Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Rutherfordton grades D− overall, 263rd of 286 graded towns in North Carolina, mostly because of safety and health. Its police reported 8 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 85% of U.S. towns. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 83% of the country. It also has a long history, with 9 places on the National Register. On cost of living, just 41 of North Carolina’s 450 towns do worse. Its National Register listings include Green River Plantation and Rutherford County Courthouse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 73% of U.S. towns.
Where Rutherfordton beats most towns.
Census counts: 484 in 1850, a low of 300 in 1880, 3,640 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 2 maps from 1966 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Rutherfordton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rutherfordton, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Rutherfordton.
2,800 jobs are based in Rutherfordton, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here fell from 3,508 in 2013 to 2,800.
Most working residents leave Rutherfordton for work: only 10% work in town. Since 2013, Rutherfordton has lost 708 jobs, to 2,800 in 2023. At $59,000, Rutherfordton’s median household income is below both the North Carolina town median ($69,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000).
| Rutherfordton | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 13% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 26.5 per 1,000 residents, Rutherfordton’s property crime rate is against 21.8 in North Carolina’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns. Rutherfordton reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 85% report less. Within North Carolina, it does better than 43% of towns.
| Rutherfordton | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 26.5 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.1 per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
43% of Rutherfordton adults have high blood pressure. Rutherfordton beats the North Carolina average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 15% of Rutherfordton adults have diabetes.
| Rutherfordton | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Rutherfordton | NC |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.8% | 76.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.1% | 7.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Rutherfordton home is worth about $245,000, up 1.6% in a year, 26% below the North Carolina typical home. Rutherfordton’s median rent is $860 a month.
| Rutherfordton | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $860 a month | $1,086 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 67% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Adults 35 to 64 are 29% of residents (38% statewide); people 65 and older are 27% of residents (17% statewide). 35% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Rutherfordton.
| Rutherfordton | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 38.9 years | 40.1 years | 40.5 years |
55% women, 45% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.5 points. Across North Carolina, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Rutherfordton | NC | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.8% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.8% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.7% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 19.4% | 13.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.8% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 5.9% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.3% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.2% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.8% | 9.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 17.6% | 24.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.8% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.7% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.4% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.6% | 13.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,700, single groups can be off by several points
Rutherfordton has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Rutherfordton is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
0.4 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Crestview Park, at 26 acres.
| Rutherfordton | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.7% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Crestview Park | 0.3 mi | 26 |
| 2. Kiwanis Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Rutherfordton Clubhouse | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 54% of U.S. communities. Since 2013, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Rutherfordton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rutherfordton
About 8 of every 100 Rutherfordton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
4,213 counted in 2010 and 3,640 in 2020; an estimated 3,723 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
7 places in Rutherfordton on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Rutherfordton.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Rutherfordton is a town in and the county seat of Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,640 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Rutherfordton.
| Town | NC rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherfordton | #263 | D− | C− | C− | B | C− |
| Spindale | #218 | D | B− | — | B | D |
| Ruth | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Spindale reports no FBI crime data of its own. Ruth isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Rutherfordton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Rutherfordton grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns and #263 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades C− for health, C− for safety and B for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within North Carolina, it does better than 43% of towns.
Yes. That is 4.8 years of the area's median household income ($51,410 across the Forest City, NC area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
5 notable people were born here, including Sherry Hursey and Bruce Davis.
