Butler County, Iowa Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Butler County, IA 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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B
Income Around average
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 77% of counties in Iowa
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Butler County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,268 | 3,204,793 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 24.5 | 57.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.57% | 0.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.1 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,863 | 1,308,457 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Butler County declined by 2.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 14,268 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Butler County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.8% of residents. That is 4.2 points above Iowa as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,556 17.9% -4.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,578 18.1% -2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,898 20.3% +1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,117 21.8% +4.2 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 Iowa, 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 50.7% of the people living in Butler County and men 49.3%.
- Women 50.7% Iowa 50.0%
- Men 49.3% Iowa 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Butler County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Butler County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Butler County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,635 | $75,133 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.20% | 3.99% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Butler County is about 2% lower than in Iowa.
Housing
| Metric | Butler County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $130,952 | $153,425 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $812 | $971 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.1% | 71.7% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Butler County is about 13.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $812 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Butler County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 196 hours, about 8.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Butler County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.5 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.1 | 33.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 196 | 141 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,078 | $4,382 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.5% | 11.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,576 | 4,993 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 340 | 606 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Iowa:
Sioux County (10.1 min), Union County (10.4 min), Cass County (10.6 min).
Slowest:
Monroe County (30.4 min), Madison County (30.1 min), Mills County (26.7 min).
The average commute time in Butler County is 24 minutes, longer than the 17 minutes in Iowa.
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
Butler County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Butler County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.2% | 27.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Iowa:
Johnson County (0.4), Dallas County (0.4), Story County (0.4).
Lowest:
Crawford County (0.2), Wayne County (0.2), Louisa County (0.2).
Health
Butler County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Butler County | Iowa Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 79.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.6% | 13.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.5% | 17.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Iowa:
Johnson County (0.8), Story County (0.8), Winneshiek County (0.8).
Lowest:
Davis County (0.8), Wayne County (0.8), Appanoose County (0.8).
Butler County, IA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Butler County, IA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler County, IA | 14,268 | $73,635 #2/3 | $130,952 #1/3 | 23.5 min #3/3 |
| Bremer County, IA | 25,204 | $86,476 | $18,484 | 20.1 min |
| Black Hawk County, IA | 130,985 | $66,338 | $87,001 | 13.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Butler County, Iowa.
What is the population of Butler County, Iowa?
About 14,268 people live in Butler County, Iowa, in 5,863 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Butler County, Iowa urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Butler County, Iowa has 25 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 28% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Butler County, Iowa?
The median home costs 1.8 times the median household income ($130,952 against $73,635), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $812 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Butler County, Iowa?
Unemployment in Butler County, Iowa is only 3.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Butler County, Iowa have a college degree?
18.2% of adults in Butler County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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