This is the county seat of Rutherford County, so county buildings are dotted around town.  There are two museums, one that houses early medical equipment and one that is an interactive kids' museum (which the grandkids will love).  Several churches, a handful of art galleries, hardware stores, an outlet store, a Food Lion and the like round out the cityscape (there is no Wal-Mart but one is just 5 miles away).  Restaurants are not in great supply, but there is a sports bar and a steak house and the 2nd Street Cafe offers up tasty livermush and country ham for breakfast.   Nearly everyone turns out for the annual Mayfest Street Festival and October's Hilltop Fall Festival, both of which are held downtown.   Several other small towns, including Forest City, Lake Lure and Spindale, are within a short drive and have more merchants and events.  For larger city amenities, Asheville (population 75,000) is 45 miles away.  

The Lions Club, the Rotary Club and the Kiwanis are popular here.  Isothermal Community College has a variety of classes, although none specifically for seniors.   The Norris Public Library is small, very cute and has DVDs, CDs, large print books and public computers with Internet access.

Several city parks, including 26-acre Crestview Park, add to the peaceful small town ambiance.  The Cleghorn Plantation Golf Course (18 holes) is open year round, as is the city-owned Rutherfordton Golf Club (9 holes).  Perhaps the best recreation area, however, is Lake Lure, 15 miles west and named by National Geographic as one of the world's most beautiful man-made lakes.  It sits in the Hickory Nut Gorge, and views of it from high points in wooded Chimney Rock Park (a state park) are breathtaking.  Opportunities for boating, fishing, rock climbing, bird watching and swimming are many. 

Rutherford County operates several senior centers, including one in Rutherfordton and one in neighboring Spindale, about 3 miles away.   Hot meals, as well as other services, are offered. Meals on Wheels is also active through the Area Agency on Aging.

Rutherford County Transit (RCT) provides fixed route public transportation in town ($1 to ride) and in neighboring towns, stopping at the Food Lion, the nearby Wal-Mart, the senior center, etc., and drivers will deviate up to 1/2 mile from a bus stop to pick up or drop off passengers (with advance notice).  RCT also offers scheduled rides to people who are age 60 or better, disabled or on Medicaid.

Rutherford Regional Health System, with 116 beds, is accredited by the Joint Commission and has an accredited cancer program.  For the fourth year in a row, it has been named a Thompson Reuters Top 100 Hospital and is award-winning for surgery excellence.  Medicaid and Medicare patients are accepted.

Sitting in an area called an isothermal belt, Rutherford is a spot where the climate is more temperate and equitable, given the elevation of 1,015 feet above sea level, than in other parts of mountainous North Carolina.  Summer temperatures are in the 70s, 80s and 90s, and winter temperatures are in the upper-20s, 30s and 40s.   Precipitation averages four inches per month, and it can snow an inch or two each winter month.  On the comfort index, a combination of temperature and humidity, Rutherfordton comes in slightly below the national average.  The sun shines 214 days of the year.  The water and air quality are both above the national averages.