Butler County vs O'Brien County
A side-by-side comparison of Butler County and O'Brien County: population, income, housing, and more.
Butler County and O'Brien County are counties in Iowa. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Butler County has the higher population (14,301 vs 14,103 in O'Brien County). Butler County has the higher median household income ($69,651 vs $68,216 in O'Brien County). O'Brien County has the higher median home value ($158,900 vs $156,500 in Butler County).
Population, income & housing
| Butler County | O'Brien County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,301 | 14,103 |
| Median age | 43.7 yrs | 39.8 yrs |
| Median household income | $69,651 | $68,216 |
| Median home value | $156,500 | $158,900 |
| Median gross rent | $780 | $770 |
| Housing units | 6,569 | 6,544 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.0% | 77.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.4% | 22.5% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 1.2% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Butler County | O'Brien County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,628 → 14,301 (-2.2%) | 13,835 → 14,103 (+1.9%) |
| Median household income | $57,115 → $69,651 (+21.9%) | $53,703 → $68,216 (+27.0%) |
| Median home value | $116,700 → $156,500 (+34.1%) | $107,000 → $158,900 (+48.5%) |
| Median gross rent | $598 → $780 (+30.4%) | $585 → $770 (+31.6%) |
Butler County
14,62814,301
$57,115$69,651
$116,700$156,500
$598$780
O'Brien County
13,83514,103
$53,703$68,216
$107,000$158,900
$585$770
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Butler County | O'Brien County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.1% | 6.6% |
| 5 to 17 | 17.4% | 17.8% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.7% | 7.2% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.3% | 12.0% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.1% | 12.5% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.6% | 10.0% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.9% | 12.8% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.7% | 11.1% |
| 75 and over | 10.1% | 10.0% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Butler County | O'Brien County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 94.9% | 88.5% |
| Black or African American | 0.2% | 1.3% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Some other race | 0.6% | 0.1% |
| Two or more races | 1.4% | 1.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.6% | 7.2% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Butler County | O'Brien County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 6.4% | 9.7% |
| High school graduate | 36.9% | 35.6% |
| Some college or associate's | 36.2% | 32.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 15.6% | 17.5% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 4.8% | 5.0% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Butler County | O'Brien County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 83.2% | 82.3% |
| Carpooled | 7.8% | 8.6% |
| Public transit | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Walked | 2.3% | 2.0% |
| Bicycle | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Worked from home | 5.9% | 6.2% |
| Other means | 0.5% | 0.7% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Butler County | O'Brien County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 89.1% | 83.6% |
| 1-unit, attached | 0.5% | 2.3% |
| 2 to 4 units | 5.2% | 3.0% |
| 5 to 19 units | 2.8% | 4.2% |
| 20 or more units | 0.9% | 4.6% |
| Mobile home & other | 1.6% | 2.3% |
Poverty & households
| Butler County | O'Brien County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 10.7% | 13.8% |
| Average household size | 2.39 | 2.36 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 25 | 18 |
| Median year structure built | 1956 | 1959 |
Full profiles
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