Population 549 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Ruth
Household size in Ruth
| Period | Ruth | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.85 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.38 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.50 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.93 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.08 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Ruth are large by national standards, averaging 2.93 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Ruth
| Period | Ruth | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.5 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 49.2 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.4 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.9 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +9.4 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 49.9, Ruth is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 40.5, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Ruth
| Period | Ruth | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Ruth as they are nationally: 11.1%, against 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Ruth
Renters in Ruth
| Period | Ruth | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.2% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.4% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.1% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −9.1 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 24.1% of households in Ruth rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than four in ten owners (45.0%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Ruth
| Period | Ruth | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.9% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.0% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Ruth as nationally: 9.8%, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in North Carolina as a whole (11.4%).
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Ruth
| Period | Ruth | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1986 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | −8 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Ruth are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1977, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in North Carolina overall, where the median home dates to 1990.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Ruth
| Period | Ruth | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $549 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $644 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $606 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $667 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$118 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Ruth runs $667 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 17.5% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Ruth
Bachelor's degrees in Ruth
| Period | Ruth | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.7% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.2% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.3% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.3% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Ruth have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.3%, against 35.6% nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Ruth
| Period | Ruth | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.4% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.6% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.1% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.8% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Ruth have finished high school as nationally: 87.8%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in North Carolina as a whole (90.2%).
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Ruth
| Period | Ruth | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 16.7% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.9% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −9.4 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Ruth has been strong: just 1.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Ruth compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruth | 2.93 | 49.9 | 11.1% | 24.1% | 9.8% | 1977 | $667 | 18.3% | 87.8% | 1.9% |
| Rutherfordton | 2.52 | 45.2 | 11.4% | 21.8% | 11.9% | 1986 | $796 | 25.7% | 88.2% | 3.9% |
| Spindale | 2.17 | 45.7 | 15.5% | 49.4% | 11.7% | 1968 | $757 | 15.7% | 81.2% | 9.8% |
| Green Hill | 2.37 | 53.0 | 8.1% | 11.4% | 3.3% | 1994 | $654 | 29.9% | 90.6% | 1.7% |
| Forest City | 2.53 | 39.9 | 18.1% | 35.4% | 14.6% | 1974 | $751 | 18.2% | 86.5% | 6.2% |
| Westminster | 1.89 | 60.9 | 2.2% | 6.5% | 15.5% | 1988 | $1,577 | 14.9% | 84.8% | 9.5% |
| Union Mills | 2.47 | 49.2 | 14.3% | 8.7% | 22.6% | 1989 | $1,028 | 25.4% | 87.0% | 5.5% |
| Pea Ridge | 2.29 | 41.9 | 14.3% | 32.4% | 18.2% | 1992 | $608 | 16.3% | 85.9% | 4.0% |
| Bostic | 2.14 | 52.8 | 5.6% | 18.2% | 16.2% | 1986 | $999 | 19.8% | 88.8% | 5.6% |
| Shingle Hollow | 2.31 | 52.5 | 10.0% | 29.5% | 13.8% | 1985 | $886 | 22.6% | 81.5% | 0.7% |
| Harris | 2.48 | 39.3 | 11.7% | 25.0% | 14.1% | 1988 | $820 | 12.2% | 87.3% | 12.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Frontier, MI · East Worcester, NY · Eastmont, PA · Eau Claire, PA · Eberle, KY · Eckenrode Mill, PA · Edgemoor, WA · Fairplay, GA · Falcon, MO · Farisita, CO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Ruth. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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