Butte County, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Butte County, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 74% of counties in California
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Butte County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 207,907 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 124.0 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.92% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.2 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 83,300 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Butte County declined by 4.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 207,907 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Butte County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.8% of residents. That is 4.1 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 53,635 25.8% +4.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 39,491 19.0% -4.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 38,202 18.4% -1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 38,096 18.3% +3.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.6% of the people living in Butte County and men 49.4%.
- Women 50.6% California 49.9%
- Men 49.4% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Butte County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Butte County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Butte County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,302 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.59% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.4% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Butte County is about 31% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Butte County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $363,369 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,414 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 57.3% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Butte County is about 21.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,414 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Butte County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 132 hours, about 5.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Butte County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.8 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.7 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 132 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,089 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.6% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,787 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 955 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
California:
Inyo County (11.1 min), Mono County (12.0 min), Del Norte County (12.1 min).
Slowest:
Alpine County (31.3 min), San Benito County (31.2 min), Contra Costa County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Butte County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Butte County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Butte County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.6% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.42 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
California:
Marin County (0.5), San Francisco County (0.4), Santa Clara County (0.4).
Lowest:
Colusa County (0.2), Merced County (0.2), Glenn County (0.2).
Health
Butte County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Butte County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.7 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.1% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.1% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
California:
San Francisco County (0.8), San Mateo County (0.8), Santa Clara County (0.8).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.8), Imperial County (0.8), Tulare County (0.8).
Butte County, CA Compared With Nearby Counties
Butte County, CA is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 207,907 residents against a local median of 65,167. Where Butte County, CA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 21% above the local median of $299,499 at $363,369.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 15.8 min against a local median of 18.8 min, 16% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 16% below the local median it puts Butte County, CA at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $244,467 on median home price, so Butte County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Butte County, CA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butte County, CA | 207,907 | $68,302 #4/6 | $363,369 #3/6 | 15.8 min #1/6 |
| Yuba County, CA | 84,507 | $76,221 | $299,499 | 30.2 min |
| Sutter County, CA | 98,856 | $79,619 | $440,110 | 20.8 min |
| Tehama County, CA | 65,167 | $64,453 | $233,391 | 18.4 min |
| Glenn County, CA | 28,492 | $66,909 | $376,190 | 18.8 min |
| Colusa County, CA | 21,984 | $75,609 | $195,643 | 18.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Butte County, California.
What is the population of Butte County, California?
About 207,907 people live in Butte County, California, in 83,300 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 37.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Butte County, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Butte County, California has 124 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Butte County, California an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 5.3 times the median household income ($363,369 against $68,302), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,414 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Butte County, California?
Unemployment in Butte County, California is 7.4%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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