Butler
Kentucky

What stands out

Three things set Butler County apart from the other 3,142 counties: rainfall is among the wettest in America (65 inches a year), the share working from home is in the bottom 2% of American counties (2%), and violent crime is in the top 4% of American counties (5.1 per 1,000). Within Kentucky it ranks 12th of 120 counties for rainfall.

Where you are

You live in Butler County, Kentucky. 12,365 people live here with you. The population held steady at 0.1% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +1).

Kentucky moved to a flat income tax, 3.5% for 2026, and exempts the first $31,110 of pension and retirement income per person. It has an inheritance tax, but spouses, children, parents and siblings are exempt. Home prices are among the lowest in the country outside Louisville and Lexington, and the state has some of the cheapest electricity, much of it still coal-fired.

Money

The typical household here brings in $47,589 a year, lower than 83% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $46,410. Unemployment runs 4.1%, higher than 72% of American counties. 2% of workers work from home; for the rest the average commute is 28 minutes each way.

Kentucky takes 3.5% of that median income in state income tax, about $1,666 a year.

Home

The median home costs $192K, cheaper than 66% of American counties, about 1.6 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $619 a month. Property tax is 0.60% of home value, roughly $615 a year on that median home, lower than 77% of American counties. 72% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 5.1 per 1,000 residents, higher than 96% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 17 people per 100,000 in 2024.

A child born here can expect to live 72.4 years, shorter than 84% of American counties. There are 2 active physicians in the county, about 1.6 per 10,000 people. 10.3% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 2.50 where 3.0 is national grade level, lower than 96% of American counties. 81% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 63 points, among the most lopsided counties in the country. 64% of eligible voters turned out. Under Kentucky law you can carry a concealed handgun without a permit, abortion is banned with narrow exceptions, and marijuana is medical only.

Weather and risk

The year averages 59°F, highs near 70 and lows near 48, warmer than 63% of American counties. About 65 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 24 out of 100, safer than 76% of American counties; the county has had 29 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 224 Mbps down, faster than 61% of American counties. For a night or a weekend out: 0.3 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people.