Population 17,087 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Rutherfordton: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Rutherfordton
Household size in Rutherfordton
| Period | Rutherfordton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.42 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.36 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.45 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.52 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.10 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Rutherfordton run a little small, averaging 2.52 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.42, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the east.
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 Rutherfordton
| Period | Rutherfordton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.2 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.6 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.6 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.0 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.2, Rutherfordton 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 44.2, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the east and oldest in the northwest.
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 Rutherfordton
| Period | Rutherfordton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.9% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Rutherfordton as they are nationally: 11.4%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is little changed from 2006–10, while the national share fell.
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 Rutherfordton
Renters in Rutherfordton
| Period | Rutherfordton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.2% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.7% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.2% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 21.8% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 21.8% of households in Rutherfordton 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 (44.3%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share has fallen 2.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Rutherfordton
| Period | Rutherfordton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.7% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.9% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Rutherfordton than nationally: 11.9%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is down 4.9 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Rutherfordton
| Period | Rutherfordton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Rutherfordton is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1986, against 1980 nationally. Even so, homes here are older than in North Carolina as a whole, where the median home dates to 1990. The median year built has moved up from 1979 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the east.
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 Rutherfordton
| Period | Rutherfordton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $562 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $635 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $711 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $796 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$234 | +$528 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Rutherfordton costs $796 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $234 a month from 2006–10, a 42% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 35.0% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the south.
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 Rutherfordton
Bachelor's degrees in Rutherfordton
| Period | Rutherfordton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.4% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.3% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.6% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.7% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
About a quarter of adults 25 and older in Rutherfordton (25.7%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 6.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the east.
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 Rutherfordton
| Period | Rutherfordton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.0% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.4% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.1% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.2% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.2 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Rutherfordton have finished high school as nationally: 88.2%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in North Carolina as a whole (90.2%). Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 8.2 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Rutherfordton
| Period | Rutherfordton | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.7 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Rutherfordton runs below the national rate: 3.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 5.7 points, mirroring the country. 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).
Rutherfordton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherfordton | 2.52 | 45.2 | 11.4% | 21.8% | 11.9% | 1986 | $796 | 25.7% | 88.2% | 3.9% |
| Ruth | 2.93 | 49.9 | 11.1% | 24.1% | 9.8% | 1977 | $667 | 18.3% | 87.8% | 1.9% |
| 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% |
| Pea Ridge | 2.29 | 41.9 | 14.3% | 32.4% | 18.2% | 1992 | $608 | 16.3% | 85.9% | 4.0% |
| 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% |
| Harris | 2.48 | 39.3 | 11.7% | 25.0% | 14.1% | 1988 | $820 | 12.2% | 87.3% | 12.2% |
| Shingle Hollow | 2.31 | 52.5 | 10.0% | 29.5% | 13.8% | 1985 | $886 | 22.6% | 81.5% | 0.7% |
| Bostic | 2.14 | 52.8 | 5.6% | 18.2% | 16.2% | 1986 | $999 | 19.8% | 88.8% | 5.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Aguas Buenas, PR · Ballston Lake, NY · Azalea Park, FL · Ashwaubenon, WI · Artesia, CA · Wyckoff, NJ · Anthony, NM · Angola, IN · Alexander City, AL · Andover, KS
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 Rutherfordton. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.