Rainey Qualley was born in 1989[a] in New York City and grew up in North Carolina.

She has two siblings: an older brother, Justin and a younger sister, actress and model Margaret Qualley.

[5] Rainey and her sister were debutantes and formally presented at Le Bal des débutantes in Paris.

[7] In the same year, she starred in Mighty Fine, opposite her mother Andie MacDowell, directed by Debbie Goodstein.

[23] On September 10, 2024, Qualley announced that she is pregnant with her first child with partner Anthony Wilson.