Butler County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Butler County, MO 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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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 91% of counties in Missouri
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 86% of counties in Missouri
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 72% of counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Butler County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 42,020 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 60.1 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.26% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.3 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 16,594 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Butler County grew by 1.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 42,020 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Butler County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 20.7% of residents. That is 2.8 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,142 19.4% -1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,127 19.3% -1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,379 19.9% +0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,707 20.7% +2.8 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 Missouri, 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 51.1% of the people living in Butler County and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 48.9% Missouri 49.3%
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 | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,932 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.82% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Butler County is about 31% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Butler County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $53,750 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $779 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.6% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Butler County is about 5.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $779 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Butler County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 129 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Butler County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.4 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.9 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 129 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,990 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.4% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,524 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 591 | 923 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Missouri:
Saline County (11.9 min), Adair County (12.0 min), Nodaway County (12.1 min).
Slowest:
Bollinger County (33.1 min), Ray County (32.2 min), Maries County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Butler County is 15 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Missouri.
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 | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.7% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.48 | 2.40 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Missouri:
St. Louis County (0.4), Platte County (0.4), Boone County (0.4).
Lowest:
Bollinger County (0.2), Wayne County (0.2), Ripley County (0.2).
Health
Butler County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Butler County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 72.6 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.2% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.6% | 22.8% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Missouri:
St. Charles County (0.8), Platte County (0.8), Boone County (0.8).
Lowest:
Scotland County (0.7), Ripley County (0.7), Pemiscot County (0.8).
Butler County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
How Butler County, MO compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler County, MO | 42,020 | $48,932 #2/3 | $53,750 #3/3 | 15.4 min #1/3 |
| Stoddard County, MO | 28,470 | $57,628 | $131,829 | 20.8 min |
| Dunklin County, MO | 23,538 | $48,339 | $157,211 | 18.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Butler County, Missouri.
How many people live in Butler County, Missouri?
About 42,020 people live in Butler County, Missouri, in 16,594 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 38.3, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Butler County, Missouri urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Butler County, Missouri has 60 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Butler County, Missouri?
The median home costs 1.1 times the median household income ($53,750 against $48,932), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $779 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Butler County, Missouri?
12.7% of adults in Butler County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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