Butte Valley, California Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Butte Valley is a small community located in California, within Butte County. The total population is 1,087. It ranks as the 1043rd most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Butte Valley is 48.5 years. This is 28% higher than the state median of 37.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Butte Valley is $97,934. This is 1% lower than the state median of $99,122. It is also 21% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 31.2%. This is 160% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in Butte Valley, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $462,100. Housing costs are 37% lower than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.7x. 98.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 76% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Butte Valley is White (non-Hispanic), making up 82.6% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.1%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (82.6% vs 33.8%). The Hispanic or Latino population (2.1%) is well below the state average of 40.2%.

Education

45.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 23% higher than the state rate of 37.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 88.3%. Notably, 24.8% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Butte Valley, California is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against California state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,570 Census-designated places in California. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.