28139 ZIP Code — Rutherfordton, NC

Rutherford County, North Carolina

ZIP code 28139 is located in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, within Rutherford County. It covers approximately 181.86 square miles and serves a population of 18,624 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 828.

About ZIP code 28139

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $180,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $55,371. 50% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 27 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 22% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 28139 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

18,624

population

181.86

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

28139 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 28139

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 28139. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Rutherfordton	Acceptable
Rutherfordton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

28160 Spindale (6.5 mi) 28756 Mill Spring (7.2 mi) 28722 Columbus (7.4 mi) 28043 Forest City (9.5 mi) 28782 Tryon (10.7 mi) 28167 Union Mills (11 mi) 28746 Lake Lure (11.8 mi) 28040 Ellenboro (16.3 mi) 28018 Bostic (16.5 mi) 29323 Chesnee (16.7 mi) 29322 Campobello (16.9 mi) 28773 Saluda (17 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	18,624
Population density	102 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	161

Geography
Land area	181.86 sq mi
Water area	0.16 sq mi
Latitude	35.3347
Longitude	-82.0360
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	828

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.8%	58.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.4%	28.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.9%	10.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	3.8%	3.5%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

18,624

Population

102

People per sq mi

49.1

Median age

$55,371

Median household income

$30,172

Per capita income

$180,600

Median home value

$856

Median monthly rent

80.3%

Home ownership

17.0%

Poverty rate

2.6%

Unemployment

7,345

Housing units

22.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

411

Under 5

465

479

5–9

541

442

10–14

499

505

15–19

570

323

20–24

364

946

25–34

1,068

970

35–44

1,097

908

45–54

1,026

798

55–59

901

727

60–64

821

1,136

65–74

1,284

815

75–84

920

285

85+

323

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,612	19.4%
18 and over	15,012	80.6%
65 and over	4,763	25.6%
Median age	49.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 85.7%

Black or African American 5.3%

Two or more races 4%

Hispanic or Latino 3.4%

Other race 1.3%

Asian 0.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	16,513	85.7%
Black or African American	1,022	5.3%
Two or more races	772	4%
Hispanic or Latino	652	3.4%
Other race	256	1.3%
Asian	33	0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	28	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.8%	58.1%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	31.4%	28.4%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	10.9%	10.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	3.8%	3.5%	6.0%

Under $10k 6.8%

$10k–$15k 8.9%

$15k–$25k 7.7%

$25k–$35k 12.6%

$35k–$50k 11.2%

$50k–$75k 20.0%

$75k–$100k 9.4%

$100k–$150k 16.1%

$150k–$200k 3.0%

$200k+ 4.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.8%
$10k–$15k	8.9%
$15k–$25k	7.7%
$25k–$35k	12.6%
$35k–$50k	11.2%
$50k–$75k	20.0%
$75k–$100k	9.4%
$100k–$150k	16.1%
$150k–$200k	3.0%
$200k+	4.3%
Median income	$55,371

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.8%

$50k–$100k 15.3%

$100k–$150k 15.5%

$150k–$200k 14.9%

$200k–$300k 23.8%

$300k–$500k 13.1%

$500k–$1M 6.6%

$1M+ 0.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$180,600
Median rent / month	$856
Owner occupied	80.3%
Renter occupied	19.7%
Vacant	12.9%
Single-family detached	73.0%
Large apartment buildings	1.4%
Mobile homes	20.1%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.35

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	4.7%
2000–2009	18.3%
1990–1999	22.9%
1980–1989	10.3%
1970–1979	11.5%
1960–1969	10.7%
1950–1959	7.2%
1940–1949	4.8%
1939 or earlier	9.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.6%
1 bedroom	2.9%
2 bedrooms	23.8%
3 bedrooms	58.2%
4 bedrooms	11.4%
5+ bedrooms	3.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.9%
1 vehicle	23.8%
2 vehicles	38.4%
3 or more	32.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	7.2%
Electricity	64.1%
Propane / LP gas	14.5%
Fuel oil	9.1%
Wood	3.9%
Solar	0.4%
No fuel used	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,631	47.0%
Cohabiting couple	526	6.8%
Male householder, no spouse	1,613	20.9%
Female householder, no spouse	1,958	25.3%
Households with children under 18	1,777	23.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,430	44.4%
Average household size	2.34

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	24.5%	22.9%
Married	53.8%	45.5%
Separated	3.3%	2.8%
Widowed	7.7%	14.4%
Divorced	10.8%	14.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.0%

Some HS, no diploma 8.1%

HS graduate 29.2%

Some college, no degree 23.8%

Associate's degree 11.9%

Bachelor's degree 15.3%

Graduate / professional 6.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	86.9%
Bachelor's or higher	22.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	291	8.0%
Kindergarten	97	2.7%
Elementary school	1,652	45.2%
High school	739	20.2%
College / grad school	876	24.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.9%

Manufacturing 13.6%

Retail trade 12.4%

Professional & management 10.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.4%

Construction 7.3%

Transportation & utilities 6.1%

Public administration 5.3%

Other services 4.2%

Finance & real estate 4.1%

Agriculture & mining 2.9%

Wholesale trade 1.5%

Information 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	29.7%
Service	20.8%
Sales & office	20.0%
Natural resources & construction	12.4%
Production & transportation	17.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.3%
Government	15.6%
Self-employed	6.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.6%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	75.3%
Carpool	14.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.7%
Work from home	5.9%
Other means	2.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.2

Poverty

All people 17.0%

Under 18 years 19.4%

18 and over 16.4%

Married-couple families 5.6%

Female-led households 34.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	50.1%
Retirement income	29.0%
Supplemental Security	5.8%
Cash public assistance	1.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	15.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.0%
High blood pressure	37.0%
High cholesterol	36.9%
Diabetes	11.8%
Heart disease	8.0%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	9.5%
Arthritis	29.5%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	8.5%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.7%
Binge drinking	14.6%
No physical activity	24.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.7%
Depression	23.5%
Fair or poor health	15.5%
Poor mental health	14.4%
Poor physical health	12.0%
No health insurance	17.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.9%
Visited dentist	61.4%
Cholesterol screening	90.5%
Teeth loss	15.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,391	9.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	22.0%
Under 18	4.2%
18–64 years	19.2%
65 and over	42.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	60.1%
Public insurance	47.1%
No insurance	11.0%
Uninsured under 19	5.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	17,748	95.3%
Spanish	157	0.9%
Other Indo-European	149	0.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	8	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	18,048	96.9%
Born in same state	17,946	96.4%
Born in different state	11,229	60.3%
Foreign born	102	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	576	3.1%
Not a US citizen	367	63.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	3,030	16.3%
French	2,929	15.7%
Italian	1,559	8.4%
Dutch	93	0.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	78	0.4%
Polish	46	0.2%
German	36	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.5%
Internet access	88.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 28139

What city is ZIP code 28139 in?

ZIP code 28139 is primarily assigned to Rutherfordton, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 28139 in?

ZIP code 28139 falls within Rutherford County, North Carolina.

Does ZIP code 28139 have an older population?

26% of residents in ZIP code 28139 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 28139 have a large retiree population?

50% of households in ZIP code 28139 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28139?

17% of residents in ZIP code 28139 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 28139 mostly owner-occupied?

80% of occupied units in ZIP code 28139 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 28139 in?

ZIP code 28139 observes the EST timezone.