Butler County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Butler County, NE 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 averageHealthier than 76% of counties in Nebraska
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 78% of counties in Nebraska
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Butler County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,424 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 14.3 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.34% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.5 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,524 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Butler County declined by 13.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,424 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Butler County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.3% of residents. That is 3.0 points above Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,492 17.7% -5.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,575 18.7% -2.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,796 21.3% +3.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,665 19.8% +3.5 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 Nebraska, 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 50.4% of the people living in Butler County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 49.6% Nebraska 50.1%
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 | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $79,664 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.74% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.2% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Butler County is about 4% higher than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Butler County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $24,062 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $776 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.9% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Butler County is about 2.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $776 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Butler County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 186 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Butler County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.3 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.5 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 186 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,752 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.7% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,270 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 693 | 691 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Nebraska:
Hooker County (7.4 min), Cherry County (8.0 min), Box Butte County (8.0 min).
Slowest:
Cass County (28.0 min), Banner County (27.2 min), Saunders County (26.9 min).
The average commute time in Butler County is 22 minutes, longer than the 17 minutes in Nebraska.
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 | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.0% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.36 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Nebraska:
Sarpy County (0.3), Lancaster County (0.3), Douglas County (0.3).
Lowest:
Dakota County (0.2), Colfax County (0.2), Dawson County (0.2).
Health
Butler County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Butler County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.7% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.1% | 16.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Nebraska:
Wayne County (0.8), Sarpy County (0.8), Lancaster County (0.8).
Lowest:
Thurston County (0.8), Pawnee County (0.8), Dundy County (0.8).
Butler County, NE Compared With Nearby Counties
How Butler County, NE compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler County, NE | 8,424 | $79,664 #2/3 | $24,062 #3/3 | 22.3 min #2/3 |
| Saunders County, NE | 23,048 | $95,507 | $200,000 | 26.9 min |
| Platte County, NE | 34,716 | $71,554 | $73,077 | 12.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Butler County, Nebraska.
What is the population of Butler County, Nebraska?
About 8,424 people live in Butler County, Nebraska, in 3,524 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Butler County, Nebraska urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Butler County, Nebraska has 14 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 16% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Butler County, Nebraska?
The median home costs 0.3 times the median household income ($24,062 against $79,664), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $776 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Butler County, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Butler County, Nebraska is only 1.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Butler County, Nebraska?
23.0% of adults in Butler County, Nebraska hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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