Rutherford County, North Carolina | |
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 Seal  Logo | |
| Motto: "Vibrant Communities – New Possibilities" | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina | |
 North Carolina's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:35°24′N81°55′W / 35.40°N 81.92°W /35.40; -81.92 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Founded | April 14, 1779 |
| Named after | Griffith Rutherford |
| Seat | Rutherfordton |
| Largest community | Forest City |
| Government | |
| • County Manager | Steve Garrison |
| Area | |
• Total | 567.25 sq mi (1,469.2 km2) |
| • Land | 565.44 sq mi (1,464.5 km2) |
| • Water | 1.81 sq mi (4.7 km2) 0.32% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 64,444 |
• Estimate (2024) | 65,587 |
| • Density | 113.97/sq mi (44.00/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 14th |
| Website | rutherfordcountync |
Rutherford County is acounty in the southwestern area of theU.S. state ofNorth Carolina. As of the2020 census, the population was 64,444.[1] Itscounty seat isRutherfordton.[2] Rutherford County comprises theForest City, NCMicropolitan Statistical Area.
In the region's earliest history, it was inhabited by theCherokee. It was a part ofMecklenburg County before being incorporated intoTryon County in 1768. Tryon County was divided into Rutherford County andLincoln County in 1779.[3] The first county seat wasGilbert Town. Rutherford Town (nowRutherfordton) was founded in 1787 to be the new county seat.[4] The county and town are named forGriffith Rutherford, leader of an expedition against the Cherokee in 1776 and a general in theAmerican Revolutionary War.[5]
In 1791 parts of Rutherford County andBurke County were combined to formBuncombe County.[6] In 1841 parts of Rutherford andLincoln counties were combined to formCleveland County.[7] In 1842, additional parts of Rutherford and Burke counties were combined to formMcDowell County.[8] Finally, in 1855, parts of Rutherford andHenderson counties were combined to formPolk County.[9]
In 1790, the county had 7,775 residents, including 164 families and 611 enslaved people. Many areas of the county were agriculturally productive or lay on important crossroads. The number of unincorporated communities in the county steadily increased, and the population reached had nearly doubled by 1810.[3] The most important crops in the county during the 1800s were corn, wheat, oats, rye, cotton, wool and tobacco.[5]
The county existed at the crossroads ofstagecoach routes that connected places likeAsheville,Salisbury andCharlotte. The Hickory Nut Turnpike was completed in 1847 to help make the route even safer and more appealing to travelers.[10]
Rutherford County was the most important gold-producing region in America from 1790 until theCalifornia gold rush of the 1840s. The town of Rutherfordton was at the center of this. German goldsmithChristopher Bechtler and his sons set up a mint just north of Rutherfordton, where they produced millions of dollars' worth of US coins. The Bechtlers produced the firstgold dollars in the United States.[11]
The county has a strong militia tradition, stretching back to the 18th century when it had the most well organized militia in North Carolina. Its militiamen served in theBattle of Kings Mountain andBattle of Cowpens. During theCivil War, Rutherfordton and Burnt Chimney (nowForest City) competed to raise militias to serve in theConfederate States Army.[3]
After the Civil War ended, many farmers in the region were forced totenant farming, as they owned no land of their own. This meant that many Rutherford County residents were trapped in debt by predatorycrop liens and other economic imbalances. The Rutherford Farmer's Alliance was established by D.N. Caviness in June 1888 to fight for farmer's rights, and had 300 members by 1891. The Alliance's first president was Colonel John L. McDowell.[12] The underlying economic and racial tensions led to events like theForest City lynching.[12]
During this period of upheaval, when family and political feuds had been recently inflamed by the Civil War, Rutherford County experienced a rash of violence wreaked by theKKK, but local investigations in Rutherford County led to the prosecution of over 300 hundred Klan members and by 1872, the KKK had begun to "disappear".[13]
