Rutherford County, NC
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 35.40, -81.92.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 43rd pct · 1,742nd of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 25th pct · 75th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $273,108
- 59th pct · 1,242nd of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 78th pct · 22nd of 100 North Carolina counties · median +1.1%
- 40th pct · 829th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 25th pct · 47th of 63 North Carolina counties · median $1,573
- 69th pct · 990th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 52nd pct · 48th of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
- 34th pct · 2,113th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 43rd pct · 57th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $984
- 50th pct · 1,519th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 34th pct · 66th of 100 North Carolina counties · median 5.0
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $216,947 (Aug 2026), +3.8% over one year, +19.2% over five
- 43rd pct · 1,742nd of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 25th pct · 75th of 100 North Carolina counties · median $273,108
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Rutherford County, NC | $216,947 · +3.8% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Typical rent $1,393/mo (Aug 2026), n/a over one year; price-to-rent 13.0
- 40th pct · 829th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 25th pct · 47th of 63 North Carolina counties · median $1,573
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Rutherford County, NC | $1,393/mo · n/a 1-yr |
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $1,188 a month on $216,947 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,199 a month: 28.3% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $216,947 × 80% = $173,558, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,188/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $969 × 52 / 12 = $4,199) = 28% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $216,947 / ($969 × 52) = 4.3
- price-to-rent = $216,947 / ($1,393 × 12) = 13.0
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
18,309 jobs at 1,505 employers (2026 Q1); +1.6% jobs and +0.4% average weekly wage over the year
- 69th pct · 990th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 52nd pct · 48th of 100 North Carolina counties · median 16,739
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Rutherford County, NC | 18,309 jobs · $969/wk · +1.6% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2,891 | $1,304 | 1.96 | -0.8% |
| Retail trade | 2,808 | $610 | 1.57 | +5.8% |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,287 | $922 | 0.83 | +5.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,877 | $431 | 1.14 | +4.7% |
| Construction | 1,257 | $1,270 | 1.31 | +0.0% |
| Administrative and waste services | 858 | $827 | 0.82 | -12.2% |
| Information | 495 | $1,420 | 1.47 | -6.2% |
| Other services | 469 | $753 | 0.86 | +0.0% |
| Professional and technical services | 426 | $1,384 | 0.34 | +13.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 298 | $1,434 | 0.42 | +2.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 288 | $1,353 | 0.39 | -4.6% |
| Educational services | 259 | $771 | 0.66 | -5.5% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
D0 abnormally dry
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
11 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 11, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| LAKE WILLIAM C. BOWEN NEAR FINGERVILLE, SC | 815.4 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 34 km |
| LAKE BLALOCK NEAR COWPENS, SC | 710.6 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 39 km |
| GASTON SHOALS RESERVOIR ABOVE BLACKSBURG, SC | 79.1 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 41 km |
| NINETYNINE ISLAND RES. BELOW CHEROKEE FALLS, SC | 99.3 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 57 km |
| LAKE LOGAN AT DAM NEAR HAZELWOOD, NC | 52.9 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 91 km |
| NEAL SHOALS RESERVOIR NEAR CARLISLE, SC | 333.0 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 93 km |
| W. KERR SCOTT RESERVOIR AT DAM NR WILKESBORO, NC | 30.0 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 103 km |
| HARTWELL LAKE NEAR ANDERSON, SC | 649.1 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 131 km |
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
130 gauges · 0 flooding · 16 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 31 stale
Sites found: 130, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| SECOND BROAD RIVER NR LOGAN, NC | flow 43.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 4 km |
| COVE CREEK NEAR LAKE LURE, NC | flow 52.9 ft³/s · no flooding | 18 km |
| SECOND BROAD RIVER AT CLIFFSIDE, NC | flow 311.0 ft³/s · STALE | 23 km |
| Broad River in NC/SC below Lake Lure Dam | out of service | 24 km |
| FIRST BROAD RIVER NEAR CASAR, NC | flow 30.3 ft³/s · no flooding | 24 km |
| Broad River in NC/SC at Lake Lure Dam | no flooding | 24 km |
| FIRST BROAD RIVER AT SR1512 NEAR LAWNDALE, NC | flow 94.0 ft³/s · STALE | 28 km |
| BROAD RIVER NEAR BOILING SPRINGS, NC | flow 696.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 29 km |
