Butler County | |
|---|---|
| County of Butler | |
 Butler County Courthouse in David City | |
 Interactive map of Butler County | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Nebraska |
| Established | January 26, 1856 |
| Organized | October 21, 1868 |
| Named after | William Orlando Butler |
| County seat | David City |
| Largest city | David City |
| Area | |
• Total | 591 sq mi (1,530 km2) |
| • Land | 585 sq mi (1,520 km2) |
| • Water | 5.9 sq mi (15 km2) 1.0% |
| Highest elevation | 1,739 ft (530 m) |
| Lowest elevation | 902 ft (275 m) |
| Population | |
• Estimate (2021[1]) | 8,369 |
| • Density | 13.8/sq mi (5.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 402/531 |
| FIPS code | 31023 |
| GNIS feature ID | 835833 |
| Website | www.co.butler.ne.us |
Butler County is acounty in theU.S. state ofNebraska. As of the2020 United States census, the population was 8,369.[1] Itscounty seat isDavid City.[2] The county was created in 1856[3] and organized in 1868.[4][5]
In theNebraska license plate system, Butler County is represented by the prefix 25 (when the license plate system was established in 1922, it had the 25th-largest number of vehicles registered of all counties in the state).
In 2010, Nebraska's center of population was in Butler County, near the village ofRising City.[6]
There is some uncertainty about how Butler County got its name.[7] The most credible consensus seems to be that Butler County is named forWilliam Orlando Butler, aU.S. congressman fromKentucky andU.S. Armymajor general who served during theMexican–American War.[8] Butler was offered the job ofGovernor ofNebraska Territory in 1854 by PresidentFranklin Pierce, but he turned it down.[9][10][11] Regardless, Butler County was still named in his honor. The earliest references to the county being called "Butler County" are found in the journals of theNebraska Territorial Legislature from the years 1857 and 1858.[12][13]
Another common explanation proposed for the naming of Butler County is that it was named forDavid Butler, the firstGovernor of theState of Nebraska.[7][3][14] However, Butler County was created by an act of theNebraska Territorial Legislature on June 26, 1856,[8] and was referred to as "Butler County" more than ten years before David Butler became Governor of Nebraska and two years before he had even moved to Nebraska from Indiana in 1859.[15] When David Butler came to Nebraska, he settled inPawnee County, not in the Butler County area.[15] Confusingly, however, the name for the county seat of Butler County,David City, is also sometimes attributed to David Butler, but there are also conflicting sources concerning its origin.[8] A second alternate explanation for the origin of Butler County's name is given in Andreas'History of Nebraska. It seems to indicate that the county might have been named for William Butler, an early settler who moved to the area in 1860 and became county sheriff in 1868. However, as noted before, the county had been in existence and had been referred to as "Butler County" well before that point in time.[16]
According to theUS Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 591 square miles (1,530 km2), of which 585 square miles (1,520 km2) is land and 5.9 square miles (15 km2) (1.0%) is water.[17]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 27 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,290 | 4,677.8% | |
| 1880 | 9,194 | 612.7% | |
| 1890 | 15,454 | 68.1% | |
| 1900 | 15,703 | 1.6% | |
| 1910 | 15,403 | −1.9% | |
| 1920 | 14,606 | −5.2% | |
| 1930 | 14,410 | −1.3% | |
| 1940 | 13,106 | −9.0% | |
| 1950 | 11,432 | −12.8% | |
| 1960 | 10,312 | −9.8% | |
| 1970 | 9,461 | −8.3% | |
| 1980 | 9,330 | −1.4% | |
| 1990 | 8,601 | −7.8% | |
| 2000 | 8,767 | 1.9% | |
| 2010 | 8,395 | −4.2% | |
| 2020 | 8,369 | −0.3% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 8,444 | [1] | 0.9% |
| US Decennial Census[18] 1790-1960[19] 1900-1990[20] 1990-2000[21] 2010-2013[22] | |||
| Race(NH = Non-Hispanic) | % 2020[23] | % 2010[24] | % 2000[25] | Pop. 2020 | Pop. 2010 | Pop. 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Alone (NH) | 91.1% | 96.4% | 97.6% | 7,626 | 8,092 | 8,556 |
| Black Alone (NH) | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 28 | 24 | 6 |
| American Indian Alone (NH) | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 22 | 10 | 10 |
| Asian Alone (NH) | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 9 | 27 | 11 |
| Pacific Islander Alone (NH) | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Other Race Alone (NH) | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 23 | 5 | 5 |
| Multiracial (NH) | 2.1% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 178 | 42 | 30 |
| Hispanic (Any race) | 5.8% | 2.3% | 1.7% | 482 | 195 | 145 |
The most commonly picked ancestries among the population in2020 wereGerman (30.4%),Czech (22.6%),English (12.3%),Irish (10.1%),Mexican (3.7%), andPolish (3.1%).[26]
As of the2000 United States census,[27] there were 8,767 people, 3,426 households, and 2,350 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 15 people per square mile (5.8 people/km2). There were 3,901 housing units at an average density of 7 units per square mile (2.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.38%White, 0.10%Black orAfrican American, 0.13%Native American, 0.13%Asian, 0.06%Pacific Islander, 0.81% fromother races, and 0.40% from two or more races. 1.65% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 33.1% were ofGerman and 32.0%Czech ancestry.
