This data is based on ZIP codes 28612, 28630, 28671, 28690, which covers Rutherford College and Cajah's Mountain and Connelly Springs and Granite Falls and Hildebran and Lenoir and Rhodhiss and Sawmills and Valdese.
The U.S. Census reports business data by ZIP code, not city boundaries. All numbers reflect the combined ZIP codes 28612, 28630, 28671, 28690 area shared across these towns.
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Rutherford College ZIP Area Economy · 2023
Wages -8% vs. avg. Burke Co. town
Rutherford College's ZIP area supports 9,057 jobs across 590 businesses, with workers earning an average of $43K per year, 8% below the Burke County average. The economy is well-diversified (0.91 index), led by retail trade and other services. 83.4% of businesses have fewer than 20 employees, and each business employs an average of 15.4 people. Jobs grew 2.7% from the prior year while business count grew 2.8%.
Where Businesses Clusteri
Larger blocks have more businesses.
Local Specialization vs. Burke Avg.i
Industries sorted by relative concentration in this ZIP area.
Business Size Distributioni
590 businesses by employee count. 83.4% are small businesses (under 20 employees).
Micro (<5)
Small (5-9)
Small (10-19)
Medium (20-49)
Large (100-249)
Medium (50-99)
Economic Densityi
2.00+
jobs per resident
Capped: ZIP includes employers outside city limits
15.4
employees per business
County avg: 16.6-8%
$286K
payroll per resident
$666K
payroll per business
Rutherford College ZIP Area vs. Avg. Burke Co. Towni
All Industries in ZIP Areai
| Sector | Rutherford College ZIP | Avg. Burke Co. | Spec. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Trade | 88 | 176 | 0.9x |
| Other Services | 83 | 117 | 1.3x |
| Construction | 81 | 100 | 1.4x |
| Manufacturing | 56 | 64 | 1.6x |
| Healthcare | 45 | 126 | 0.6x |
| Food & Accommodation | 42 | 104 | 0.7x |
| Admin Services | 36 | 52 | 1.2x |
| Professional Services | 32 | 85 | 0.7x |
| Wholesale Trade | 28 | 45 | 1.1x |
| Finance & Insurance | 22 | 56 | 0.7x |
| Real Estate | 18 | 50 | 0.6x |
| Transportation | 14 | 27 | 0.9x |
| Arts & Entertainment | 7 | 16 | 0.8x |
| Information | 3 | 14 | 0.4x |