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| Rutherford County, North Carolina | ||
 Rutherford County Courthouse in Rutherfordton
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| Motto: Small Town Friendly | ||
|---|---|---|
 Location in the state of North Carolina | ||
 North Carolina's location in the U.S. | ||
| Founded | 1779 | |
| Named for | Griffith Rutherford | |
| Seat | Rutherfordton | |
| Largest town | Forest City | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
566 sq mi (1,466 km²) 564 sq mi (1,461 km²) 1.7 sq mi (4 km²), 0.3% | |
| Population - (2020) - Density |
64,444 120/sq mi (46/km²) | |
| Congressional district | 10th | |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
| Website | rutherfordcountync.gov | |
Rutherford County is a county in the southwestern area of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 64,444.[1] Its county seat is Rutherfordton.[2]
Rutherford County comprises the Forest City, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History[]
The county was formed in 1779 from the western part of the former Tryon County. It was named for Griffith Rutherford, leader of an expedition against the Cherokee in 1776 and a general in the American Revolutionary War.
In 1791 parts of Rutherford County and Burke County were combined to form Buncombe County. In 1841 parts of Rutherford and Lincoln counties were combined to form Cleveland County. In 1842 additional parts of Rutherford and Burke counties were combined to form McDowell County. Finally, in 1855, parts of Rutherford and Henderson counties were combined to form Polk County.
Geography[]
Rutherford County Elevation
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 566 square miles (1,470 km2), of which 564 square miles (1,460 km2) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2) (0.3%) is water.[3]
Adjacent counties[]
- McDowell County - north
- Burke County - northeast
- Cleveland County - east
- Cherokee County, South Carolina - south
- Spartanburg County, South Carolina - south
- Polk County - southwest
- Henderson County - west
- Buncombe County - northwest
Major highways[]
US 64- US 74
- US 74A
- US 221
- US 221A
- NC 9
- NC 108
- NC 120
- NC 226
Demography[]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 7,808 | ||
| 1800 | 10,753 | 37.7% | |
| 1810 | 13,202 | 22.8% | |
| 1820 | 15,351 | 16.3% | |
| 1830 | 17,557 | 14.4% | |
| 1840 | 19,202 | 9.4% | |
| 1850 | 13,550 | −29.4% | |
| 1860 | 11,573 | −14.6% | |
| 1870 | 13,121 | 13.4% | |
| 1880 | 15,198 | 15.8% | |
| 1890 | 18,770 | 23.5% | |
| 1900 | 25,101 | 33.7% | |
| 1910 | 28,385 | 13.1% | |
| 1920 | 31,426 | 10.7% | |
| 1930 | 40,452 | 28.7% | |
| 1940 | 45,577 | 12.7% | |
| 1950 | 46,356 | 1.7% | |
| 1960 | 45,091 | −2.7% | |
| 1970 | 47,337 | 5.0% | |
| 1980 | 53,787 | 13.6% | |
| 1990 | 56,918 | 5.8% | |
| 2000 | 62,899 | 10.5% | |
| 2010 | 67,810 | 7.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[4] 1790-1960[5] 1900-1990[6] 1990-2000[7] 2010-2020[1] | |||
2020 census[]
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 52,026 | 80.73% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 5,836 | 9.06% |
| Native American | 152 | 0.24% |
| Asian | 343 | 0.53% |
| Pacific Islander | 23 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 2,778 | 4.31% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3,286 | 5.1% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 64,444 people, 27,970 households, and 18,874 families residing in the county.
2000 census[]
As of the census[9] of 2000, the county had 62,899 people, 25,191 households, and 17,935 families. The population density was 112 people per square mile (43/km2). There were 29,535 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile (20/km2). The county's racial makeup was 86.79% White, 11.23% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. 1.81% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The largest ancestry groups in Rutherford County are:[10]
- English - 44%
- Irish - 9%
- African American - 11%
- German - 5%
- Scotch-Irish - 4%
- Scottish - 3%
- Dutch - 2%
- Italian - 1%
- French or French Canadian (except Basque) - 1%
- Mexican - 1%
- Polish - 1%
There were 25,191 households, out of which 30.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.40% were married couples living together, 11.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.80% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.80% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 27.90% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 16.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.60 males.
The county's median household income was $31,122, and the median family income was $37,787. Males had a median income of $28,890 versus $21,489 for females. The county's per capita income was $16,270. About 10.40% of families and 13.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.30% of those under age 18 and 13.80% of those age 65 or over.
Economy[]
In 2010, Rutherford County was selected as the location for a new $450 million data center for Facebook.[11][12]
Horsehead Corporation announced the construction of its new, state-of-the-art zinc and diversified metals production facility in Rutherford County, NC, near the municipality of Forest City.[13]
Camp Bud Scheile A Boy Scout camp run by the Piedmont Council BSA is located North of Forest City. It can accommodate as many as 1800 campers every summer.
Communities[]
Map of Rutherford County, North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels
Towns[]
- Bostic
- Ellenboro
- Forest City
- Lake Lure
- Ruth
- Rutherfordton (county seat)
- Spindale
Village[]
- Chimney Rock
Census-designated places[]
- Caroleen
- Cliffside
- Henrietta
Unincorporated communities[]
- Alexander Mills (merged with Forest City)
- Corinth
- Harris
- Hopewell
- Mount Vernon
- Union Mills
- Sandy Mush
Townships[]
- Camp Creek
- Chimney Rock
- Colfax
- Cool Spring
- Duncans Creek
- Gilkey
- Golden Valley
- Green Hill
- High Shoals
- Logan Store
- Morgan
- Rutherfordton
- Sulphur Springs
- Union
Politics[]
Rutherford is currently a powerfully Republican county. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Rutherford County since Jimmy Carter did so in 1976. Before 1928 when Herbert Hoover won it, however, the county was a clear-cut part of the Democratic "Solid South".
