HomeTennesseeRutherford County
Rutherford County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Rutherford County, Tennessee has a population of 360,646 across 619 square miles, up 10.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $27.63 bn in 2024, 6,285 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 260 7(a) approvals worth $142.0 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Rutherford County
How many people live in Rutherford County
- Population360,646
- Households129,431
- Average household size2.79
- Median household income$85,470
- Median age34.2
- Median gross rent$1,502 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$382,600
- Home value to household income4.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income21.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher35.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over229,632
- Population under 1889,103
- Share under 1824.7 percent
- Population 65 and over40,298
- Share 65 and over11.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64231,245
- Civilian labor force201,582
- Unemployment rate3.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over74.2 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties5th of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents207th
Rutherford County is the 5th largest of 95 Tennessee counties by population. A median home costs 4.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.7 percent against 11.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
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 base10.40 percent
- Census 2020 base population341,478
- Births, 20244,508
- Deaths, 20242,539
- Natural change, 20241,969
- Net domestic migration, 20242,809
- Net international migration, 20242,557
- Total net migration, 20245,366
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202419,900
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents139th
The county has grown 10.40 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
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 arriving12,905
- People arriving, from those returns23,827
- Adjusted gross income arriving$804.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$62,365
- Largest single originRutherford County Non-migrants (126,631 households)
- Largest single destination (126,631 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherford County Non-migrants | 126,631 | 264,975 | $9.91 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 3,559 | 6,626 | $244.8 m |
| Davidson County | 3,442 | 6,491 | $178.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,737 | 3,195 | $110.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 829 | 1,469 | $53.3 m |
| Williamson County | 635 | 1,227 | $56.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 552 | 1,121 | $47.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 454 | 740 | $19.5 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$27.63 bn
- County GDP, 2023$25.83 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.0 percent
- GDP change over five years47.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Tennessee counties6th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents209th
- GDP per resident$76,612
Output grew 7.0 percent in the latest year and 47.5 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 average149,355
- Establishments reporting8,776
- Average annual pay$63,681
- Average weekly wage$1,225
- Sector 31-33, employment27,971
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$89,693
- Sector 44-45, employment16,874
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$40,788
- Sector 72, employment15,006
- Sector 72, average annual pay$24,738
- Sector 48-49, employment13,475
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$58,484
- Sector 62, employment13,142
- Sector 56, employment8,266
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 27,971 | 378 | $89,693 |
| Sector 44-45 | 16,874 | 1,018 | $40,788 |
| Sector 72 | 15,006 | 790 | $24,738 |
| Sector 48-49 | 13,475 | 394 | $58,484 |
| Sector 62 | 13,142 | 889 | $62,906 |
| Sector 56 | 8,266 | 591 | $44,249 |
| Sector 42 | 7,004 | 562 | $91,987 |
| Sector 23 | 6,872 | 855 | $74,965 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 27,971 jobs, 18.7 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 industries6,285
- Employment at those establishments128,935
- Annual payroll$6.92 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.4
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, 20243,420
- Declared construction value permitted$889.4 m
- Single family units authorised2,996
- Multifamily units authorised424
- Multifamily share of units12.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$260,071
- Units authorised per 1,000 households26.4
Multifamily is 12.4 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 recorded260
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$142.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$546,091
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,395,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,367
- Jobs per approval9.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active58
- Distinct industries receiving approvals121
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer10.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms27
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter209
- Franchise loans62
- Franchise share of approvals23.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Automotive Repair (10)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (38)
- 504 approvals recorded23
- 504 gross approval dollars$25.1 m
- Average 504 approval$1,090,000
- Median 504 approval$786,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval10.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.9
- Most active CDCMid-Cumberland Area Development Corporation (12)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals91.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$167.1 m
The average approval of $546,091 sits well above the median of $200,000, 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. Only 10.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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 recorded41
- Paid in full32
- Charged off9
- Charge off rate on resolved loans22.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure157
- Status: Cancelled41
- Status: Paid in full32
- Status: Charged off9
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed21
Of the 41 loans that have reached a final outcome, 22.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
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 lending13
- Murfreesboro, approvals171
- SMYRNA, approvals53
- LA VERGNE, approvals24
- Lascassas, approvals2
- Christiana, approvals2
- HENDERSONVILLE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Murfreesboro | 171 | $97,774,500 |
| SMYRNA | 53 | $26,365,000 |
| LA VERGNE | 24 | $13,880,100 |
| Lascassas | 2 | $300,000 |
| Christiana | 2 | $275,000 |
| HENDERSONVILLE | 1 | $125,000 |
| MUFREESBORO | 1 | $300,000 |
| Mount Juliet | 1 | $204,000 |
Murfreesboro accounts for 171 approvals against 53 in SMYRNA. 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 area619 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties8th of 95
- Width, east to west29.9 mi
- Height, north to south33.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land583
- Establishments per square mile10.15
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.
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.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- 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.
- Population360,646
- Households129,431
- Average household size2.79
- Median household income$85,470
- Median age34.2
Common questions
Rutherford County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Rutherford County, Tennessee?
360,646, in 129,431 households, ranking 5th of 95 Tennessee counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Rutherford County growing?
The population has grown 10.40 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 4,508 births against 2,539 deaths, with net migration of 5,366. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Rutherford County?
$85,470. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $382,600, which is 4.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,502 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Rutherford County?
6,285 establishments, employing 128,935 people with an annual payroll of $6.92 bn. 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 $63,681, or $1,225 a week, across 149,355 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?
260 7(a) approvals totalling $142.0 m since FY2020, across 58 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 23 504 approvals worth $25.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Rutherford County get paid back?
Of the 41 loans that have reached a final outcome, 32 were paid in full and 9 charged off, a charge off rate of 22.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Rutherford County?
3,420 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $889.4 m. Multifamily was 12.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Rutherford County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 126,631 households. Arriving households report an average income of $62,365 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.