Rutherford County Demographics

A map of Rutherford County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	229,745	219,194	63.7%	64.2%
Black	52,973	53,270	14.7%	15.6%
Hispanic	43,964	38,317	12.2%	11.2%
Multiracial	18,112	15,661	5.0%	4.6%
Asian	13,036	12,394	3.6%	3.6%
Native American/Other	2,816	2,650	0.8%	0.8%

Rutherford County, Tennessee has an estimated population of 360,646, an increase from the 341,486 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 63.7% White, 14.7% Black, 12.2% Hispanic, 5.0% Multiracial, 3.6% Asian, and 0.8% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Rutherford County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Rutherford has become slightly more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably more diverse than Tennessee overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Rutherford County, that probability was 54.8% in 2020 and 55.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Rutherford County is ranked the 5th most populous county in Tennessee, out of 95 counties. Rutherford County was ranked the 5th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Rutherford County's White Population

229,745 residents of Rutherford County, or 63.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Rutherford County is lower than in Tennessee overall, where 71% of the population is White. Rutherford County ranks 88th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rutherford County's White population has grown by an estimated 4.8%. White residents' share of Rutherford County's population has decreased from 64.2% to 63.7%.

Rutherford County is less White than neighboring Bedford County (72.8% White), Wilson County (79.3% White), Cannon County (91.9% White), Williamson County (80.9% White), and Coffee County (85.3% White).

Rutherford County's Black Population

52,973 residents of Rutherford County, or 14.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Rutherford County is comparable to the share in Tennessee overall, where 15.4% of the population is Black. Rutherford County ranks 14th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rutherford County's Black population has remained roughly the same. Black residents' share of Rutherford County's population has decreased from 15.6% to 14.7%.

Rutherford County is more Black than neighboring Bedford County (6.3% Black), Wilson County (7.1% Black), Cannon County (2.3% Black), Williamson County (3.9% Black), and Coffee County (4.1% Black).

Rutherford County's Asian Population

13,036 residents of Rutherford County, or 3.6% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Rutherford County is comparable to the share in Tennessee overall, where 1.9% of the population is Asian. Rutherford County ranks 3rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rutherford County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 5.2%. Asian residents' share of Rutherford County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.6%.

Rutherford County is more Asian than neighboring Bedford County (0.8% Asian), Wilson County (2.2% Asian), Cannon County (0% Asian), and Coffee County (1.3% Asian). Rutherford County is less Asian than neighboring Williamson County (5.3% Asian).

Rutherford County's Hispanic Population

43,964 residents of Rutherford County, or 12.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Rutherford County is slightly higher than in Tennessee overall, where 7.4% of the population is Hispanic. Rutherford County ranks 4th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rutherford County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 14.7%. Hispanic residents' share of Rutherford County's population has increased from 11.2% to 12.2%.

Rutherford County is more Hispanic than neighboring Wilson County (6.5% Hispanic), Cannon County (3.1% Hispanic), Williamson County (6% Hispanic), and Coffee County (6.3% Hispanic). Rutherford County is less Hispanic than neighboring Bedford County (16% Hispanic).

Rutherford County's Native American/Other Population

2,816 residents of Rutherford County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Rutherford County is comparable to the share in Tennessee overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Rutherford County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rutherford County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 6.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Rutherford County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Rutherford County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Bedford County (0.2% Native American/Other), Cannon County (0.2% Native American/Other), Williamson County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Coffee County (0.3% Native American/Other). Rutherford County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Wilson County (1.2% Native American/Other).

Rutherford County's Multiracial Population

18,112 residents of Rutherford County, or 5.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Rutherford County is comparable to the share in Tennessee overall, where 3.7% of the population is Multiracial. Rutherford County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 95 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rutherford County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 15.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Rutherford County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 5.0%.

Rutherford County is more Multiracial than neighboring Bedford County (3.9% Multiracial), Wilson County (3.6% Multiracial), Cannon County (2.5% Multiracial), Williamson County (3.3% Multiracial), and Coffee County (2.7% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.