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 24,891 | 72.30% | 9,135 | 26.53% | 403 | 1.17% |
| 2016 | 21,871 | 72.16% | 7,512 | 24.79% | 924 | 3.05% |
| 2012 | 18,954 | 66.04% | 9,374 | 32.66% | 374 | 1.30% |
| 2008 | 18,769 | 65.35% | 9,641 | 33.57% | 310 | 1.08% |
| 2004 | 16,343 | 66.28% | 8,184 | 33.19% | 131 | 0.53% |
| 2000 | 13,755 | 63.34% | 7,697 | 35.44% | 264 | 1.22% |
| 1996 | 9,792 | 52.73% | 7,162 | 38.57% | 1,617 | 8.71% |
| 1992 | 9,748 | 47.95% | 7,855 | 38.64% | 2,726 | 13.41% |
| 1988 | 10,337 | 59.73% | 6,926 | 40.02% | 43 | 0.25% |
| 1984 | 11,369 | 62.23% | 6,862 | 37.56% | 37 | 0.20% |
| 1980 | 8,363 | 49.29% | 8,315 | 49.01% | 288 | 1.70% |
| 1976 | 6,718 | 39.24% | 10,361 | 60.52% | 42 | 0.25% |
| 1972 | 9,506 | 68.80% | 4,140 | 29.97% | 170 | 1.23% |
| 1968 | 7,785 | 46.11% | 4,622 | 27.38% | 4,476 | 26.51% |
| 1964 | 7,115 | 42.72% | 9,541 | 57.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 8,993 | 51.25% | 8,554 | 48.75% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 8,200 | 53.22% | 7,208 | 46.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 8,387 | 51.96% | 7,755 | 48.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 4,342 | 36.95% | 5,992 | 51.00% | 1,416 | 12.05% |
| 1944 | 4,698 | 38.90% | 7,379 | 61.10% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 4,204 | 32.16% | 8,869 | 67.84% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 4,830 | 32.77% | 9,911 | 67.23% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 4,448 | 34.65% | 8,336 | 64.93% | 54 | 0.42% |
| 1928 | 5,762 | 58.16% | 4,146 | 41.84% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 3,897 | 43.17% | 5,101 | 56.51% | 29 | 0.32% |
| 1920 | 4,015 | 44.04% | 5,101 | 55.96% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1916 | 1,871 | 43.35% | 2,445 | 56.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1912 | 82 | 2.14% | 2,180 | 56.93% | 1,567 | 40.92% |
| 1908 | 1,766 | 47.13% | 1,978 | 52.79% | 3 | 0.08% |
| 1904 | 1,322 | 41.55% | 1,860 | 58.45% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1900 | 1,981 | 48.76% | 2,081 | 51.22% | 1 | 0.02% |
| 1896 | 1,953 | 47.46% | 2,146 | 52.15% | 16 | 0.39% |
| 1892 | 1,452 | 41.39% | 1,794 | 51.14% | 262 | 7.47% |
| 1888 | 1,669 | 49.51% | 1,678 | 49.78% | 24 | 0.71% |
| 1884 | 1,263 | 45.60% | 1,506 | 54.37% | 1 | 0.04% |
| 1880 | 1,207 | 49.41% | 1,236 | 50.59% | 0 | 0.00% |
Notable people[]
- Smoky Burgess, record-setting major league baseball player
- Bryan Coker, 12th President of Maryville College
- Walter Dalton, former lieutenant governor of North Carolina (in office 2009–2013)
- Tim Earley, American poet
- Pleasant Daniel Gold (1833–1920), American publisher and clergyman
- Kay Hooper, best-selling author
- Robert McNair, Owner Houston Texans
- Burl Noggle, American historian born in Rutherford County in 1924
- Richard O'Sullivan, screenwriter and filmmaker
See also[]
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Rutherford County, North Carolina
References[]
- ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37/37161.html.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_37.txt.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu.
- ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/nc190090.txt.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US37161&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov.
- ^ Census, United States Bureau of the (1983) (in en). 1980 Census of Population and Housing: Census tracts. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. https://books.google.com/books?id=ZbJnMLVID9kC&q=%22Rutherford+County%221980+census+ancestry.
- ^ "Archived copy". http://www.facebook.com/rutherforddatacenter.
- ^ "Archived copy". http://rutherfordncedc.com/Facebooks-Data-Center-Project-Hires-Locally.html.
- ^ "Archived copy". http://www.horsehead.net/facility_content.php?ID=17.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS.
External links[]
- Rutherford County official website
- NCGenWeb Rutherford County- free genealogy resources for the county
- Rutherford County Tourism Information
- Genealogical Society of Old Tryon County
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Buncombe County | McDowell County | Burke County |
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| Henderson County | 
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Cleveland County | ||
   Rutherford County, North Carolina | ||||
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| Polk County | Spartanburg County, South Carolina | Cherokee County, South Carolina |
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