Demographics of Rutherford County, North Carolina

Rutherford County, North Carolina had 65,745 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: +1,375 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Rutherford County, in four figures

65,745
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; +2.1%
Change since July 2020: +1,375 people.; 45.3 ±0.4
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $51,410 ±$2,731
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Rutherford County, North Carolina's population grew 2.1% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Rutherford County, North Carolina's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Rutherford County, North Carolina's population grew 2.1% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Rutherford County, North Carolina's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	64,370	100.0	100.0
2021	64,523	100.2	100.2
2022	64,856	100.8	100.7
2023	65,380	101.6	101.6
2024	65,579	101.9	102.5
2025	65,745	102.1	103.1

3 more columns on a wider screen

Population of Rutherford County, North Carolina on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	64,370	−83	−59	0	−30
2021	64,523	+153	−471	+6	+598
2022	64,856	+333	−507	+34	+788
2023	65,380	+524	−390	+1	+904
2024	65,579	+199	−390	+4	+581
2025	65,745	+166	−366	−31	+565

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 45.3 ±0.4: for men 44.4 ±0.8 and for women 46.2 ±0.6. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Rutherford County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under 5	3,216 ±187	5.0% ±0.3	5.6% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	9,845 ±463	15.2% ±0.7	16.1% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	4,618 ±418	7.1% ±0.6	9.5% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	14,562 ±609	22.4% ±0.9	26.2% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	18,231 ±689	28.1% ±1.1	25.4% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	14,458 ±747	22.3% ±1.2	17.2% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $51,410 ±$2,731, and income per person $30,460 ±$1,251, in 2024 dollars. The median is $72,388 ±$324 in North Carolina and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

2 more columns on a wider screen

Households in Rutherford County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	North Carolina	United States
Under $25,000	5,908 ±621	22.2% ±2.3	15.8% ±0.2	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	7,034 ±719	26.4% ±2.7	19.1% ±0.2	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	4,549 ±545	17.1% ±2.0	16.8% ±0.2	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	3,530 ±395	13.2% ±1.5	13.0% ±0.1	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	3,339 ±379	12.5% ±1.4	16.6% ±0.2	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	1,233 ±323	4.6% ±1.2	8.3% ±0.1	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	1,049 ±187	3.9% ±0.7	10.4% ±0.1	13.4% ±0.1

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

2 more columns on a wider screen

Poverty rate in Rutherford County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	North Carolina	United States
All ages	10,665 ±1,176	16.8% ±1.8	13.0% ±0.2	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	2,593 ±440	20.2% ±3.2	17.7% ±0.3	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	5,477 ±754	17.2% ±2.3	12.1% ±0.2	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	2,595 ±468	13.6% ±2.4	10.9% ±0.2	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

1 more column on a wider screen

Housing in Rutherford County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Rutherford County	North Carolina	United States
Housing units	32,775 ±47	4,895,668 ±642	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	81.3% ±1.2	87.5% ±0.2	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	18.7% ±1.2	12.5% ±0.2	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	73.9% ±2.1	66.6% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	26.1% ±2.1	33.4% ±0.2	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$201,800 ±$9,065	$288,900 ±$1,086	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$783 ±$19	$1,228 ±$5	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1981 ±2	1991 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Rutherford County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Hispanic or Latino	3,698 ±0	5.7% ±<0.1	11.3% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	52,457 ±346	80.8% ±0.5	60.0% ±<0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	4,984 ±477	7.7% ±0.7	20.0% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	304 ±102	0.5% ±0.2	3.3% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	87 ±37	0.1% ±0.1	0.8% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 83	0% to 0.1%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	166 to 798	0.3% to 1.2%	0.5% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	2,881 ±509	4.4% ±0.8	4.1% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Rutherford County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	North Carolina	United States
Born in the state	43,538 ±1,167	67.1% ±1.8	53.6% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	18,976 ±1,146	29.2% ±1.8	35.9% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	373 ±118	0.6% ±0.2	1.4% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	2,043 ±286	3.1% ±0.4	9.1% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	1,018 ±215	1.6% ±0.3	3.8% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	1,025 ±299	1.6% ±0.5	5.2% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

Rutherford County among the counties of North Carolina

44th of 100 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the North Carolina page.

Counties of North Carolina near Rutherford County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Pender County	72,111	+19.0%
Carteret County	70,469	+4.1%
Lee County	70,258	+10.8%
Stanly County	68,830	+9.8%
Wilkes County	66,233	+0.5%
Rutherford County	65,745	+2.1%
Haywood County	63,369	+1.8%
Sampson County	61,504	+4.1%
Granville County	61,421	+2.1%
Hoke County	56,939	+9.0%
Lenoir County	55,837	+1.4%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026