Butte County, California Income Statistics
Butte County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Butte County Well below averageLess wealthy than 74% of counties in California
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Butte County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $68,302 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $58,016 | $67,742 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 5.6% | 5.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 11.3% | 17.6% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 10.4% | 20.5% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Butte County is about 31% lower than in California. Income has been growing faster in Butte County (5.6%/yr) than in California (5.6%/yr).
About 11% of adults in Butte County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the California average of 18%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Butte County, California grew by 62.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $68,302 in 2024. That's an average of about 5.6% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Butte County
| Metric | Butte County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.573 | 0.572 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $65,631 | $75,172 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $56,375 | $66,071 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 14.1% | 12.1% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Butte County, it is 0.573, about the same as California's 0.572, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 16% more than women's income in Butte County, California. Over a 35-year career, a 16% wage gap accumulates to roughly $323,960 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Butte County, California has narrowed from about 26% to 14% in 2024. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $3,088 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Butte County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 7.4% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 12.6% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 15 | 23 | 22 |
Approximately 7,515 people are unemployed in Butte County, California.
The average commute time in Butte County is 15 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in California.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Butte County, California has fallen from 13.2% to 7.4% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 14.3% in 2012 and fell as low as 7.1% in 2023.
Butte County, CA Wealth 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. Butte County, CA sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is median household income, 10% below the local median at $68,302 against $75,609. Butte County, CA has the 4th highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butte County, CA | 207,907 | $68,302 #4/6 | 5.6%/yr #4/6 | 7.4% #4/6 | 0.573 #5/6 |
| Yuba County, CA | 84,507 | $76,221 | 5.8%/yr | 6.4% | 0.554 |
| Sutter County, CA | 98,856 | $79,619 | 5.1%/yr | 7.1% | 0.578 |
| Tehama County, CA | 65,167 | $64,453 | 5.9%/yr | 5.8% | 0.551 |
| Glenn County, CA | 28,492 | $66,909 | 6.2%/yr | 8.0% | 0.550 |
| Colusa County, CA | 21,984 | $75,609 | 4.1%/yr | 9.8% | 0.566 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Butte County, California has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than California, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Butte County, California.
How Rich Is Butte County, California?
Butte County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $68,302, about 31% lower than the California average of $99,161.
How fast is household income rising in Butte County, California?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Butte County, California rose 63%, from $41,984 to $68,302. Over the same years, income here lagged behind California as a whole: +63% against +64%.
What was the median household income in Butte County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Butte County, California was $68,773, up 4% from $66,321 in 2022. The California median that year was $96,718.
What was the median household income in Butte County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Butte County, California was $55,327. By 2024 it had risen 23% to $68,302.
What is the Gini coefficient in Butte County, California?
The Gini coefficient in Butte County is 0.573. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Butte County, California?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Butte County, California has narrowed from about 26% to 14% in 2024. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $3,088 since 2009.
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