Rutherford County, Tennessee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rutherford County
U.S. county
Rutherford County Courthouse, Murfreesboro
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	October 25, 1803
Named for	Griffith Rutherford
Seat	Murfreesboro
Largest city	Murfreesboro
Area
• Total	624 sq mi (1,620 km2)
• Land	619 sq mi (1,600 km2)
• Water	4.7 sq mi (12 km2)  0.8%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	341,486
• Estimate  (2023)	367,101
• Density	547.3/sq mi (211.30/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	37037, 37060, 37063, 37085, 37086, 37089, 37118, 37127, 37128, 37129, 37130, 37131, 37132, 37133, 37153, 37167
Area code	615, 629
Congressional district	4th

Rutherford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in Middle Tennessee. As of a 2023 estimate, the population was 367,101, making it the fifth-most populous county in Tennessee. A study conducted by the University of Tennessee projects Rutherford County to become the third largest county in Tennessee by population by 2050. Its county seat is Murfreesboro, which is also the geographic center of Tennessee. As of 2010, it is the center of population of Tennessee. Rutherford County is included in the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Early history

Rutherford County was formed in 1803 from parts of Davidson, Williamson and Wilson counties, and named in honor of Griffith Rutherford (1721–1805). Rutherford was a North Carolina colonial legislator and an American Revolutionary War general, who settled in Middle Tennessee after the Revolution. He was appointed President of the Council of the Southwest Territory (the upper chamber of the territorial legislature) in 1794.

Civil War

Rutherford County strongly supported the Confederacy during the Civil War, having voted 2,392 to 73 in favor of Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession on June 8, 1861.

Rutherford County's central location and proximity to Nashville during the Civil War made it a contested area. The county was home to one of the bloodiest battles of the war, the Battle of Stones River, which was fought between December 31, 1862, and January 2, 1863.

On July 13, 1862, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest conducted a series of cavalry operations known locally as Forrest's Raid. The raid successfully led to the surrender of all Union forces occupying the area. Soon after his departure, Union troops returned to the area and held it until the end of the war.

Reconstruction and latter 19th century

Opened in 1884, Bradley Academy was Rutherford County's first high school for African Americans

In August 1869, rampaging white men drove close to 100 African American farmers from their homes, and out of the county, to Nashville.

In 1884, Bradley Academy in Murfreesboro became Rutherford County's first accredited high school for African Americans. The co-educational school was operated by the Murfreesboro City Schools system. Bradley Academy was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

Modern history

In the early 2000s, Muslim immigrants settled in the county, particularly in and around Murfreesboro. Their efforts to develop a mosque, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro (and its subsequent replacement) became the focus of intense local controversy and opposition from non-Muslims, and were stymied by political and legal battles, arson, bomb threats and vandalism. A federal court forced the local authorities to allow the mosque, and opposition subsided, but sporadic incidents continued.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 624 square miles (1,620 km²), of which 619 square miles (1,600 km²) is land and 4.7 square miles (12 km²) (0.8%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Wilson County (north)
• Cannon County (east)
• Coffee County (southeast)
• Bedford County (south)
• Marshall County (southwest)
• Williamson County (west)
• Davidson County (northwest)

National protected area

• Stones River National Battlefield

State protected areas

• Flat Rock Cedar Glades and Barrens State Natural Area
• Gattinger's Cedar Glade and Barrens State Natural Area (part)
• Long Hunter State Park (part)
• Manus Road Cedar Glade State Natural Area
• Overbridge State Natural Area
• Percy Priest Wildlife Management Area (part)
• Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade State Natural Area
• Fate Sanders Barrens State Natural Area
• Sunnybell Cedar Glade State Natural Area
• Stones River Cedar Glade and Barrens State Natural Area
• Walterhill Floodplain State Natural Area

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 341,486 people, 113,797 households, and 78,348 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 262,604 people, 96,232 households, and 66,810 families living in the county. The population density was 424 people per square mile (164 people/km²), and the housing unit density was 156 units per square mile (60 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 80.67% White, 12.65% Black or African American, 3.08% Asian, 0.36% Native American, 0.05% Pacific Islander, and 2.04% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origins were 6.67% of the population.

Of the 96,232 households, 35.19% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 51.61% were married couples living together, 5.04% had a male householder with no wife present, 12.77% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.59% were non-families. 22.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.38% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.14.

Of the 262,604 residents, 26.17% were under the age of 18, 65.62% were between the ages of 18 and 64, and 8.21% were 65 years of age and older. The median age was 33.1 years. 50.60% of all residents were female and 49.40% were male.

The median household income in the county was $53,770 and the median family income was $63,483. Males had a median income of $43,306 versus $35,437 for females. The per capita income was $24,390. About 8.8% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 and over.

Economy

The top employers in the county are listed below. Rutherford County government including Rutherford County Schools also employ 6,028 individuals.

Murfreesboro

• Middle Tennessee State University: 2,205
• National Healthcare: 2,071
• City of Murfreesboro: 1,912
• State Farm Insurance: 1,650
• Amazon.com: 1,550
• Saint Thomas Rutherford: 1,400
• Alvin C. York Veterans Administration Medical Center: 1,300

Smyrna and La Vergne

• Nissan Motor Company: 8,000
• Ingram Content Group: 2,048
• Asurion: 1,050
• Vi-Jon (personal care products): 737
• Stonecrest Medical Center (hospital): 550

The county is also home to Barrett Firearms Manufacturing and a General Mills production facility.

Communities

Cities

• Eagleville
• La Vergne
• Murfreesboro (county seat)

Town

• Smyrna

Census-designated places

• Christiana
• Rockvale
• Walterhill

Unincorporated communities

• Allisona (partial)
• Almaville
• Barfield
• Blackman
• Cason Lane
• Cedar Grove
• Florence
• Fosterville
• Kittrell
• Lascassas
• Midland
• Milton
• Overall
• Readyville (partial)
• Salem
• Versailles
• Windrow

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Rutherford (Tennessee) para niños