Butte County Demographics

A map of Butte County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	9,395	9,147	88.0%	89.3%
Multiracial	627	427	5.9%	4.2%
Hispanic	456	410	4.3%	4.0%
Native American/Other	148	217	1.4%	2.1%
Asian	50	30	0.5%	0.3%
Black	0	12	0.0%	0.1%

Butte County, South Dakota has an estimated population of 10,676, an increase from the 10,243 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 88.0% White, 5.9% Multiracial, 4.3% Hispanic, 1.4% Native American/Other, 0.5% Asian, and 0.0% Black. 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 more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than South Dakota 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 19.9% in 2020 and 22.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Butte County is ranked the 17th most populous county in South Dakota, out of 66 counties. Butte County was ranked the 18th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Butte County's White Population

9,395 residents of Butte County, or 88.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Butte County is higher than in South Dakota overall, where 79.8% of the population is White. Butte County ranks 28th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Butte County's White population has grown by an estimated 2.7%. White residents' share of Butte County's population has decreased from 89.3% to 88.0%.

Butte County is more White than neighboring Meade County (85% White), and Pennington County (77.8% White). Butte County is less White than neighboring Lawrence County (88.8% White), Harding County (91.2% White), and Crook County (92.9% White).

Butte County's Black Population

0 residents of Butte County, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Butte County is slightly lower than in South Dakota overall, where 2.1% of the population is Black. Butte County ranks 51st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Butte County's Black population has declined by an estimated 100.0%. Black residents' share of Butte County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.0%.

Butte County is less Black than neighboring Lawrence County (0.3% Black), Harding County (1.5% Black), Meade County (1.7% Black), and Pennington County (1.1% Black).

Butte County's Asian Population

50 residents of Butte County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Butte County is comparable to the share in South Dakota overall, where 1.4% of the population is Asian. Butte County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Butte County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 66.7%. Asian residents' share of Butte County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Butte County is more Asian than neighboring Lawrence County (0.4% Asian), Harding County (0% Asian), and Crook County (0.2% Asian). Butte County is less Asian than neighboring Meade County (0.7% Asian), and Pennington County (1.2% Asian).

Butte County's Hispanic Population

456 residents of Butte County, or 4.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Butte County is comparable to the share in South Dakota overall, where 4.8% of the population is Hispanic. Butte County ranks 17th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Butte County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 11.2%. Hispanic residents' share of Butte County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.3%.

Butte County is more Hispanic than neighboring Lawrence County (3.9% Hispanic), Harding County (1.4% Hispanic), and Crook County (2.1% Hispanic). Butte County is less Hispanic than neighboring Meade County (4.9% Hispanic), and Pennington County (5.7% Hispanic).

Butte County's Native American/Other Population

148 residents of Butte County, or 1.4% 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 lower than in South Dakota overall, where 7.5% of the population is Native American/Other. Butte County ranks 42nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Butte County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 31.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Butte County's population has decreased from 2.1% to 1.4%.

Butte County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Crook County (0.5% Native American/Other). Butte County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Lawrence County (2.8% Native American/Other), Harding County (1.9% Native American/Other), Meade County (2.3% Native American/Other), and Pennington County (6.7% Native American/Other).

Butte County's Multiracial Population

627 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 South Dakota overall, where 4.4% of the population is Multiracial. Butte County ranks 17th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 66 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Butte County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 46.8%. Multiracial residents' share of Butte County's population has increased from 4.2% to 5.9%.

Butte County is more Multiracial than neighboring Lawrence County (3.8% Multiracial), Harding County (4% Multiracial), Meade County (5.4% Multiracial), and Crook County (4.3% Multiracial). Butte County is less Multiracial than neighboring Pennington County (7.5% 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.