Buncombe County, NC vs Rutherford County, NC

Side-by-side demographic comparison · ACS 2024

Buncombe County, NC
9
metrics lead
vs
Rutherford County, NC
3
metrics lead

Key Metrics

Population — Buncombe County
274,360
Rank #262 of 3,222
92th percentile
Population — Rutherford County
64,930
Rank #849 of 3,222
74th percentile
Income — Buncombe County
$74,436 −0.9% vs nat'l
Rank #877 of 3,222
73th percentile
Income — Rutherford County
$51,410 −31.6% vs nat'l
Rank #2,697 of 3,222
16th percentile
Poverty — Buncombe County
11.8% −6.1% vs nat'l
Rank #1,235 of 3,222
62th percentile
Poverty — Rutherford County
16.8% +32.9% vs nat'l
Rank #2,257 of 3,222
30th percentile
Home Value — Buncombe County
$391,800 +39.0% vs nat'l
Rank #311 of 3,222
90th percentile
Home Value — Rutherford County
$201,800 −28.4% vs nat'l
Rank #1,381 of 3,222
57th percentile

All Metrics

Metric Buncombe County, NC Rutherford County, NC
Total Population 274,360 ▲ 64,930
Median Household Income $74,436 ▲ $51,410
Per Capita Income $43,371 ▲ $30,460
Poverty Rate 11.8% ▲ 16.8%
Median Home Value $391,800 ▲ $201,800
Median Gross Rent $1,362 ▲ $783
Homeownership Rate 66.2% 73.9% ▲
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 45.9% ▲ 21.5%
Unemployment Rate 4.3% ▲ 6.3%
Median Age 42.6 years 45.3 years ▲
Health Insurance Coverage 89.1% ▲ 88.0%
Mean Commute Time 23.5 min 28.8 min ▲

Rate Comparison

Buncombe County

66.2% Homeownership
89.1% Insured
45.9% Bachelor's+

Rutherford County

73.9% Homeownership
88.0% Insured
21.5% Bachelor's+

Race & Ethnicity

Buncombe County

White (non-Hispanic)Hispanic or LatinoBlack (non-Hispanic)Two or More RacesAsian (non-Hispanic)Other (non-Hispanic)American Indian (non-Hispanic)Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.0%36.4%72.9%80.8%8.6%4.8%4.3%1.1%0.4%0.1%0.0%

Rutherford County

White (non-Hispanic)Black (non-Hispanic)Hispanic or LatinoTwo or More RacesOther (non-Hispanic)Asian (non-Hispanic)American Indian (non-Hispanic)Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.0%30.8%61.6%80.8%7.7%5.7%4.4%0.7%0.5%0.1%0.1%

Buncombe County vs Rutherford County

Buncombe County, NC has a population of 274,360 while Rutherford County, NC has 64,930. Buncombe County has a higher median household income ($74,436 vs $51,410).

Overall, Buncombe County, NC leads in 9 out of 12 comparable metrics. This comparison uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates for 2024.

About this data

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024). All values are estimates derived from survey samples and are subject to margin of error. For more information, see our methodology.