Butler County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21031 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Butler County has a population of 12,393 residents and a median age of 41.5 years, making it the #2,327 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 20.5%. The median home value is $111,100, and the median household income is $56,092, which is 25% below the national median.

12,393
Population
#2,327 of 3,222
$56,092
Median Income
-25.4% #2,402 of 3,222
41.5 years
Median Age
+6.7% #1,649 of 3,222
20.5%
Poverty Rate
+62.8% #2,715 of 3,222

Demographics

Butler County has a population of 12,393, making it the #2,327 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.5 years, which is 6.7% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.9%
Native Born
2.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Butler County is $56,092, ranking #2,402 out of 3,222 counties — 25.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 20.5% and unemployment stands at 4.4%.

Income#2,402
$56,092
-25.4%
vs nation
25th percentile
Per Capita#2,807
$27,030
-34.5%
vs nation
13th percentile
Poverty#2,715
20.5%
+62.8%
vs nation
16th percentile
Unemployment#1,558
4.4%
-17.7%
vs nation
52th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Butler County is $111,100 (-60.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $679/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.7%.

Home Value#2,832
$111,100
-60.6%
vs nation
12th percentile
Rent#2,833
$679
-41.6%
vs nation
12th percentile
Homeownership#1,751
73.7%
+14.5%
vs nation
46th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Butler County, 9.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 70.7% below the national average, ranking #3,185 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
9.9% −70.7% vs nation
Rank #3,185 of 3,222
1th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Butler County is 72.8 years. 24.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,306
72.8
-3.2%
vs nation
25th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,707
24.9%
+27.3%
vs nation
14th percentile
Diabetes#2,406
12.7%
+14.1%
vs nation
24th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,762
41.9%
+12.3%
vs nation
12th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,124
5.9
+4.7%
vs nation
33th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,866
5.4
+21.4%
vs nation
9th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,545
9.3%
-11.2%
vs nation
51th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,365
29.9%
+13.3%
vs nation
25th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,605
17.7%
+22.9%
vs nation
17th percentile

Substance Use

22.0% of adults in Butler County smoke , 42.8% are obese , and 14.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 29.5 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,696
22.0%
+22.5%
vs nation
14th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,777
42.8%
+12.9%
vs nation
12th percentile
Excessive Drinking#119
14.6%
-26.7%
vs nation
96th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,145
29.5
-8.8%
vs nation
46th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 20.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 31.6 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,569
20.2
+2.4%
vs nation
39th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,379
17.5
-2.2%
vs nation
44th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,484
31.6
+56.0%
vs nation
12th percentile

Families & Children

19.2% of children in Butler County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 40.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,830
40.5
+85.6%
vs nation
6th percentile
Child Poverty#1,798
19.2%
+1.1%
vs nation
43th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Butler County is 63.6%. The mean commute time is 29.6 min, which is 7.4% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
63.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
29.6 min +7.4% vs nation
Rank #943 of 3,222
71th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Butler County voted Republican with a margin of 66.3%. The vote was 16.2% Dem / 82.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +66.3%
16.2% 82.5%
Dem 5,942 votes Rep
2020 REP +63.4%
17.6% 81%
Dem 6,125 votes Rep
2016 REP +62.4%
17% 79.4%
Dem 5,575 votes Rep
2012 REP +47.9%
25.6% 73.5%
Dem 5,058 votes Rep
2008 REP +40.3%
29.3% 69.6%
Dem 5,307 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Butler County, Kentucky

Butler County, Kentucky has a total population of 12,393, making it the 2,327th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Butler County is 41.5 years, which is 6.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Butler County is $56,092, which ranks #2,402 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 25.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 20.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.4%.

The median home value in Butler County is $111,100, 60.6% below the national median. Renters in Butler County pay a median gross rent of $679 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Butler County, 9.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 70.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 88.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.6 min.

Butler County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.9% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (5.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).

All data for Butler County, Kentucky 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.