| Broad River at highway 9 near Chimney Rock | no flooding | 29 km |
| NORTH PACOLET RIVER AT FINGERVILLE, SC | flow 132.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 32 km |
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
16 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 16, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-354133082042203 | depth 29.1 ft · 2026-10-05 | 35 km |
| USGS-354133082042201 | depth 28.8 ft · 2026-10-05 | 35 km |
| USGS-354302081433201 | depth 9.00 ft · 2026-10-05 | 39 km |
| USGS-354302081433202 | depth 12.2 ft · 2026-10-05 | 39 km |
| USGS-350927081270100 | depth 43.5 ft · 1997-09-08 | 51 km |
| USGS-350918081263408 | depth 73.5 ft · 2009-10-05 | 51 km |
| USGS-352012081154301 | depth 48.2 ft · 2026-10-05 | 60 km |
| USGS-352012081154302 | depth 42.7 ft · 2026-10-05 | 60 km |
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
low (0.00)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.00 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$881.0 m in deposits at 10 offices of 9 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,526, moderately concentrated. $652.8 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $473.9 m, grants $188.2 m), $35,656 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Truist Bank | $207.2 m · 23.5% share · 2 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $186.1 m · 21.1% share · 1 office | |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $121.3 m · 13.8% share · 1 office | |
| Rutherford, NC | $652.8 m FY2026 · $35,656/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $459.9 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truist Bank | $207,151,000 | 23.5% | 2 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $186,147,000 | 21.1% | 1 |
| First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | $121,273,000 | 13.8% | 1 |
| United Bank | $88,961,000 | 10.1% | 1 |
| Bank OZK | $78,277,000 | 8.9% | 1 |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $72,495,000 | 8.2% | 1 |
| TD Bank, National Association | $60,827,000 | 6.9% | 1 |
| Fifth Third Bank, National Association | $55,112,000 | 6.3% | 1 |
| Woodforest National Bank | $10,749,000 | 1.2% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,526 across 9 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 9 banks with deposits in the county = 23.5² + 21.1² + 13.8² + … (6 more) = 1,526
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | $403,009,645 |
| Department of Transportation | $172,240,920 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $55,318,266 |
| Department of Agriculture | $11,912,996 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $8,395,380 |
| Department of Education | $5,568,170 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $3,765,366 |
| Department of Homeland Security | $2,032,028 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,691,900 |
| Department of Justice | $274,082 |
| Small Business Administration | $177,651 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $135,074 |
That is $35,656 per covered job, against 18,309 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $652.8 m / 18,309 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $35,656
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 12.69 | 2026-10-05 | +3.3% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.60 | 2026-10-06 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 6.00 | 2026-09-22 | -14.3% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 6,830.00 | 2026-08-01 | +7.4% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 96.16 | 2026-09-29 | -3.2% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.28 | 2026-10-01 | +3.6% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -88,576.00 | 2026-07-01 | -24.4% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 646,347.00 | 2026-08-01 | +1.1% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
Rutherford County, NC: 7 findings, 7 noted
noteRutherford County, NC's covered employment was 1.6% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +1.6 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteRutherford County, NC's typical asking rent rose 0.8% from $1,383 in July 2026 to $1,393 in August 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.8% = (1393.3333333333333 - 1382.774551829893) / 1382.774551829893 × 100
- 1393.3333333333333 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
- 1382.774551829893 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-07
noteRutherford County, NC's typical home value fell 0.5% from $218,013 in July 2026 to $216,947 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- -0.5% = (216947.01613302334 - 218013.17578619625) / 218013.17578619625 × 100
- 216947.01613302334 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 218013.17578619625 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
noteRutherford County, NC's average weekly wage was 0.4% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +0.4 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteRutherford County, NC's price-to-rent ratio of 13.0 ranks 57th of 63 North Carolina counties, against a median of 16.5.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 10 on the 0-to-100 scale across 63 North Carolina counties that published priceToRent
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 7 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.