Is Rutherford County, NC's population growing or shrinking?
Updated annually
It grew by 218 between 2023 and 2024. Changes in population can reflect birth and death rates, immigration patterns, regional shifts, and even the overall health of the economy. The 0.33% annual increase was primarily driven by people moving from other states.
In the decade between 2014 and 2024, Rutherford County, NC’s population shrank by 1.5%.
+218
population change (2023 to 2024)
+0.33%
percent change in population (2023 to 2024)
Since 2000, Rutherford County, NC’s population increased 13 out of 24 years. The largest increase occurred between 2009 and 2010, when Rutherford County, NC gained 4,300 residents. Its largest decline occurred between 2019 and 2020 when there were 2,700 fewer residents.
Rutherford County, NC gained 218 residents between 2023 and 2024.
Annual population change
A county’s population is influenced by three factors:
- Natural population change: If births outnumber deaths in a given year, natural population growth is positive. If deaths exceed births, it is negative. Between 2023 and 2024 natural population change was negative in Rutherford County, NC, with deaths exceeding births by 384.
- Immigration: international migration directly into or out of a county: If more people move in than move out, population change from immigration is positive. If more people move out than move in, it’s negative. Between 2023 to 2024, Rutherford County, NC’s population change from immigration was positive with about two more people coming from another country directly to Rutherford County, NC than leaving.
- Domestic migration, moving between counties: Between 2023 to 2024, Rutherford County, NC’s population change from domestic migration was positive with about 600 more people coming from any other county in the US.
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Between 2023 and 2024, domestic migration was the primary driver of population growth in Rutherford County, NC.
Components of population change
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
