Butler County, Missouri
Located in Missouri, Butler County has a population of 42,020 residents and a median age of 39.5 years, making it the #1,168 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 $145,100, and the median household income is $49,089, which is 35% below the national median.
Demographics
Butler County has a population of 42,020, making it the #1,168 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.5 years, which is 1.5% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Butler County is $49,089, ranking #2,824 out of 3,222 counties — 34.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 20.5% and unemployment stands at 4.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Butler County is $145,100 (-48.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $780/mo and the homeownership rate is 64.6%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Butler County, 15.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 53.2% below the national average, ranking #2,700 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Butler County is 70.2 years. 22.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
22.9% of adults in Butler County smoke , 41.2% are obese , and 19.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 45.9 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Butler County is 9.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 19.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.9 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
24.6% of children in Butler County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 41.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Butler County is 56.2%. The mean commute time is 22.3 min, which is 19.1% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Butler County voted Republican with a margin of 63.8%. The vote was 17.7% Dem / 81.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.5 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Butler County, Missouri
Butler County, Missouri has a total population of 42,020, making it the 1,168th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Butler County is 39.5 years, which is 1.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Butler County is $49,089, which ranks #2,824 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 34.7% 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 4.8%.
The median home value in Butler County is $145,100, 48.5% below the national median. Renters in Butler County pay a median gross rent of $780 per month. The homeownership rate is 64.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Butler County, 15.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 53.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.3 min.
Butler County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 85.9% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (5.8%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (4.7%).
All data for Butler County, Missouri 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.