The construction of railroads and cotton mills in Rutherford County during the 1880s and 1890s invigorated the county's communities, none more so than Forest City. The Rutherford Railway Construction Company built a line from Rutherfordton to South Carolina, andSouthern Railway andSeaboard Air Line Railroad also ran through the county.[12]
A disproportionate number of Rutherford County natives served duringWWII, with about 12% participating in the war effort in some capacity. 149 Rutherford County natives died in the war, proportionately 3.5 times as many losses as other counties. The first soldier from Rutherford County to die in the war wasSFC Mark Alexander Rhodes, who died aboard theUSS Arizona during thesurprise attack on Pearl Harbor.[14]
In May 1989, Rutherford County was hit by an EF4 tornado from a storm that came out ofSouth Carolina. This tornado was part of theMay 1989 tornado outbreak, that hit the states ofGeorgia,South Carolina,North Carolina, andVirginia.[15]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 567.25 square miles (1,469.2 km2), of which 565.44 square miles (1,464.5 km2) is land and 1.81 square miles (4.7 km2) (0.32%) is water.[16]
In addition to gold and platinum, minerals likerock crystal,garnet,tourmaline,slate,wolframite, and therare-earth elementsamarskite have been mined in Rutherford County.[17] Diamonds have also been found there, including one mined at the JD Twitty Gold Placer Mine in 1845.[18]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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% | |
| 2020 | 64,444 | −5.0% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 65,587 | [20] | 1.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[21] 1790–1960[22] 1900–1990[23] 1990–2000[24] 2010[25] 2020[1] | |||
| 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 orLatino | 3,286 | 5.1% |
As of the2020 census, there were 64,444 people, 27,970 households, and 18,874 families residing in the county.
At the2000 census,[27] the county had 62,899 people, 25,191 households, and 17,935 families. Thepopulation density was 112 people per square mile (43 people/km2). There were 29,535 housing units at an average density of 52 units per square mile (20 units/km2). The county's racial makeup was 86.79%White, 11.23%Black orAfrican American, 0.20%Native American, 0.22%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.67% fromother races, and 0.74% from two or more races. 1.81% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 25,191 households, out of which 30.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.40% weremarried 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'sper capita income was $16,270. About 10.40% of families and 13.90% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 18.30% of those under age 18 and 13.80% of those age 65 or over.
As of 1983, the largest ancestry/ethnicity groups in Rutherford County were:[28]
| Ancestry/ethnicity | Percent (1983) |
|---|---|
English | 44% |
| African American | 11% |
Irish | 9% |
German | 5% |
Scotch-Irish | 4% |
Scottish | 3% |
Dutch | 2% |
Italian | 1% |
French orFrench Canadian (exceptBasque) | 1% |
Mexican | 1% |
Polish | 1% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 82 | 2.14% | 2,180 | 56.93% | 1,567 | 40.92% |
| 1916 | 1,871 | 43.35% | 2,445 | 56.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 4,015 | 44.04% | 5,101 | 55.96% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 3,897 | 43.17% | 5,101 | 56.51% | 29 | 0.32% |
| 1928 | 5,762 | 58.16% | 4,146 | 41.84% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 4,448 | 34.65% | 8,336 | 64.93% | 54 | 0.42% |
| 1936 | 4,830 | 32.77% | 9,911 | 67.23% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 4,204 | 32.16% | 8,869 | 67.84% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 4,698 | 38.90% | 7,379 | 61.10% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 4,342 | 36.95% | 5,992 | 51.00% | 1,416 | 12.05% |
