HomeNorth CarolinaRutherford County
Rutherford County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Rutherford County, North Carolina has a population of 64,930 across 564 square miles, up 1.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.49 bn in 2024, 1,289 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 37 7(a) approvals worth $25.9 m.
127 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Rutherford County
How many people live in Rutherford County
- Population64,930
- Households26,642
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$51,410
- Median age45.3
- Median gross rent$783 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$201,800
- Home value to household income3.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over47,251
- Population under 1813,061
- Share under 1820.1 percent
- Population 65 and over14,458
- Share 65 and over22.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6437,411
- Civilian labor force29,343
- Unemployment rate6.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.6 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties43rd of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents849th
Rutherford County is the 43rd largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.3 percent against 20.1 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Rutherford County
Is Rutherford County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.77 percent
- Census 2020 base population64,444
- Births, 2024622
- Deaths, 20241,006
- Natural change, 2024-384
- Net domestic migration, 2024600
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 2024602
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,886
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1251st
The county has grown 1.77 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Rutherford County
Where people moving to Rutherford County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,637
- People arriving, from those returns3,007
- Adjusted gross income arriving$107.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$65,446
- Largest single originRutherford County Non-migrants (22,196 households)
- Largest single destination (22,196 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherford County Non-migrants | 22,196 | 45,291 | $1.29 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 635 | 1,133 | $55.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 359 | 636 | $27.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 230 | 429 | $14.0 m |
| Cleveland County | 155 | 315 | $6.0 m |
| Buncombe County | 113 | 182 | $5.9 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 106 | 199 | $14.4 m |
| Henderson County | 98 | 175 | $5.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Rutherford County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Rutherford County
What the Rutherford County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.49 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.40 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.8 percent
- GDP change over five years32.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties53rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1106th
- GDP per resident$38,351
Output grew 3.8 percent in the latest year and 32.3 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Rutherford County
Who employs people in Rutherford County
- Covered employment, annual average17,994
- Establishments reporting1,498
- Average annual pay$48,125
- Average weekly wage$925
- Sector 44-45, employment2,680
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,264
- Sector 31-33, employment2,560
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$62,182
- Sector 62, employment2,126
- Sector 62, average annual pay$48,671
- Sector 72, employment1,900
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,259
- Sector 23, employment1,362
- Sector 56, employment882
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 2,680 | 232 | $31,264 |
| Sector 31-33 | 2,560 | 83 | $62,182 |
| Sector 62 | 2,126 | 145 | $48,671 |
| Sector 72 | 1,900 | 132 | $23,259 |
| Sector 23 | 1,362 | 152 | $71,962 |
| Sector 56 | 882 | 100 | $42,560 |
| Sector 51 | 617 | 27 | $64,666 |
| Sector 81 | 435 | 127 | $36,859 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,680 jobs, 14.9 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Rutherford County
What businesses operate in Rutherford County
- Establishments, all industries1,289
- Employment at those establishments16,815
- Annual payroll$703.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Rutherford County
What is being built in Rutherford County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024193
- Declared construction value permitted$61.7 m
- Single family units authorised191
- Multifamily units authorised2
- Multifamily share of units1.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$319,621
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.2
Multifamily is 1.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Rutherford County
How much SBA lending happens in Rutherford County
- 7(a) approvals recorded37
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$25.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$698,705
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,880,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)694
- Jobs per approval18.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active16
- Distinct industries receiving approvals30
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer43.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms16
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter20
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals5.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (3)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (8)
- 504 approvals recorded7
- 504 gross approval dollars$6.4 m
- Average 504 approval$919,286
- Median 504 approval$242,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval10.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.0
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals84.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$32.3 m
The average approval of $698,705 sits well above the median of $350,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 43.2 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Rutherford County
Do SBA loans in Rutherford County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded7
- Paid in full6
- Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure26
- Status: Paid in full6
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 7 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Rutherford County
Which parts of Rutherford County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending8
- Rutherfordton, approvals15
- Forest City, approvals9
- SPINDALE, approvals5
- Bostic, approvals3
- LAKE LURE, approvals2
- HENRIETTA, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Rutherfordton | 15 | $6,456,300 |
| Forest City | 9 | $13,975,000 |
| SPINDALE | 5 | $1,712,300 |
| Bostic | 3 | $1,338,500 |
| LAKE LURE | 2 | $2,130,000 |
| HENRIETTA | 1 | $165,000 |
| ELLENBORO | 1 | $25,000 |
| UNION MILLS | 1 | $50,000 |
Rutherfordton accounts for 15 approvals against 9 in Forest City. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Rutherford County
How big is Rutherford County
- Land area564 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties28th of 100
- Width, east to west33.1 mi
- Height, north to south27.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land115
- Establishments per square mile2.29
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Rutherford County
What hazards affect Rutherford County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book8
- Of those, participating in the NFIP8
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Rutherford County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Rutherford County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population64,930
- Households26,642
- Average household size2.44
- Median household income$51,410
- Median age45.3
Common questions
Rutherford County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Rutherford County, North Carolina?
64,930, in 26,642 households, ranking 43rd of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Rutherford County growing?
The population has grown 1.77 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 622 births against 1,006 deaths, with net migration of 602. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Rutherford County?
$51,410. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $201,800, which is 3.9 times income, and median gross rent is $783 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Rutherford County?
1,289 establishments, employing 16,815 people with an annual payroll of $703.8 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Rutherford County?
Average annual pay is $48,125, or $925 a week, across 17,994 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Rutherford County?
37 7(a) approvals totalling $25.9 m since FY2020, across 16 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 7 504 approvals worth $6.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Rutherford County?
193 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $61.7 m. Multifamily was 1.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Rutherford County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Rutherford County come from?
The largest single origin is Rutherford County Non-migrants, with 22,196 households. Arriving households report an average income of $65,446 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Rutherford County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Rutherford County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.