Butte County () is a county located in the northern central part of the U.S. state of California. In the 2020 census, its population was 211,632. The county seat is Oroville.
Butte County comprises the Chico, California, metropolitan statistical area. It is in the California Central Valley, north of the state capital of Sacramento.
Butte County is drained by the Feather River and the Sacramento River. Butte Creek and Big Chico Creek are additional perennial streams, both tributary to the Sacramento. The county is home to California State University, Chico and Butte College.
History Butte County is named for the visually striking + Sutter Buttes in neighboring Sutter County. Butte County was incorporated as one of California's 27 original counties on February 18, 1850. The county went across the present limits of the Tehama, Plumas, Colusa, and Sutter Counties.George C. Mansfield, History of Butte County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Hathitrust.org, 1918 Suffragists from Butte County including Minnie Sharkey Abrams played a notable role in the women's suffrage campaign in 1911.
Between November 8 and 25, 2018, a major wildfire, the Camp Fire, destroyed most of the town of Paradise, the adjacent community of Concow, and a large area of rural, hilly country east of Chico. More than 80 people were killed, 50,000 were displaced, over 150,000 acres were burned, and nearly 20,000 buildings were destroyed. The Camp Fire was California's most destructive and deadliest fire.
On July 24, 2024, the Park Fire ignited in Bidwell Park, four miles south of downtown Chico. Ronnie Dean Stout II, a Chico resident, has been accused of arson for starting the fire by allegedly pushing a car that was on fire down an embankment. Over the course of the next 64 days, the fire expanded into Tehama County, burned 429,603 acres, killed one person, and destroyed 709 structures. It became the largest wildfire caused by arson in the state's history, the fourth largest fire in the state's history, the largest fire of the 2024 California wildfire season, and the second largest single fire in the state's history (as opposed to a complex fire, with multiple ignition points).
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which (2.4%) are covered by water.
The county is drained by the Feather River and Butte Creek. Part of the county's western border is formed by the Sacramento River. The county lies along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, the steep slopes making it prime territory for the siting of hydroelectric power plants. About a half dozen of these plants are located in the county, one of which, serves the Oroville Dam.
National protected areas Butte Sink National Wildlife Refuge (part) Lassen National Forest (part) Plumas National Forest (part) Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Adjacent counties Sutter County – south Colusa County – southwest Glenn County – west Tehama County – northwest Plumas County – northeast Yuba County – southeast
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Butte County had a population of 211,632. The median age was 37.9 years, 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18, and 19.0% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.3 males age 18 and over.
79.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 21.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 83,268 households in the county, of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 28.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
The county's population was 70.7% White, 1.7% Black or African American, 2.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 5.0% Asian, 0.3% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 8.6% from some other race, and 11.7% from two or more races; Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 19.0% of the population.
There were 90,133 housing units, of which 7.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 56.2% were owner-occupied and 43.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.7%.
Racial and ethnic composition +Butte County, California – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)130,522158,242162,564165,416139,65190.73%86.89%80.01%75.19%65.99%Black or African American alone (NH)1,6862,2382,6993,1333,3201.17%1.23%1.33%1.42%1.57%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)2,0622,9463,2953,3953,0501.43%1.62%1.62%1.54%1.44%Asian alone (NH)1,2874,9616,6768,92110,3330.89%2.72%3.29%4.06%4.88%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)xx273401508xx0.13%0.18%0.24%Other race alone (NH)7521274353181,1840.52%0.07%0.21%0.14%0.56%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)xx5,8907,30013,474xx2.90%3.32%6.37%Hispanic or Latino (any race)7,54213,60621,33931,11640,1125.24%7.47%10.50%14.14%18.95%Total143,851182,120203,171220,000211,632 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2010 Census The 2010 United States census reported that Butte County had a population of 220,000. The racial makeup of Butte County was 180,096 (81.9%) White, 3,415 (1.6%) African American, 4,395 (2.0%) Native American, 9,057 (4.1%) Asian, 452 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 12,141 (5.5%) from other races, and 10,444 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 31,116 persons (14.1%).
