Is Rutherford, PA a Good Place to Live?
Rutherford is a small town of 6,571 in Pennsylvania, with a median household income of $75,086 and a 4.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: Rutherford stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Rutherford is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Rutherford city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 96.5Rutherford's overall cost of living index is 96.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Rutherford costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Rutherford, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $169,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,149 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 73.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $75,086 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeRutherford's violent crime rate is 172.1 per 100,000 residents — 55% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Rutherford, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 24.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 81.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Rutherford sees average highs of 38.6°F in January and 86.8°F in July, with 44.2 inches of annual precipitation and 29.9 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Rutherford, PA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 38.6°F |
| Average High — July | 86.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 44.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | 29.9" |
Demographics
| Metric | Rutherford, PA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,571 | — |
| Median Age | 35.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 22.8 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 39.4% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 27.1% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 24.3% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 22.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 13.7% | 16.8% |