Butler County, Iowa

IA · FIPS 19023 Republican

Located in Iowa, Butler County has a population of 14,268 residents and a median age of 43.7 years, making it the #2,206 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.2%. The median home value is $165,400, and the median household income is $73,715, which is 2% below the national median.

14,268
Population
#2,206 of 3,222
$73,715
Median Income
-1.9% #936 of 3,222
43.7 years
Median Age
+12.3% #1,009 of 3,222
9.2%
Poverty Rate
-26.8% #619 of 3,222

Demographics

Butler County has a population of 14,268, making it the #2,206 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.7 years, which is 12.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.7%
Native Born
2.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Butler County is $73,715, ranking #936 out of 3,222 counties — 1.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 9.2% and unemployment stands at 3.1%.

Income#936
$73,715
-1.9%
vs nation
71th percentile
Per Capita#1,133
$37,766
-8.5%
vs nation
65th percentile
Poverty#619
9.2%
-26.8%
vs nation
81th percentile
Unemployment#759
3.1%
-40.9%
vs nation
76th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Butler County is $165,400 (-41.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $812/mo and the homeownership rate is 84.1%.

Home Value#1,901
$165,400
-41.3%
vs nation
41th percentile
Rent#2,015
$812
-30.2%
vs nation
37th percentile
Homeownership#166
84.1%
+30.6%
vs nation
95th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Butler County, 21.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 36.5% below the national average, ranking #1,752 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
21.4% −36.5% vs nation
Rank #1,752 of 3,222
46th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Butler County is 79.6 years. 14.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#284
79.6
+5.9%
vs nation
91th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#386
14.4%
-26.4%
vs nation
88th percentile
Diabetes#877
9.6%
-13.8%
vs nation
72th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#242
31.3%
-16.1%
vs nation
92th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#277
4.8
-14.7%
vs nation
91th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#452
3.7
-16.1%
vs nation
86th percentile
Uninsured Rate#130
4.8%
-54.6%
vs nation
96th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,241
24.7%
-6.4%
vs nation
61th percentile
Food Insecurity#470
10.8%
-25.0%
vs nation
85th percentile

Substance Use

15.7% of adults in Butler County smoke , 39.5% are obese , and 24.6% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#837
15.7%
-12.6%
vs nation
73th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,905
39.5%
+4.2%
vs nation
39th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,979
24.6%
+24.0%
vs nation
5th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.8 per 100,000.

Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,068
15.8
-22.0%
vs nation
62th percentile

Families & Children

9.3% of children in Butler County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 7.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#226
7.5
-65.5%
vs nation
93th percentile
Child Poverty#266
9.3%
-51.0%
vs nation
92th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Butler County is 72.5%. The mean commute time is 26.8 min, which is 3.0% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
72.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
26.8 min −3.0% vs nation
Rank #1,529 of 3,222
53th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Butler County voted Republican with a margin of 45.4%. The vote was 26.7% Dem / 72.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +45.4%
26.7% 72.1%
Dem 8,027 votes Rep
2020 REP +38.5%
29.9% 68.4%
Dem 8,098 votes Rep
2016 REP +37.0%
29% 66%
Dem 7,457 votes Rep
2012 REP +10.4%
44.2% 54.6%
Dem 7,510 votes Rep
2008 REP +4.7%
46.9% 51.6%
Dem 7,166 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Butler County, Iowa

Butler County, Iowa has a total population of 14,268, making it the 2,206th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Butler County is 43.7 years, which is 12.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Butler County is $73,715, which ranks #936 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 1.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.1%.

The median home value in Butler County is $165,400, 41.3% below the national median. Renters in Butler County pay a median gross rent of $812 per month. The homeownership rate is 84.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Butler County, 21.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 36.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.8 min.

Butler County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).

All data for Butler County, Iowa comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.