Rutherford College is a town in Burke County, North Carolina, home to about 1,374 people across 2.3 square miles. Its ZIP code is 28671, and parts of 28612 and 28690 are in Rutherford College too.
Homes sold for a median of $202 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 2 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Rutherford College; also Valdese
Part is in Rutherford College, part in Connelly Springs and Icard
Mostly Valdese; part is in Rutherford College
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Rutherford College. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Rutherford College’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)49 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Charlotte, NC54 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA456 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Rutherford College; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Rutherford College had 1,226 residents in the 2020 census, down 5% since 2000.
It’s the 402nd largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.
Burke County grew from 17,699 residents in 1900 to 87,570 in 2020.
Burke County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 87°F in summer, and winter lows average 30°F. About 47.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Hickory Faa Ap, NC weather station (8 miles away).
24,509 jobs at 1,540 businesses in Burke County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
18 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Rutherford College.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 10 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
| Dentists | 2 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 2 |
| Mental health providers | 1 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (1 nearby)
Grocery stores
Libraries
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
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Shares ZIP codes with Valdese, Connelly Springs, Icard and Hildebran.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.