Rutherford County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.5 | 65,507 people · 25th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Rutherford County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.5 — 533rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within North Carolina, it ranks 25th of 100 counties. It scores higher than all 8 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Rutherford County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 81.6 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 81.6
Uninsured Rate 76
Disability Rate 87
Income & Poverty 70.0
Poverty Rate 63
Income vs. State Median 85
Child Poverty Rate 62
Debt & Delinquency 66.9
Debt in Collections 77
Medical Debt 90
Student Loan Delinquency 65
Auto Loan Delinquency 84
Credit Card Delinquency 74
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 11
Employment & Wages 52.8
Unemployment Rate 69
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 32
Business Formation Rate 57
Housing Cost Burden 51.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 46
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 66
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 34
Homeownership Rate 52
Rent-to-Income Ratio 57

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Rutherford County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Rutherford County
Rutherford County, NC 64.5 Elevated —
Burke County, NC 62.7 Elevated -1.8
Cleveland County, NC 60.5 Elevated -4.0
Cherokee County, SC 58.4 Elevated -6.1
Spartanburg County, SC 54.1 Elevated -10.3
McDowell County, NC 53.8 Elevated -10.7
Buncombe County, NC 51.1 Elevated -13.3
Polk County, NC 49.1 Normal -15.4
Henderson County, NC 46.6 Normal -17.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Rutherford County
Harrison County, MS 64.5 Elevated -0.0
Josephine County, OR 64.5 Elevated +0.1
Rockdale County, GA 64.4 Elevated -0.1
Laurens County, SC 64.4 Elevated -0.1
Columbus County, NC 64.6 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Rutherford County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Rutherford County

Find an Attorney

North Carolina State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

North Carolina State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-662-7407

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Rutherford County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of North Carolina 1-866-219-5262
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy 704-376-1600
NC Equal Access to Justice Commission
Duke Law School Community Enterprise Clinic

Self-Help Resources

NC Courts Self-Help Resources — Foreclosure Official NC court system resources for foreclosure proceedings and borrower rights
NCHFA Homeowner Resources Assistance programs, counselor referrals, and HAF information

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in North Carolina →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Rutherford County, North Carolina?

    Rutherford County has a County Distress Index score of 64.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 533rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 25th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Rutherford County?

    The primary driver of distress in Rutherford County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 81.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Rutherford County compare to neighboring counties?

    Rutherford County (64.5) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Burke County, NC (62.7); Cleveland County, NC (60.5); Cherokee County, SC (58.4).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Rutherford County?

    Rutherford County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 65,507 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.