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Rutherford

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General Demographics

Total Population, 2023
65,5071
Population Change, July 2022 - July 2023
5621
Projected 2050 Population
70,2962
Under 18 Years Old
13,0681
Age 18-64 Years
37,6401
Age 65+ Years
14,7991
Median Age
45.33

Race / Ethnicity 4

White
81.1%3
Black/African American
8.1%3
Native American
0.2%3
Asian/Pacific Islander
0.6%3
Hispanic/Latino
5.4%3
Multi-Racial
3.9%3
Other Single Race
0.7%3
Sources

Financial Stability

Residents Below Federal Poverty Level, 2023
15.2%5
Median Household Income, 2023
$50,7145
Sources

Housing

Cost-Burdened Households (Spend 30% of Household Income on Housing)
22.8%6
Typical Home Value (July, 2024)
$212,7697
Median Gross Rent, 2 Bedroom Unit
$7176
Sources

Education

4-Year High School Graduation Rate
88.8%8
Postsecondary Enrollment
51.4%8
Postsecondary Attainment (25-44 Year Olds With a Postsecondary Degree/Credential)
37.1%8
Sources

Employment

2024 County Economic Distress Tier
19
Total Workforce Employed, 2023 Average
23,26710
Total Workforce Unemployed, 2023 Average
1,12510
Average Weekly Wage, 2023
$87311
Residents Working in Home County
67.6%12
Labor Force Participation Rate
53.9%12
Unemployment Rate (Annual Average), 2023
4.6%10
Annual Pre-Tax Living Wage - 2 Adults (1 working), 1 Child Household (Feb, 2024)
$64,16213
Average Employment Change, 2013-23
331 (2% Growth)11
Gross Domestic Product, 2023 (Thousands of Dollars)
$2,375,90714
Top Industry By Employment, 2023
Manufacturing (2,752 employees)11
Top Employer in County, 2023
Rutherford County Board Of Education (1000+ employees)11
Sources

Health

Residents Uninsured
11.8%15
County Health Outcomes Rank
7616
Food Insecurity Rate, 2022
18.4%17
Primary Care Physicians Per 10K Residents, 2023
3.918
Overdose Deaths Per 100 Thousand Residents, 2022
70.819
Life Expectancy (Years)
73.420
Sources

Broadband

Households Without Computing Device (Laptop, Smartphone, etc.)
9.9%21
Broadband Availability Index Score, 2021
55.222
Households without an Internet Subscription
17.2%21
Sources

Infrastructure

Designation of Water/Wastewater System as Distressed (Aug, 2024)
Yes (Chimney Rock, Cliffside Sanitary District, Lake Lure, Rutherfordton)23

**Distressed is defined as a “public water system or wastewater system operated by a local government unit exhibiting signs of failure to identify or address those financial or operating needs necessary to enable that system to become or to remain a local government unit generating sufficient revenues to adequately fund management and operations, personnel, appropriate levels of maintenance, and reinvestment that facilitate the provision of reliable water or wastewater services” per Session Law 2020-79.**

Sources

Small Business: Statewide Data

Small businesses make up 99.6% (1.1 million small businesses) of all NC Businesses.24

44.2% (1.7 million small business employees) of all North Carolinians are small business employees.24

Business Ownership

Business Ownership - Women
46.0%24
Business Ownership - Veterans
7.1%24
Business Ownership - People of Color
22.8%24

Business Creation

2021
178,30025
2022
171,40025
2023
171,70025

Business Revenue

2019
$125,700,00026
2020
$141,400,00026
2021
$159,200,00026

Employment Data

Small Business Employment Change, March 2022 - March 2023
Net increase of 100,187 jobs24
Small Business Establishment Change, March 2022 - March 2023
Net increase of 7,773 businesses24

Agriculture

Farms
42,81727
Acres of Farmland
8,128,13627
Average Acreage of NC Farms
19027

Major Sectors

Major Business Sectors
Aerospace and Defense; Automotive, Truck & Heavy Machinery; Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals; Business and Financial Services; Corporate Headquarters; Energy; Food Processing and Manufacturing; Furniture; Information Technology; Plastics and Chemicals; Textiles; Tourism28
Sources