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Ruth, North Carolina facts for kids

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Ruth, North Carolina
Welcome sign
Welcome sign
Location of Ruth, North Carolina
Location of Ruth, North Carolina
Country United States
State North Carolina
County Rutherford
Government
 • Type Local-democratically elected
Area
 • Total 0.42 sq mi (1.10 km2)
 • Land 0.42 sq mi (1.10 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
968 ft (295 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 347
 • Density 818.40/sq mi (315.71/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
28139
Area code(s) 828
FIPS code 37-58420
GNIS feature ID 2407259

Ruth is a small town located in Rutherford County, North Carolina, in the United States. In 2020, about 347 people lived there.

Where is Ruth, North Carolina?

Ruth is located where two main roads, U.S. Route 64 and U.S. Route 74A, meet. It is close to other towns like Rutherfordton and Spindale.

The town covers a small area of about 0.4 square miles (1.1 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Who Lives in Ruth?

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 205
1920 175 −14.6%
1930 297 69.7%
1940 318 7.1%
1950 324 1.9%
1960 529 63.3%
1970 360 −31.9%
1980 381 5.8%
1990 366 −3.9%
2000 329 −10.1%
2010 440 33.7%
2020 347 −21.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

Population Changes Over Time

The number of people living in Ruth has changed over the years. For example, in 1910, there were 205 residents. The population grew to 529 people by 1960. By 2020, the population was 347.

Ruth's Population in 2000

In the year 2000, there were 329 people living in Ruth. These people lived in 137 households, and 96 of these were families. The town had about 749 people per square mile. There were also 155 housing units, which are places where people can live.

Most of the people in Ruth were White (92.10%). A smaller number were Black (6.38%) or Native American (0.61%). About 1.22% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

Households and Families

Out of the 137 households in 2000, about 28.5% had children under 18 living with them. More than half (54.7%) were married couples living together. About 8.0% had a female head of the household without a husband present. Nearly 29.2% were not families.

About 27.0% of all households had only one person living in them. And 11.7% of households had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. On average, there were 2.40 people in each household and 2.87 people in each family.

Age Groups in Ruth

The population in Ruth was spread out across different age groups. About 20.7% of the people were under 18 years old. About 10.9% were between 18 and 24. The largest group, 28.3%, was between 25 and 44 years old. People aged 45 to 64 made up 26.1% of the population. Finally, 14.0% of the people were 65 years or older. The average age in the town was 39 years.

Income and Poverty

In 2000, the average income for a household in Ruth was $32,083. For families, the average income was $41,500. Men generally earned more, with a median income of $25,688, compared to $20,250 for women. The average income per person in the town was $16,402.

About 5.8% of families and 7.2% of all people in Ruth lived below the poverty line. This included 3.2% of those under 18 and 14.3% of those aged 65 or older.

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