Population reported at 2010 United States census Butte County220,000180,0963,4154,3959,05745212,14110,44431,116 Biggs1,7071,30211549125278580Chico86,18769,6061,7711,1673,6562105,4374,34015,000Gridley6,5844,283559824931,5523443,000Oroville15,54611,6864535731,238565549861,945Paradise26,21824,129112301330244169061,836 Bangor64654351741185847Berry Creek1,4241,249848133139098Butte Creek Canyon1,0861,01102018182848Butte Meadows40380000020Butte Valley89978201991424689Cherokee694802800111Clipper Mills1421310300265Cohasset84776481421203843Concow71061102453105756Durham5,5185,0881955359165147614Forbestown32026241510042523Forest Ranch1,1841,1168641202952Honcut370248614408513145Kelly Ridge2,5442,28720563574396204Magalia11,31010,398401419017134490765Nord320233161604816122Oroville East8,2806,8301264772948147398702Palermo5,3823,9013922124646423291,281Rackerby20419301003718Richvale2442160110010727Robinson Mill807401010411South Oroville5,7423,4074062458859361429851Stirling City2952641110011817Thermalito6,6464,594612571,10237270325713Yankee Hill 333305274051022 All others not CDPs (combined)29,12324,497259531791551,8791,1114,486
2000 As of the census of 2000, there were 203,171 people, 79,566 households, and 49,410 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 85,523 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 84.5% White, 10.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino, 3.3% Asian, 1.9% Native American, 1.4% Black or African American, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 4.8% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. 87.9% spoke English, 7.8% Spanish and 1.4% Hmong as their first language.
There were 79,566 households, out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,924, and the median income for a family was $41,010. Males had a median income of $34,137 versus $25,393 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,517. About 12.2% of families and 19.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.8% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Health and crime There are four major hospitals and the State of California defines Butte County as being inside Health Service Area 1. A special district, the Butte County Air Quality Management District, regulates airborne pollutant emissions in the county. It does this following regional regulations, state, and federal laws. For example, in recent years, the agency changed rules that once allowed residents to burn household trash outdoors.
The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.
Population and crime rates PopulationU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 26, 2013. 220,000 Violent crimeOffice of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009 . Retrieved November 14, 2013. 970 4.25 Homicide 20 0.05 Forcible rape 100 0.40 Robbery 200 0.85 Aggravated assault 650 2.95 Property crime 5,524 16.32 Burglary 1,733 7.90 Larceny-theftOnly larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes. 3,765 17.17 Motor vehicle theft 840 3.83 Arson 81 0.37
Cities by population and crime rates
Cities by population and crime rates City PopulationUnited States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California) . Retrieved November 14, 2013. Violent crimes Violent crime rateper 1,000 persons Property crimes Property crime rateper 1,000 persons Biggs 1,707 24 11.02 30 19.72 Chico 90,000 317 3.24 3,634 26.31 Gridley 6,600 113 11.72 196 33.06 Oroville 16,000 108 6.81 1,143 63.09 Paradise 26,492 52 2.49 521 18.08
Government
Law enforcement
The Butte County Sheriff's Office provides general-service law enforcement to unincorporated areas of Butte County, serving as the equivalent of the county police for unincorporated areas of the county as well as incorporated cities within the county who have contracted with the agency for law-enforcement services (known as "contract cities" in local jargon). It also holds primary jurisdiction over facilities operated by Butte County, such as local parks, marinas and government buildings; provides marshal service for the Butte County Superior Court; operates the county jail system; and provides services such as laboratories and academy training to smaller law enforcement agencies within the county. The first sheriff of Butte County was Joseph Q. Wilbur. Kory Honea has been the sheriff since 2014.
Voter registration statistics
Population and registered voters Total eligible population 164,755 Registered votersPercentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow. 123,935 75.2% Democratic 43,407 26.3% Republican 44,362 26.9% Democratic–Republican spread -955 -0.6% American Independent 5,920 3.5% Libertarian 2,037 1.2% Green 759 0.4% Peace and Freedom 633 0.3% Unknown 896 0.5% Other 1,051 0.6% No party preference 24,870 15.0%
Cities by population and voter registration