Note: As defined by the US Census Bureau, a city's official boundaries often extend miles beyond the city itself and may even cross county lines. As such, several thousand US cities officially exist in two or more counties (and therefore appear on multiple counties' lists of cities.)
City | Rank | 2024 Pop. | 2020 Pop. | Change | Density (/mi²) | Area (mi²) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest City | 1 | 7,391 | 7,375 | 0.05% | 863 | 8.6 | Town |
| Spindale | 2 | 4,305 | 4,220 | 0.49% | 796 | 5.4 | Town |
| Rutherfordton | 3 | 3,700 | 3,638 | 0.41% | 893 | 4.1 | Town |
| Lake Lure | 4 | 1,393 | 1,368 | 0.43% | 106 | 13.2 | Town |
| Ellenboro | 5 | 743 | 727 | 0.54% | 587 | 1.3 | Town |
| Cliffside | 6 | 393 | 707 | -3.68% | 169 | 2.3 | CDP |
| Bostic | 7 | 363 | 355 | 0.55% | 389 | 0.9 | Town |
| Caroleen | 8 | 331 | 447 | -6.5% | 299 | 1.1 | CDP |
| Henrietta | 9 | 321 | 455 | -3.02% | 550 | 0.6 | CDP |
Note: City markers shown outside the county boundary mean that a part of the city extends into this county, but is primarily located in an adjacent county.
Forest City is the largest city in Rutherford County.
Henrietta is the smallest city in Rutherford County.
There are 9 cities in Rutherford County, North Carolina.