Economic Intelligence | Any Geography

Butte County, CA

Welcome to Butte County.

← Back to search

Butte County has a population of 213.6 thousand and a total area (land and water combined) of 1,677.1 square miles.

Total GDP for the county increased 21%, in the five years ending in 2022, to reach $11.1 billion.

Between 2000 and 2024 presidential elections, Butte County voted four out of six times for Republicans and two times for Democrats.

Butte County comprises Chico, CA metropolitan area.

The largest city in the county is Chico.

Surrounding counties and county equivalents include: Colusa County, Glenn County, Plumas County, Sutter County, Tehama County, and Yuba County.

Presidential Election

🔵 Democrat    🔴 Republican

Election Year
Candidates (Party)*
Votes (% Total)Landslide
Scale**
🔵🔴
2000
🔴George W. Bush
🔵Al Gore
37.43%54.45%+
2004
🔴George W. Bush
🔵John Kerry
44.34%53.96%+
2008
🔵Barack Obama
🔴John McCain
49.85%47.5%+
2012
🔵Barack Obama
🔴Mitt Romney
47.02%49.01%+
2016
🔴Donald Trump
🔵Hillary Clinton
43.5%47.24%+
2020
🔵Joe Biden
🔴Donald Trump
49.41%47.74%+
2024
🔴Donald Trump
🔵Kamala Harris
Notes:
*Presidential Tickets
2000 (R) George W. Bush & Dick Cheney; (D) Al Gore & Joe Lieberman
2004 (R) George W. Bush & Dick Cheney; (D)John Kerry & John Edwards
2008 (D) Barack Obama & Joe Biden; (R) John McCain & Sarah Palin
2012 (D) Barack Obama & Joe Biden; (R) Mitt Romney & Paul Ryan
2016 (R) Donald Trump & Mike Pence; (D) Hillary Clinton & Tim Kaine
2020 (D) Joe Biden & Kamala Harris; (R) Donald Trump & Mike Pence
2024 (R) Donald Trump & JD Vance; (D) Kamala Harris & Tim Waltz
**Landslide Scale (county)
+ Victory margin was less than 20 percent
++ Victory margin was between 20 to 49 percentage points of more votes
+++ Victory margin was more than half but below three quarters
++++ Victory margin was three quarters or more

← Back to search

Economic Significance

Key IndustryAs %
County GDP
GDP
Growth*
County GDP1100%21%
Government
Enterprises
15%12%
Private Industries85%22%
Agriculture3%-14%
Mining1%207%
Utilities4%-6%
Construction6%58%
Manufacturing6%30%
– Durable2%45%
– Nondurable4%22%
Trade14%41%
– Wholesale4%48%
– Retail11%39%
Transportation1%60%
Information2%18%
Finance & Insurance4%4%
Real Estate15%16%
Professional &
Business Services
6%17%
Educational Services<1%65%
Healthcare &
Social Services
14%14%
Arts, Recreation &
Entertainment
1%58%
Accommodation &
Food Services
3%30%
Other Services23%18%
Notes:
*Growth rates are based on most recent five-year value available and are updated dynamically
1. All industry total.
2. Includes various repairs, maintenance, personal care, religious organizations, social and professional organizations etc.

← Back to search

Local Vibrancy

Total*Vibrancy
Indicator
(1-100)**
🚙 Automobile Dealers2347
🪑 Furniture &
Home Furnishings
3354
📺 Electronics & Appliance1234
🛒 Grocery Stores8676
🍾 Beer, Wine & Liquor Stores2660
⚕️ Health & Personal Care5065
⛽ Gasoline Stations6161
👕 Clothing Stores3858
👠 Shoe Stores1025
🧳 Luggage, Leather Goods & Jewelry1129
🏸 Sporting Goods2860
📚 Book Stores & News Dealers410
🏬 Department Stores2747
💐 Florists615
🎁 Gift, Novelty & Souvenir Shops1130
🐕 Pet & Pet Supplies 718
🍺 Bars & Taverns2857
🍽️ Full-service restaurants13473
🍔 Limited-service restaurants17174
🏠 Offices of Real Estate Agents & Brokers7666
🛏️ Traveler Accommodation3055
Notes:
* Total counts of establishments are places of business.
** Vibrancy score is based on comparisons of relevant establishments per square mile of land area among all counties and county equivalents in the United States; A score of 100 means the county is in the top one percentile.

← Back to search

Wealth Indicators

Household Income by Distribution
As % County’s
Total Household Income
Average Household Income
Maximum Household Income
Top 5%122%$409,600 N/A
Top 20%51%$237,200 $242,900
Next highest 20%23%$107,600 $137,100
Middle 20%14%$66,500 $84,600
Second lowest 20%8%$37,300 $50,200
Bottom 20%3%$13,800 $26,000
Notes:
1. Households with aggregate income above 95% of all households in the county
% Total
Households
Average Household
Income*
Wages & Salaries69%$88,700
Self-Employment14%$37,900
Investment Income120%$26,700
Social Security34%$21,800
Supplemental Security7%$12,300
Public Assistance4%Below $10,000
Retirement25%$37,200
Notes:
* Calculation based on households claim to have specific source of income; Households may have more than one source of income
1Includes interest, dividends, and net rental income

Under
25*
Age 25
to 49*
Age 50
to 64*
Age 65
& Older*
Below
$25K
4%4%5%7%
$25K
– $49K
3%5%6%7%
$50K
– $99K
2%10%7%8%
$100K
– $199K
1%8%9%6%
$200K
& more
<1%3%5%2%
Notes:
* Age of heads of households

 

← Back to search

Median Earnings by Worker Characteristics
Race/EthnicityMaleFemale
Non-Hispanic White$40,600 $33,100
African-American$33,100 $16,300
Hispanic$35,500 $22,400
Asian$30,200 $22,200
Level of Education MaleFemale
Below Highschool$37,300 $23,500
Highschool & GED$42,500 $31,400
Some College to
Associate’s
$45,500 $34,400
College/Bachelor’s
Degree
$65,900 $50,400
Graduate Degree$92,900 $67,500
OccupationMaleFemale
White-Collar1$71,400 $53,600
STEM2$69,700 $65,800
Gray-Collar3$59,500 $48,200
Pink-Collar4$24,300 $11,100
Sales5$31,900 $27,600
Blue-Collar6$36,800 $24,600
Notes:
1. Management, business, science, and arts occupations
2. Computer, engineering, and science occupations
3. Protective service occupations including firefighters and law enforcement
4. Personal care and service occupations
5. Sales and sales related
6.Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

← Back to search

Climate Risks

Disaster CategoryNatural Hazard
Risk Rating
Annual Loss
Per Capita
Avalanche
Coastal Flooding
Cold Waves
Drought++++$$
Earthquake+++$$
Hail++
Heat Waves++$
Hurricane
Ice Storm
Landslide+++$
Lightning++$
Riverine Flooding++$
Strong Wind+
Tornado+$
Tsunami
Volcanic Activity++$
Wildfires+++$
Winter Weather+
Notes:
Locations with insufficient data or not rated are left blank.
+: Very low to Relatively low risk ratings
++: Relatively moderate
+++: Relatively high
++++: Very high
$: Expected per capita annual loss from the natural disaster is below $100
$$: $100-499
$$$: $500-999
$$$$: $1,000 and more

 

← Back to search