Butte County Demographics

A map of Butte County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	135,400	139,651	65.1%	66.0%
Hispanic	41,660	40,112	20.0%	19.0%
Multiracial	12,295	13,474	5.9%	6.4%
Asian	11,464	10,333	5.5%	4.9%
Black	3,628	3,320	1.7%	1.6%
Native American/Other	3,482	4,742	1.7%	2.2%

Butte County, California has an estimated population of 207,929, a slight decrease from the 211,632 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 65.1% White, 20.0% Hispanic, 5.9% Multiracial, 5.5% Asian, 1.7% Black, and 1.7% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Butte County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Butte has become slightly more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than California overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Butte County, that probability was 52.1% in 2020 and 52.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Butte County is ranked the 28th most populous county in California, out of 58 counties. Butte County was ranked the 28th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Butte County's White Population

135,400 residents of Butte County, or 65.1% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Butte County is significantly higher than in California overall, where 33.8% of the population is White. Butte County ranks 17th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Butte County's White population has declined by an estimated 3.0%. White residents' share of Butte County's population has decreased from 66.0% to 65.1%.

Butte County is more White than neighboring Yuba County (49% White), Sutter County (40.7% White), Tehama County (61.4% White), Glenn County (47.5% White), and Colusa County (29.8% White).

Butte County's Black Population

3,628 residents of Butte County, or 1.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Butte County is slightly lower than in California overall, where 5.2% of the population is Black. Butte County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Butte County's Black population has grown by an estimated 9.3%. Black residents' share of Butte County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.7%.

Butte County is more Black than neighboring Sutter County (1.6% Black), Tehama County (0.8% Black), Glenn County (0.2% Black), and Colusa County (1.5% Black). Butte County is less Black than neighboring Yuba County (3.8% Black).

Butte County's Asian Population

11,464 residents of Butte County, or 5.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Butte County is lower than in California overall, where 15.3% of the population is Asian. Butte County ranks 27th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Butte County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 10.9%. Asian residents' share of Butte County's population has increased from 4.9% to 5.5%.

Butte County is more Asian than neighboring Tehama County (1.7% Asian), Glenn County (3% Asian), and Colusa County (0.9% Asian). Butte County is less Asian than neighboring Yuba County (7.8% Asian), and Sutter County (17.5% Asian).

Butte County's Hispanic Population

41,660 residents of Butte County, or 20.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Butte County is significantly lower than in California overall, where 40.2% of the population is Hispanic. Butte County ranks 41st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Butte County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 3.9%. Hispanic residents' share of Butte County's population has increased from 19.0% to 20.0%.

Butte County is less Hispanic than neighboring Yuba County (30.8% Hispanic), Sutter County (32.9% Hispanic), Tehama County (29.1% Hispanic), Glenn County (45% Hispanic), and Colusa County (62.9% Hispanic).

Butte County's Native American/Other Population

3,482 residents of Butte County, or 1.7% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Butte County is comparable to the share in California overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Butte County ranks 18th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Butte County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 26.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Butte County's population has decreased from 2.2% to 1.7%.

Butte County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Yuba County (1.6% Native American/Other), and Glenn County (0.9% Native American/Other). Butte County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Sutter County (2.3% Native American/Other), Tehama County (2.3% Native American/Other), and Colusa County (2.4% Native American/Other).

Butte County's Multiracial Population

12,295 residents of Butte County, or 5.9% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Butte County is comparable to the share in California overall, where 4.4% of the population is Multiracial. Butte County ranks 9th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Butte County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 8.8%. Multiracial residents' share of Butte County's population has decreased from 6.4% to 5.9%.

Butte County is more Multiracial than neighboring Sutter County (5.1% Multiracial), Tehama County (4.7% Multiracial), Glenn County (3.4% Multiracial), and Colusa County (2.5% Multiracial). Butte County is less Multiracial than neighboring Yuba County (7% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.