Butte County, California
Located in California, Butte County has a population of 207,929 residents and a median age of 36.2 years, making it the #336 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.2%. The median home value is $424,700, and the median household income is $67,928, which is 10% below the national median.
Demographics
Butte County has a population of 207,929, making it the #336 most populous county in the US. The median age is 36.2 years, which is 6.9% below 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 Butte County is $67,928, ranking #1,345 out of 3,222 counties — 9.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.2% and unemployment stands at 7.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Butte County is $424,700 (+50.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,414/mo and the homeownership rate is 57.3%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Butte County, 31.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 5.3% below the national average, ranking #631 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Butte County is 75.7 years. 18.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
14.2% of adults in Butte County smoke , 31.5% are obese , and 22.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 47.9 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Butte County is 3.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 18.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 18.5 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
20.8% of children in Butte County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 11.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Butte County is 59.7%. The mean commute time is 22.6 min, which is 18.3% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Butte County voted Republican with a margin of 3.1%. The vote was 46.8% Dem / 49.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Butte County, California
Butte County, California has a total population of 207,929, making it the 336th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Butte County is 36.2 years, which is 6.9% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Butte County is $67,928, which ranks #1,345 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.4%.
The median home value in Butte County is $424,700, 50.7% above the national median. Renters in Butte County pay a median gross rent of $1,414 per month. The homeownership rate is 57.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Butte County, 31.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 5.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.6 min.
Butte County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 65.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (20.0%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
All data for Butte County, California 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.