• county
  • FIPS 29023
  • Largest town: Poplar Bluff

Butler County, Missouri

Butler County had 41,814 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 694.8 square miles of land. It ranks 28th of 115 in Missouri by population and 28th by land area.

Population
41,814
#28 of 115 in Missouri · #1,160 in US
Area
694.8 sq mi
#28 of 115 in Missouri · #1,345 in US
Density
60 / sq mi
#32 of 115 in Missouri · #1,304 in US
Median household income
$48,059
#103 of 115 in Missouri · #2,828 in US

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

Butler County within Missouri. Pin: Jefferson City.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Butler County

Butler County population, land area and income

Butler County had 41,814 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 694.8 square miles of land. It ranks 28th of 115 in Missouri by population and 28th by land area. That works out to 60.2 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Missouri has 19,100 residents, so Butler County is 2.2 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $48,059 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

41,814

3144th1st

1160th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

695 sq mi

3144th1st

1345th of 3,144 (US)

Density

60.2 / sq mi

3144th1st

1304th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$48,059

3143rd1st

2828th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Missouri (115)

Population

41,814

115th1st

28th of 115 (MO)

Land area

695 sq mi

115th1st

28th of 115 (MO)

Density

60.2 / sq mi

115th1st

32nd of 115 (MO)

Median household income

$48,059

115th1st

103rd of 115 (MO)

How Butler County's population changed since 2020

Butler County lost 249 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 0.6%. That ranks 91st of 115 in Missouri for growth. The median Missouri county changed by +1.4%, and the state as a whole by +1.5%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Butler County recorded 2,135 births and 2,881 deaths, a natural change of -746. Net international migration added +58 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +360. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 746 people.

42.1k202042.2k202142.2k202241.9k202341.8k2024
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
2,135
Deaths
2,881
Net international migration
+58
Net domestic migration
+360
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-96

Where Butler County is

The Census internal point of Butler County is at 36.715200, -90.403100. It sits in UTM zone 15N. The map shades Missouri's 115 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.

Pettis County: +1.8%Henry County: +2.7%Texas County: +5.7%Madison County: +1.8%St. Louis city: -6.9%Cole County: +1.3%Washington County: +0.6%Macon County: -0.1%Barton County: +0.8%Grundy County: +0.1%Cedar County: +5.7%Randolph County: -1.6%Ray County: +0.3%Caldwell County: +2.0%Benton County: +6.1%Douglas County: +5.9%Shannon County: +3.4%Dade County: +0.5%Wright County: +7.1%Gentry County: +2.6%Lawrence County: +3.0%Cooper County: +2.9%Hickory County: +5.6%Moniteau County: +0.5%Dent County: +2.3%Monroe County: +2.3%Maries County: +0.7%Bollinger County: +0.5%Clinton County: +2.4%Knox County: +0.0%Webster County: +7.8%Harrison County: +0.4%Pulaski County: -0.1%Adair County: +1.5%Warren County: +7.7%Daviess County: +1.3%Audrain County: -1.9%Howard County: -0.1%Linn County: +0.4%Saline County: -0.1%Miller County: +3.6%Dallas County: +4.3%Morgan County: +6.7%New Madrid County: -6.8%Newton County: +4.8%Oregon County: +1.0%Franklin County: +2.3%Greene County: +2.9%Ralls County: +1.4%Lafayette County: +1.4%Livingston County: +4.8%McDonald County: +3.3%Barry County: +3.1%Cape Girardeau County: +2.2%Carroll County: -0.6%Christian County: +7.6%Vernon County: +0.6%Carter County: +3.0%Andrew County: -0.1%Jasper County: +2.9%Worth County: -4.9%Lincoln County: +10.1%Marion County: -0.2%Holt County: +1.2%Howell County: +2.4%St. Francois County: +1.6%Chariton County: +0.1%Butler County: -0.6%Iron County: -1.0%Perry County: +0.7%Cass County: +5.3%St. Louis County: -1.0%Dunklin County: -4.3%Wayne County: -1.1%Ozark County: +6.7%Laclede County: +1.9%Reynolds County: -2.5%Lewis County: -1.9%Taney County: +1.2%Ripley County: +0.4%Ste. Genevieve County: +0.4%Scotland County: -0.1%Putnam County: -3.1%Schuyler County: +1.5%Shelby County: -2.8%Boone County: +4.4%Mercer County: -1.7%Platte County: +5.6%Camden County: +3.1%Bates County: +2.1%Johnson County: +3.4%Sullivan County: -3.8%Atchison County: -3.1%Scott County: -0.2%Montgomery County: +2.0%Jefferson County: +2.2%Clark County: -0.5%Callaway County: +1.8%St. Clair County: +5.4%Buchanan County: -1.1%Pemiscot County: -7.6%Polk County: +4.6%Phelps County: +2.5%Stone County: +4.6%Osage County: +1.7%Clay County: +3.6%Nodaway County: -2.4%Crawford County: -1.0%Jackson County: +1.4%St. Charles County: +4.3%Mississippi County: -3.1%Pike County: +3.1%Stoddard County: -0.7%Gasconade County: -0.7%DeKalb County: -14.8%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -0.7%
  2. < +0.5%
  3. < +2.0%
  4. < +3.6%
  5. ≥ +3.6%
no data

Orange pin: Butler County internal point. Dark pin: Jefferson City.

Internal point

Decimal
36.715200, -90.403100
DMS
36°42'54.72"N 90°24'11.16"W
UTM
15N 731943.7E 4066423.0N
Geohash
9yx8ygf3x
Plus code
868FPH8W+3Q

Towns in Butler County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Butler County, 16,177 people together, or 39% 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 Poplar Bluff with 16,177.

  1. 01Poplar Bluff16,177
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, including 1 across a state line. The most populous is Stoddard County, MO, with 28,438 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Jefferson City and the nearest big city

Jefferson City is 161.1 miles NW of Butler County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Memphis, TN (population 610,919), 113.6 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Poplar Bluff, MO (population 16,177), 3.4 miles away.

Butler County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Butler County is 29023: state code 29 for Missouri plus county code 023. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $48,059.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Butler County, Missouri?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 41,814. That is down 249 people (0.6%) from the July 2020 estimate of 42,063.

What is the FIPS code of Butler County?

29023. The first two digits (29) are Missouri; the last three (023) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Butler County?

Poplar Bluff, with 16,177 residents inside Butler County in 2024.

Which counties border Butler County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Stoddard County, MO; Dunklin County, MO; Clay County, AR; Wayne County, MO; Ripley County, MO; Carter County, MO.

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.