Haywood County vs Rutherford County
A side-by-side comparison of Haywood County and Rutherford County: population, income, housing, and more.
Haywood County and Rutherford County are counties in North Carolina. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Rutherford County has the higher population (64,850 vs 62,432 in Haywood County). Haywood County has the higher median household income ($61,001 vs $49,771 in Rutherford County). Haywood County has the higher median home value ($254,900 vs $180,800 in Rutherford County).
Population, income & housing
| Haywood County | Rutherford County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 62,432 | 64,850 |
| Median age | 47.8 yrs | 45.3 yrs |
| Median household income | $61,001 | $49,771 |
| Median home value | $254,900 | $180,800 |
| Median gross rent | $1,052 | $748 |
| Housing units | 35,307 | 32,682 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.0% | 74.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.4% | 20.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 5.5% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Haywood County | Rutherford County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 61,053 → 62,432 (+2.3%) | 66,599 → 64,850 (-2.6%) |
| Median household income | $51,659 → $61,001 (+18.1%) | $42,608 → $49,771 (+16.8%) |
| Median home value | $179,700 → $254,900 (+41.8%) | $118,300 → $180,800 (+52.8%) |
| Median gross rent | $785 → $1,052 (+34.0%) | $636 → $748 (+17.6%) |
Haywood County
61,05362,432
$51,659$61,001
$179,700$254,900
$785$1,052
Rutherford County
66,59964,850
$42,608$49,771
$118,300$180,800
$636$748
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Haywood County | Rutherford County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4.2% | 5.0% |
| 5 to 17 | 13.6% | 15.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.5% | 7.2% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.8% | 11.3% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.7% | 11.0% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.5% | 13.4% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.3% | 14.8% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.6% | 13.1% |
| 75 and over | 10.7% | 9.0% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Haywood County | Rutherford County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 90.9% | 81.1% |
| Black or African American | 1.0% | 8.1% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.1% | 0.7% |
| Two or more races | 2.4% | 3.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.7% | 5.4% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Haywood County | Rutherford County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 8.4% | 13.4% |
| High school graduate | 27.5% | 31.1% |
| Some college or associate's | 34.7% | 34.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 17.9% | 13.3% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 11.5% | 7.4% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Haywood County | Rutherford County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 79.0% | 81.2% |
| Carpooled | 9.6% | 9.0% |
| Public transit | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Walked | 2.6% | 1.3% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Worked from home | 7.7% | 6.7% |
| Other means | 1.0% | 1.5% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Haywood County | Rutherford County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 73.6% | 73.3% |
| 1-unit, attached | 1.3% | 1.8% |
| 2 to 4 units | 4.7% | 4.4% |
| 5 to 19 units | 2.5% | 2.6% |
| 20 or more units | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Mobile home & other | 17.1% | 16.9% |
Poverty & households
| Haywood County | Rutherford County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 11.3% | 17.6% |
| Average household size | 2.31 | 2.39 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 23 | 26 |
| Median year structure built | 1983 | 1980 |
Full profiles
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