Rutherford County, Tennessee

TN · FIPS 47149 Republican

Located in Tennessee, Rutherford County has a population of 360,646 residents and a median age of 34.2 years, making it the #207 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.3%. The median home value is $382,600, and the median household income is $85,470, which is 14% above the national median.

360,646
Population
#207 of 3,222
$85,470
Median Income
+13.7% #411 of 3,222
34.2 years
Median Age
-12.1% #3,024 of 3,222
9.3%
Poverty Rate
-26.4% #637 of 3,222

Demographics

Rutherford County has a population of 360,646, making it the #207 most populous county in the US. The median age is 34.2 years, which is 12.1% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

89.1%
Native Born
10.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Rutherford County is $85,470, ranking #411 out of 3,222 counties — 13.7% above the national median. The poverty rate is 9.3% and unemployment stands at 3.6%.

Income#411
$85,470
+13.7%
vs nation
87th percentile
Per Capita#927
$39,158
-5.1%
vs nation
71th percentile
Poverty#637
9.3%
-26.4%
vs nation
80th percentile
Unemployment#1,039
3.6%
-32.7%
vs nation
68th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Rutherford County is $382,600 (+35.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,502/mo and the homeownership rate is 64.8%.

Home Value#334
$382,600
+35.7%
vs nation
90th percentile
Rent#244
$1,502
+29.1%
vs nation
92th percentile
Homeownership#2,752
64.8%
+0.6%
vs nation
15th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Rutherford County, 35.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 6.1% above the national average, ranking #439 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
35.8% +6.1% vs nation
Rank #439 of 3,222
86th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Rutherford County is 76.0 years. 19.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,288
76.0
+1.1%
vs nation
58th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,804
19.8%
+1.2%
vs nation
43th percentile
Diabetes#2,173
12.1%
+8.7%
vs nation
31th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,806
38.3%
+2.7%
vs nation
43th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,450
6.1
+7.8%
vs nation
22th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,587
4.4
-0.6%
vs nation
50th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,694
10.0%
-4.7%
vs nation
46th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,969
27.8%
+5.4%
vs nation
37th percentile
Food Insecurity#674
11.5%
-20.2%
vs nation
79th percentile

Substance Use

18.6% of adults in Rutherford County smoke , 33.8% are obese , and 17.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 37.8 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,868
18.6%
+3.6%
vs nation
41th percentile
Adult Obesity#545
33.8%
-10.8%
vs nation
83th percentile
Excessive Drinking#765
17.7%
-11.0%
vs nation
76th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,529
37.8
+17.0%
vs nation
28th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Rutherford County is 5.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.9 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#717
5.7
-28.8%
vs nation
53th percentile
Suicide Rate#519
13.7
-30.6%
vs nation
80th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#925
14.5
-18.8%
vs nation
63th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#577
11.9
-41.0%
vs nation
80th percentile

Families & Children

11.5% of children in Rutherford County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 15.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#610
6.2
-9.6%
vs nation
55th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#974
15.4
-29.3%
vs nation
68th percentile
Child Poverty#527
11.5%
-39.5%
vs nation
83th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Rutherford County is 61.9%. The mean commute time is 31.2 min, which is 13.1% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
61.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
31.2 min +13.1% vs nation
Rank #697 of 3,222
78th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Rutherford County voted Republican with a margin of 21.7%. The vote was 38.4% Dem / 60.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +21.7%
38.4% 60.1%
Dem 147,656 votes Rep
2020 REP +15.4%
41.2% 56.6%
Dem 143,878 votes Rep
2016 REP +26.1%
34.4% 60.5%
Dem 106,518 votes Rep
2012 REP +24.8%
36.8% 61.6%
Dem 98,816 votes Rep
2008 REP +19.1%
39.8% 58.9%
Dem 101,737 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Rutherford County, Tennessee

Rutherford County, Tennessee has a total population of 360,646, making it the 207th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Rutherford County is 34.2 years, which is 12.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Rutherford County is $85,470, which ranks #411 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 13.7% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.6%.

The median home value in Rutherford County is $382,600, 35.7% above the national median. Renters in Rutherford County pay a median gross rent of $1,502 per month. The homeownership rate is 64.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Rutherford County, 35.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 6.1% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 31.2 min.

Rutherford County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 63.7% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (14.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (12.2%).

All data for Rutherford County, Tennessee 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.