Butler County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Butler County, KY Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Butler County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,393 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 28.7 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.43% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.7 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,567 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Butler County declined by 7.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 12,393 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Butler County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.6% of residents. That is 1.5 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,339 18.9% -2.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,564 20.7% -0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,681 21.6% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,290 18.5% +0.7 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 Kentucky, 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 49.5% of the people living in Butler County and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 50.5% Kentucky 49.5%
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 D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Butler County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,422 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.86% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Butler County is about 14% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Butler County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $166,666 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $678 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.7% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Butler County is about 20.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $678 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Butler County spend about 51 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 211 hours, about 8.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Butler County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 25.3 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 50.5 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 211 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,528 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 2.1% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,692 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 390 | 832 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Kentucky:
Calloway County (13.9 min), Owsley County (15.0 min), Taylor County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Owen County (37.7 min), Spencer County (33.3 min), Bracken County (33.2 min).
The average commute time in Butler County is 25 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Kentucky.
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 F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Butler County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.4% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.67 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Kentucky:
Fayette County (0.4), Oldham County (0.4), Campbell County (0.3).
Lowest:
Leslie County (0.1), Lee County (0.1), Elliott County (0.1).
Health
Butler County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Butler County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.4 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.4% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.7% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Kentucky:
Oldham County (0.8), Boone County (0.8), Scott County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.7), Bell County (0.7), McCreary County (0.7).
Butler County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
Butler County, KY is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 12,393 residents against a local median of 27,346. Where Butler County, KY breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 91% above the local median of $87,033 at $166,666.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 25.3 min against a local median of 21.8 min, 16% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 16% above the local median it puts Butler County, KY at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $161,735 on median home price, so Butler County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Butler County, KY has the 2nd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler County, KY | 12,393 | $55,422 #4/5 | $166,666 #2/5 | 25.3 min #4/5 |
| Ohio County, KY | 23,735 | $57,842 | $19,336 | 28.4 min |
| Warren County, KY | 140,918 | $65,763 | $126,288 | 17.6 min |
| Logan County, KY | 27,986 | $60,505 | $47,777 | 23.3 min |
| Grayson County, KY | 26,707 | $51,160 | $181,071 | 20.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Butler County, Kentucky.
What is the population of Butler County, Kentucky?
About 12,393 people live in Butler County, Kentucky, in 4,567 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 42.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Butler County, Kentucky urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Butler County, Kentucky has 29 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 33% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Butler County, Kentucky an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.0 times the median household income ($166,666 against $55,422), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $678 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Butler County, Kentucky have a college degree?
10.4% of adults in Butler County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 10), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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