Pender County vs Rutherford County
A side-by-side comparison of Pender County and Rutherford County: population, income, housing, and more.
Pender 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 63,475 in Pender County). Pender County has the higher median household income ($76,838 vs $49,771 in Rutherford County). Pender County has the higher median home value ($267,100 vs $180,800 in Rutherford County).
Population, income & housing
| Pender County | Rutherford County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 63,475 | 64,850 |
| Median age | 41.8 yrs | 45.3 yrs |
| Median household income | $76,838 | $49,771 |
| Median home value | $267,100 | $180,800 |
| Median gross rent | $1,072 | $748 |
| Housing units | 31,007 | 32,682 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.8% | 74.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.8% | 20.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.0% | 5.5% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Pender County | Rutherford County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 60,399 → 63,475 (+5.1%) | 66,599 → 64,850 (-2.6%) |
| Median household income | $57,240 → $76,838 (+34.2%) | $42,608 → $49,771 (+16.8%) |
| Median home value | $198,700 → $267,100 (+34.4%) | $118,300 → $180,800 (+52.8%) |
| Median gross rent | $919 → $1,072 (+16.6%) | $636 → $748 (+17.6%) |
Pender County
60,39963,475
$57,240$76,838
$198,700$267,100
$919$1,072
Rutherford County
66,59964,850
$42,608$49,771
$118,300$180,800
$636$748
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Pender County | Rutherford County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.5% | 5.0% |
| 5 to 17 | 17.0% | 15.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.2% | 7.2% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.9% | 11.0% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.4% | 13.4% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.4% | 14.8% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.4% | 13.1% |
| 75 and over | 6.7% | 9.0% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Pender County | Rutherford County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 73.9% | 81.1% |
| Black or African American | 12.4% | 8.1% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.5% | 0.7% |
| Two or more races | 3.9% | 3.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.5% | 5.4% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Pender County | Rutherford County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 9.5% | 13.4% |
| High school graduate | 27.7% | 31.1% |
| Some college or associate's | 33.0% | 34.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 19.7% | 13.3% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 10.1% | 7.4% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Pender County | Rutherford County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 75.7% | 81.2% |
| Carpooled | 11.3% | 9.0% |
| Public transit | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Walked | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Worked from home | 11.4% | 6.7% |
| Other means | 0.1% | 1.5% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Pender County | Rutherford County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 70.2% | 73.3% |
| 1-unit, attached | 1.4% | 1.8% |
| 2 to 4 units | 1.2% | 4.4% |
| 5 to 19 units | 2.1% | 2.6% |
| 20 or more units | 2.0% | 1.0% |
| Mobile home & other | 23.0% | 16.9% |
Poverty & households
| Pender County | Rutherford County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.7% | 17.6% |
| Average household size | 2.58 | 2.39 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 31 | 26 |
| Median year structure built | 1997 | 1980 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in North Carolina
- Most densely populated — counties in North Carolina
- Highest median household income — counties in North Carolina
- Highest median home value — counties in North Carolina
- Most affordable home values — counties in North Carolina
- Highest median gross rent — counties in North Carolina
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in North Carolina
- Oldest by median age — counties in North Carolina
- Youngest by median age — counties in North Carolina
- Most college-educated — counties in North Carolina
- Highest poverty rate — counties in North Carolina
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in North Carolina
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in North Carolina
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in North Carolina
- Longest commutes — counties in North Carolina
- Shortest commutes — counties in North Carolina
- Largest households — counties in North Carolina
- Newest housing — counties in North Carolina
- Oldest housing — counties in North Carolina
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in North Carolina
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in North Carolina