There were 3,426 households, out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% weremarried couples living together, 5.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.40% were non-families. 28.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.13.
The county population contained 27.90% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 25.30% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 104.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,331, and the median income for a family was $44,441. Males had a median income of $28,856 versus $20,979 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $16,394. About 4.80% of families and 8.20% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 9.80% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over.
Butler County voters have been reliably Republican for decades. No Democratic Party candidate has carried the county in any national election since 1976.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1900 | 1,481 | 39.96% | 2,147 | 57.93% | 78 | 2.10% |
| 1904 | 1,723 | 50.81% | 1,278 | 37.69% | 390 | 11.50% |
| 1908 | 1,412 | 39.23% | 2,129 | 59.16% | 58 | 1.61% |
| 1912 | 823 | 25.41% | 1,756 | 54.21% | 660 | 20.38% |
| 1916 | 1,120 | 31.90% | 2,332 | 66.42% | 59 | 1.68% |
| 1920 | 2,478 | 55.24% | 1,918 | 42.76% | 90 | 2.01% |
| 1924 | 2,435 | 44.81% | 2,444 | 44.98% | 555 | 10.21% |
| 1928 | 2,930 | 45.65% | 3,465 | 53.99% | 23 | 0.36% |
| 1932 | 1,712 | 27.60% | 4,456 | 71.84% | 35 | 0.56% |
| 1936 | 2,442 | 35.26% | 4,360 | 62.95% | 124 | 1.79% |
| 1940 | 2,966 | 47.75% | 3,246 | 52.25% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 2,493 | 46.04% | 2,922 | 53.96% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 2,105 | 44.69% | 2,605 | 55.31% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 3,459 | 63.90% | 1,954 | 36.10% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 2,864 | 56.07% | 2,244 | 43.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 2,253 | 45.11% | 2,742 | 54.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 1,642 | 35.43% | 2,993 | 64.57% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,646 | 46.84% | 1,544 | 43.94% | 324 | 9.22% |
| 1972 | 2,301 | 55.94% | 1,812 | 44.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 1,809 | 42.36% | 2,337 | 54.72% | 125 | 2.93% |
| 1980 | 2,596 | 66.07% | 1,112 | 28.30% | 221 | 5.62% |
| 1984 | 2,557 | 67.56% | 1,193 | 31.52% | 35 | 0.92% |
| 1988 | 2,086 | 54.62% | 1,715 | 44.91% | 18 | 0.47% |
| 1992 | 1,884 | 45.35% | 1,089 | 26.22% | 1,181 | 28.43% |
| 1996 | 2,042 | 55.25% | 1,099 | 29.73% | 555 | 15.02% |
| 2000 | 2,638 | 68.91% | 1,028 | 26.85% | 162 | 4.23% |
| 2004 | 3,016 | 72.36% | 1,068 | 25.62% | 84 | 2.02% |
| 2008 | 2,557 | 66.61% | 1,190 | 31.00% | 92 | 2.40% |
| 2012 | 2,738 | 70.95% | 1,045 | 27.08% | 76 | 1.97% |
| 2016 | 3,079 | 77.34% | 691 | 17.36% | 211 | 5.30% |
| 2020 | 3,542 | 78.40% | 873 | 19.32% | 103 | 2.28% |
| 2024 | 3,642 | 79.05% | 906 | 19.67% | 59 | 1.28% |
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Mr. Donelan gave notice of a bill to create the county seat of Butler county.
H. B. No. 107, 'A bill for an act to incorporate the town of Mahala city, and locate the county seat of Butler county,' Read first, second and third time, passed and title agreed to.
Places adjacent to Butler County, Nebraska | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofButler County, Nebraska,United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Villages | ||
| Townships | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| International | |
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| Other | |
