Henrietta-Caroleen High School · National Register of Historic Places
Caroleen’s story
130 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 maps from 1966 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1896Caroleen is settled
CaroleenNC
The town, settled in 1896, counts 116 residents.
Henrietta-Caroleen High School · Photo: Upstateherd · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
116
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$138K
Census ACS
Median age
41.6
years
Jobs based here
127
A commuter town
Is Caroleen a good place to live?
29% of residents live below the poverty line in Caroleen, above both the North Carolina town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Henrietta-Caroleen High School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Caroleen has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
116 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Caroleen: who provides what
Caroleen is unincorporated, so Rutherford County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerBroad River Electric Coop16.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBroad River Water AuthorityNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesRutherford CountyRutherford County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereRutherford County Board of ElectionsRutherford County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2019
ZIP codes28040, 28114, 2801928040 71% · 28114 22% · 28019 7%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Caroleen.
Schools
The schools Caroleen’s kids attend
The largest public high school is Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy, with 1,330 students. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Jefferson Classical AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 1,330 | A |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
With only 0.5 jobs per working resident, most people in Caroleen work out of town
In Caroleen, 1.3% of working residents work locally. Half commute less than 23 miles. The top destinations are Forest City (10%), Charlotte (9%) and Rutherfordton (7%).
1%work in town
Where working residents work
In Caroleen1%
Forest City10%
Charlotte9%
Rutherfordton7%
Shelby5%
23 mi
median commute distance
127
jobs based in Caroleen
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Caroleen brings mild winters and hot summers
The midsummer high for Caroleen comes to 90°F.
5″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–54°
Spring46–72°
Summer66–88°
Fall48–72°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 12
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Compared with most of North Carolina and the rest of the country, more of Caroleen’s adults report frequent mental distress
Among adults in Caroleen, 26% say their health is fair or poor. Only 10 of the 290 North Carolina towns we compare have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Caroleen.
| Caroleen | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 19% | 19% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 33% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
0 better15 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Caroleen | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.7% | 15.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.5% | 7.1% |
| More smokers | 19.9% | 13.5% |
Rutherford Regional Medical Center
11.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
3.8% of Caroleen is conserved land
The biggest park or preserve is Frank West Park, at 25 acres.
3.8%conserved
3.8%
conserved · 27 of 705 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Frank West Park | — | 25 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Caroleen is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level
Compared with 53% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Caroleen is higher. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Caroleen once, in 2024. FEMA puts 52% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 18% to strong winds.
53risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingStrong windTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
Homes in Caroleen sell for about $220K
For households in Caroleen, the share who own their home is 74%.
$220Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Caroleen
17pages on Caroleen
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Caroleen
Gardner-Webb UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Boiling Springs7.3 mi$34,760 tuitionIsothermal Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Spindale7.8 mi$2,030 in-state tuition
About 11 of every 100 Caroleen residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Caroleen for work
Where Caroleen’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
127jobs based in Caroleen
1%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Caroleen
Unincorporated community in North Carolina, United States
Caroleen is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States. Its population was 560 as of the 2020 census. Caroleen has a post office with ZIP code 28019. U.S. Route 221 Alternate passes through the community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 843 ft
- ZIP code
- 28019
Questions about Caroleen
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Caroleen, NC a good place to live?
Caroleen has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.