Rutherford County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Rutherford County, TN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Tennessee
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B
Income Around averageAmong the top 5 wealthiest counties in Tennessee
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 93% of counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Rutherford County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 357,384 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 573.1 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 2.63% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 32.8 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 128,269 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Rutherford County grew by 48.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 357,384 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Rutherford County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.5% of residents. That is 4.2 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 91,139 25.5% +4.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 83,852 23.5% +1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 70,310 19.7% -0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 40,626 11.4% -5.9 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Tennessee, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.7% of the people living in Rutherford County and men 49.3%.
- Women 50.7% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 49.3% Tennessee 49.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Rutherford County
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Economy
Rutherford County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Rutherford County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $85,930 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.94% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Rutherford County is about 23% higher than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Rutherford County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $382,437 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,502 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.7% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Rutherford County is about 21.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,502 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Rutherford County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 196 hours, about 8.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Rutherford County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.6 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.1 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 196 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,087 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.0% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,178 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,486 | 1,225 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Tennessee:
Dyer County (15.9 min), Henry County (16.7 min), Obion County (17.1 min).
Slowest:
Cannon County (33.3 min), Union County (33.2 min), Fayette County (33.1 min).
The average commute time in Rutherford County is 24 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Tennessee.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Rutherford County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Rutherford County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.0% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.75 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.4), Davidson County (0.3), Knox County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.1), Van Buren County (0.1), Lauderdale County (0.1).
Health
Rutherford County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Rutherford County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.4 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.6% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.3% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.8), Rutherford County (0.8), Wilson County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.8), Lake County (0.8), Hancock County (0.8).
Rutherford County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
Rutherford County, TN is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 357,384 residents against a local median of 108,769. Rutherford County, TN's median home price, at $382,437, runs 20% below the $475,859 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $341,634 on median home price, so Rutherford County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Rutherford County, TN has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherford County, TN | 357,384 | $85,930 #3/5 | $382,437 #4/5 | 23.6 min #3/5 |
| Bedford County, TN | 52,237 | $69,118 | $303,922 | 22.6 min |
| Wilson County, TN | 157,828 | $95,707 | $463,718 | 30.5 min |
| Williamson County, TN | 260,351 | $135,891 | $645,556 | 26.0 min |
| Coffee County, TN | 59,710 | $61,155 | $487,999 | 21.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rutherford County, Tennessee.
How many people live in Rutherford County, Tennessee?
About 357,384 people live in Rutherford County, Tennessee, in 128,269 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 32.8, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Rutherford County, Tennessee?
Averaged over its land area, Rutherford County, Tennessee has 573 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 6.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Rutherford County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 4.5 times the median household income ($382,437 against $85,930), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,502 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Rutherford County, Tennessee?
Unemployment in Rutherford County, Tennessee is only 3.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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