Location of, 2025
Ruffin’s story
157 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2025 and 3 maps from 1971 on.
- 1869Ruffin is settled
RuffinNC
Population 423: a town settled in 1869.
Population
423
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$203K
+2.9% in a year
Median age
38.6
years
Jobs based here
3
A commuter town
Is Ruffin a good place to live?
Ruffin’s average trip to work is 37 minutes, against 24 minutes in North Carolina’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Of the 291 North Carolina towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Ruffin. Ruffin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
423 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 Ruffin: who provides what
Ruffin is unincorporated, so Rockingham County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDuke Energy13.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMeadowview Trailer Court water system4 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesRockingham CountyRockingham 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 hereRockingham County Board of ElectionsRockingham County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP codes27326, 2731127326 97% · 27311 3%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 Ruffin.
Housing
A home in Ruffin is worth about $203K, on Zillow’s estimate
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 2.9% in value. Among households in Ruffin, 77% are owner-occupiers.
$203KZillow home value
Typical home value
Ruffin$203K
North Carolina$332K
+2.9%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
With only 0.0 jobs per working resident, most people in Ruffin work out of town
In Ruffin, 6.8% of residents live below the poverty line. Half the trips to work are shorter than 28 miles. The top destinations are Greensboro (18%), Reidsville (12%) and Danville (6%).
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Ruffin0%
Greensboro18%
Reidsville12%
Danville6%
Eden5%
28 mi
median commute distance
3
jobs based in Ruffin
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2024 · ACS
7″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter30–52°
Spring46–70°
Summer66–87°
Fall48–71°
Nov 2
typical first frost
Apr 5
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Ruffin is
For adults in Ruffin, the share who report frequent mental distress is 19%. The share of adults in Ruffin who have been diagnosed with depression is 28%.
| Ruffin | Typical North Carolina town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 25% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
0 better28 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Ruffin | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.3% | 7.1% |
| More adults with arthritis | 31.4% | 26.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.2% | 7.9% |
UNC Rockingham
12 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Moderate risk in Ruffin, with inland flooding at the top
Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 56% of U.S. communities. Households in Ruffin have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2018.
44risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
0% of Ruffin is conserved land
1.5 miles of trail. Ruffin’s concentration of trails works out to 0.3 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 2,912 acres
1.5 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ruffin
16pages on Ruffin
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Ruffin
Danville Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Danville, VA11.3 mi$4,992 in-state tuitionAverett UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Danville, VA11.8 mi$38,550 tuitionRockingham Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Wentworth12.9 mi$1,966 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Ruffin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Ruffin for work
Where Ruffin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
3jobs based in Ruffin
0%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2024
About Ruffin
Unincorporated community in North Carolina, U.S.
Ruffin is an unincorporated community located in Rockingham County, North Carolina, United States. In 2023, the population estimate was 501.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 712 ft
- ZIP code
- 27326
Questions about Ruffin
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ruffin, NC a good place to live?
Ruffin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.