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Butler County, NE: population growth, jobs and income

Butler County gained 40 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+0.5%).

Butler County had an estimated 8,507 residents in 2025, up 1.8% (152 more people) since 2020. That is slower than Nebraska as a whole (+2.8%), and the 20th fastest growth of 81 counties in Nebraska.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Butler County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Butler County, ranked against Nebraska and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$776/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes12.8%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months102025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

New homes permitted

10

2025

1.2 per 1,000 residents

Small base: the change swings on a few homes or people, so we don't show it.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration added 46 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.

Private employers had 1,967 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −0.3% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 2.4% in 2025, 0.4 points lower than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 10 new homes in 2025, or 1.2 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $79,268 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +33.8% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 1,325th.

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Butler County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
20258,507+40
20248,467+15
20238,452+19
20228,433−15
20218,448+93
20208,355–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Butler County

Butler County grew by 152 people since 2020; the largest part came from domestic migration (+162).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths+7+9
International migrationfrom and to other countries−11−11
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties+46+162
Census adjustmentbalancing residual−2−8
Total change+40+152

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn NebraskaAmong U.S. counties
Population growth20th of 811,325th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents17th of 811,006th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth40th of 801,903rd of 3,092
Median household income12th of 81611th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate13th of 8198th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents58th of 811,978th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

Get the county report — $99

The County Growth and Demographics Report for Butler County, NE as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Butler County's population change (+1.8%) was ahead of 1 of its 8 neighbouring counties and behind 7.

3 of its 8 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than Butler County's $79,268 (2020–24).

Butler County, NE and its 8 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Butler County, NE This county8,507+1.8%5.41.2$79,268
Colfax County, NE10,934+3.6%−19.25.9$82,530
Seward County, NE18,032+2.3%5.73.1$82,444
Polk County, NE5,270+1.1%−0.62.5$69,768
Platte County, NE35,649+3.9%−12.211.5$71,552
Saunders County, NE23,702+6.0%8.97.6$94,066
Dodge County, NE38,057+2.6%0.22.1$74,329
York County, NE14,564+3.3%6.42.5$77,757
Lancaster County, NE334,049+3.4%0.77.0$74,793

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

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Questions

Is Butler County growing?

Yes. Its population grew 1.8% between 2020 and 2025, about 152 more people (Census Bureau population estimates). Nebraska as a whole changed +2.8% over the same years. That ranks 20th of 81 counties in Nebraska for population growth.

How many people moved to Butler County?

On net, about 46 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Butler County?

It averaged 2.4% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Butler County?

About 8,507 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Butler County?

Private employers there had 1,967 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −0.3% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Nebraska

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Nebraska county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Butler County data alerts

Email me when Butler County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Butler County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.