• county
  • FIPS 21031
  • Largest town: Morgantown

Butler County, Kentucky

Butler County had 12,551 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 426.1 square miles of land. It ranks 90th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 27th by land area.

Population
12,551
#90 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,248 in US
Area
426.1 sq mi
#27 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,384 in US
Density
29 / sq mi
#109 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,944 in US
Median household income
$56,395
#58 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,192 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Butler County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Butler County

Butler County population, land area and income

Butler County had 12,551 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 426.1 square miles of land. It ranks 90th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 27th by land area. That works out to 29.5 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Kentucky has 19,740 residents; Butler County is somewhat smaller.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $56,395 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

12,551

3144th1st

2248th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

426 sq mi

3144th1st

2384th of 3,144 (US)

Density

29.5 / sq mi

3144th1st

1944th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$56,395

3143rd1st

2192nd of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

12,551

120th1st

90th of 120 (KY)

Land area

426 sq mi

120th1st

27th of 120 (KY)

Density

29.5 / sq mi

120th1st

109th of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$56,395

120th1st

58th of 120 (KY)

How Butler County's population changed since 2020

Butler County gained 234 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 1.9%. That ranks 49th of 120 in Kentucky for growth. The median Kentucky county changed by +1.4%, and the state as a whole by +1.8%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Butler County recorded 653 births and 713 deaths, a natural change of -60. Net international migration added +132 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +110. The largest single component was international migration, which added 132 people.

12.3k202012.3k202112.4k202212.4k202312.6k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
653
Deaths
713
Net international migration
+132
Net domestic migration
+110
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+121

Where Butler County is

The Census internal point of Butler County is at 37.207000, -86.682500. It sits in UTM zone 16N. The map shades Kentucky's 120 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Butler County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Adair County: +1.9%Kenton County: +3.3%Owen County: +1.2%Morgan County: +4.1%Bracken County: +1.1%Edmonson County: +4.0%Trigg County: +3.4%Jackson County: +3.0%Spencer County: +6.8%Clark County: +1.7%Jessamine County: +6.6%Green County: +3.8%Henry County: +3.2%Graves County: +0.8%Webster County: -1.3%Washington County: +1.9%Ohio County: +0.8%Knott County: -5.1%Meade County: +1.4%Carroll County: +2.5%Scott County: +7.2%Lincoln County: +2.7%Greenup County: -1.7%Boyle County: +2.1%Hardin County: +1.8%Nelson County: +4.1%Hart County: +3.2%Christian County: -2.4%Carlisle County: -0.6%Crittenden County: -0.2%Elliott County: -1.0%Garrard County: +6.3%Larue County: +1.7%Lee County: -0.7%Leslie County: -7.1%Hancock County: -1.0%Lewis County: -1.6%Lyon County: +4.6%McLean County: -0.1%Magoffin County: -4.2%Martin County: -4.9%Mason County: -1.1%Rockcastle County: +1.0%Menifee County: +3.2%Russell County: +2.6%Whitley County: +1.5%Todd County: +3.9%Union County: -3.5%Wolfe County: -2.9%Bell County: -3.9%Boyd County: -0.9%Butler County: +1.9%Metcalfe County: +2.7%Grant County: +2.8%Simpson County: +3.7%Pike County: -5.2%Gallatin County: +1.5%Harlan County: -6.4%Fayette County: +2.1%Logan County: +3.5%Muhlenberg County: -1.2%Bath County: +1.8%Mercer County: +3.8%Barren County: +2.5%Franklin County: +1.6%Bullitt County: +4.2%Boone County: +5.6%Campbell County: +0.9%Jefferson County: +1.4%Wayne County: +0.4%Ballard County: -1.1%Anderson County: +4.1%Pulaski County: +2.7%Knox County: -1.7%Laurel County: +1.0%Breckinridge County: +3.8%Oldham County: +4.2%Letcher County: -6.2%Lawrence County: -3.1%McCracken County: -0.6%Nicholas County: +3.7%Owsley County: -2.6%Powell County: -1.3%Bourbon County: +0.2%Calloway County: +3.7%Henderson County: -1.1%Clinton County: -0.5%Warren County: +9.6%Montgomery County: +2.4%Floyd County: -3.5%Woodford County: +3.1%Hopkins County: -0.3%Johnson County: -2.4%Marshall County: +0.1%Estill County: -1.1%Cumberland County: +3.2%Fleming County: +3.3%Madison County: +7.1%Carter County: -1.9%Allen County: +7.1%Daviess County: +1.0%Harrison County: +4.3%Perry County: -5.7%Fulton County: -3.5%Clay County: -3.5%Robertson County: +9.1%Trimble County: +1.5%Taylor County: +3.1%Shelby County: +3.9%McCreary County: -0.2%Breathitt County: -6.5%Livingston County: -0.6%Hickman County: -3.0%Rowan County: -0.2%Casey County: +0.2%Monroe County: -1.4%Marion County: +1.3%Grayson County: +2.3%Caldwell County: -0.2%Pendleton County: +1.3%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.6%
  2. < +0.2%
  3. < +1.9%
  4. < +3.7%
  5. ≥ +3.7%
no data

Orange pin: Butler County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
37.207000, -86.682500
DMS
37°12'25.20"N 86°40'57.00"W
UTM
16N 528173.2E 4117883.2N
Geohash
dnd7emrdr
Plus code
869M6849+R2

Towns in Butler County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Butler County, 2,510 people together, or 20% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Butler County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Morgantown with 2,510.

  1. 01Morgantown2,510
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Butler County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Butler County. The most populous is Warren County, KY, with 147,936 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 119.8 miles NE of Butler County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Clarksville, TN (population 185,690), 57.5 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Bowling Green, KY (population 79,076), 21.0 miles away.

Butler County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Butler County is 21031: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 031. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $56,395.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Butler County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 12,551. That is up 234 people (1.9%) from the July 2020 estimate of 12,317.

What is the FIPS code of Butler County?

21031. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (031) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Butler County?

Morgantown, with 2,510 residents inside Butler County in 2024.

Which counties border Butler County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Warren County, KY; Muhlenberg County, KY; Logan County, KY; Grayson County, KY; Ohio County, KY; Edmonson County, KY.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.