 25.8% Dem / 73.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Rutherford County, North Carolina
Rutherford County, North Carolina has a total population of 64,930, making it the 849th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Rutherford County is 45.3 years, which is 16.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Rutherford County is $51,410, which ranks #2,697 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 31.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.3%.
The median home value in Rutherford County is $201,800, 28.4% below the national median. Renters in Rutherford County pay a median gross rent of $783 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Rutherford County, 21.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 36.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 88.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.8 min.
Rutherford County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 80.8% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (7.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (5.7%).
All data for Rutherford County, North Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.