| 1952 | 8,387 | 51.96% | 7,755 | 48.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 8,200 | 53.22% | 7,208 | 46.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 8,993 | 51.25% | 8,554 | 48.75% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 7,115 | 42.72% | 9,541 | 57.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 7,785 | 46.11% | 4,622 | 27.38% | 4,476 | 26.51% |
| 1972 | 9,506 | 68.80% | 4,140 | 29.97% | 170 | 1.23% |
| 1976 | 6,718 | 39.24% | 10,361 | 60.52% | 42 | 0.25% |
| 1980 | 8,363 | 49.29% | 8,315 | 49.01% | 288 | 1.70% |
| 1984 | 11,369 | 62.23% | 6,862 | 37.56% | 37 | 0.20% |
| 1988 | 10,337 | 59.73% | 6,926 | 40.02% | 43 | 0.25% |
| 1992 | 9,748 | 47.95% | 7,855 | 38.64% | 2,726 | 13.41% |
| 1996 | 9,792 | 52.73% | 7,162 | 38.57% | 1,617 | 8.71% |
| 2000 | 13,755 | 63.34% | 7,697 | 35.44% | 264 | 1.22% |
| 2004 | 16,343 | 66.28% | 8,184 | 33.19% | 131 | 0.53% |
| 2008 | 18,769 | 65.35% | 9,641 | 33.57% | 310 | 1.08% |
| 2012 | 18,954 | 66.04% | 9,374 | 32.66% | 374 | 1.30% |
| 2016 | 21,871 | 72.16% | 7,512 | 24.79% | 924 | 3.05% |
| 2020 | 24,891 | 72.30% | 9,135 | 26.53% | 403 | 1.17% |
| 2024 | 25,456 | 73.42% | 8,914 | 25.71% | 300 | 0.87% |
Rutherford is currently a powerfully Republican county. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Rutherford County sinceJimmy 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".
No Democrat has been elected to county-wide office by a partisan election in Rutherford County since Eddie Holland and John Mark Bennett were elected to the Board of Commissioners and Board of Education, respectively, in 2016.
Rutherford County is governed by an elected board of commissioners. The County Board of Commissioners[30] includes: Chair Bryan King, Vice Chair Alan Toney, Commissioner Michael Benfield, Commissioner Donnie Haulk, and Commissioner Hunter Haynes. The Board of Commissioners appoints a county manager to serve as the chief administrator. The current county manager is Steve Garrison who has been serving since March 16, 2015.[31]
Rutherford County is a member of theFoothills Regional Commission regional council of governments.
The county is policed by theRutherford County Sheriff's Office. The current sheriff is Aaron Ellenburg who has been serving since December 5, 2022.[32]
In theNorth Carolina General Assembly, Rutherford County is represented by Senator Tim Moffitt of District 48, Representative Jake Johnson of District 113, and Representative Paul Scott of District 111.
Rutherford County is served by Rutherford County Schools which operates 19 schools in the county, until 2025, when the school board voted to close Mt. Vernon-Ruth Elementary School, and the Rutherford Opportunity Center, reducing the number to 17.[33]
Rutherford County Schools is governed by an elected board of education. The County Board of Education[34] includes: Chair Phillip Morrow, Vice Chair Angel King, Thomas Crawford, David Linder, April Mayse, Brandi Nanney, and Tracy Short. The Board of Education appoints a superintendent to serve as the chief administrator. The current superintendent is Dr. David Sutton who has been serving since July 22, 2019.[35]
Two public charter schools, Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy and Lake Lure Classical Academy, as well as two private schools, Trinity Christian Academy and The Masters Academy, operate in the county as well.
Rutherford County has a large timber industry, as well as textile and construction materials manufacturing. The agricultural industry in Rutherfordton produces soybeans, wheat, corn, cotton, and livestock.[36]
In 2010, Rutherford County was selected as the location for a new $450 million data center forFacebook.[37][38]
In 2011,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.[39]
Rutherford County has a tourism industry which includes areas likeLake Lure andChimney Rock.[40]
Several films have been shot in Rutherford County, includingFirestarter (1984),The Last of the Mohicans (1992), andDirty Dancing (1987).[36]
Geographic data related toRutherford County, North Carolina atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Rutherford County, North Carolina | |
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Municipalities and communities ofRutherford County, North Carolina,United States | ||
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