Rutherford College, NC housing market
The median sale price was $249,000 in May 2026.
Home values, sales, trends and how Rutherford College compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Rutherford College at a glance
Only 2 sales in May 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value above is the steadier guide.
Home prices up 66% in 5 years
The federal house price index for the ZIP codes around Rutherford College rose 66% over the past 5 years, faster than across North Carolina (60%). Last year prices rose 22%. Carrying the Census median home value forward with that index puts the typical Rutherford College home at roughly $232,000 today.
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| Year | Change that year | Since 2000 | North Carolina since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +22% | +121% | +159% |
| 2024 | −10% | +82% | +153% |
| 2023 | +15% | +102% | +141% |
| 2022 | +15% | +76% | +121% |
| 2021 | +15% | +53% | +83% |
| 2020 | −0.4% | +33% | +62% |
| 2019 | +7.7% | +34% | +56% |
| 2018 | +9.5% | +24% | +47% |
| 2017 | +3.8% | +13% | +39% |
| 2016 | −0.1% | +9.2% | +31% |
| 2015 | +1.7% | +9.3% | +26% |
| 2014 | +0.6% | +7.5% | +21% |
| 2013 | −5% | +6.8% | +18% |
| 2012 | −2.7% | +13% | +17% |
| 2011 | −1.9% | +16% | +20% |
| 2010 | −4.1% | +18% | +25% |
| 2009 | +4.3% | +23% | +32% |
| 2008 | −1.7% | +18% | +36% |
| 2007 | +2.9% | +20% | +34% |
| 2006 | +6.2% | +16% | +28% |
| 2005 | +0.8% | +9.6% | +19% |
| 2004 | +2.8% | +8.7% | +12% |
| 2003 | +1.1% | +5.8% | +8.3% |
| 2002 | +1.9% | +4.6% | +6.7% |
| 2001 | +2.6% | +2.6% | +4.2% |
| 2000 | — | — | — |
Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (annual, developmental) for ZIP codes 28612, 28671, 28690, covering 85% of Rutherford College’s land, weighted by land area. It tracks repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, so it shows how prices changed, not what homes cost. The estimated value scales the Census (ACS 2020-2024) median home value by that change.
9 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 9 new homes in Rutherford College in 2025: 7 single-family houses and 2 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $2.6 million to build. That's 6.6 per 1,000 residents, slower than across North Carolina (11).
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| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2025 | 9 | 7 | 2 | $2.6 million |
Rutherford College's permit office reported 5 of 12 months in 2025; the Census estimated the rest.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Rutherford College and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherford College | — | +21.5%† | $1,080 | 9 | $67,500 |
| Valdese | $249K | +1.3% | $1,130 | — | $50,740 |
| Connelly Springs | — | +24.4%† | $1,080 | — | $54,620 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
2.7 years of income
The typical Rutherford College home costs about 2.7 years of the town's median household income, less than across North Carolina (4.6 years).
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,080
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Rutherford College is $1,080 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Rutherford College pay a median of $853, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 19% of the town's median household income.
Studio $850 · 4 bedrooms $1,640
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (28612, 28671, 28690; Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Price trend: Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.