The county economy from official statistics, with source and year on every table.
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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Butler County is a county of Kentucky with 12,393 residents. Its economy produced $409 million in 2024 (ranked #87 of 120 counties) and had 2,929 jobs with an average annual pay of $46,410 (#74 for pay). The unemployment rate was 4.9% in 2026M09. It is part of the Bowling Green, KY metropolitan area (outlying county).
Butler County produced about $409 million of goods and services in 2024, which is 0.1% of the combined output of the 120 counties of Kentucky that BEA reports (about 0.3% of the state's population lives here), and ranks it 87th of 120 on that measure. Per resident that is $33,026, 49% below the state average; the average for all counties of the state taken together is $65,135. In current dollars output grew 3.6% from 2023 to 2024, before adjusting for inflation. The gap between its output rank (87th) and its output-per-resident rank (73rd) shows that a few high-value industries or a small population drive the figure.
BLS counts 2,929 jobs located in Butler County on average in 2024, spread over 309 employer sites (about 9 jobs per site). That is 0.24 jobs for every resident, below the 0.27 of the typical county in Kentucky, which tells you whether the county is a place people mostly commute to for work or a place they commute from. The average annual pay per job was $46,410, 23% below the average of all counties in the state ($46,410 against $59,941). Average pay is total wages divided by jobs, so it is pulled up by high earners and counts part-time jobs as whole jobs; it is not the pay of a typical worker. The number of jobs fell 1.1% from 2023 to 2024.
The three largest private industries are manufacturing (58.5% of private jobs, $56,792 a year on average), retail trade (13.5% of private jobs, $28,569 a year on average), construction (6.7% of private jobs, $53,557 a year on average). Together they hold 78.7% of private-sector jobs. Among industries with at least 3% of jobs, the best paying is manufacturing at $56,792 a year, followed by construction ($53,557). The county is specialised in an industry: manufacturing (4.2 times the US share, 1,005 jobs). A location quotient above 1 means an industry employs a larger share of workers here than in the whole country, so these are the industries where local employers compete hardest for skills. Several of the biggest employers pay well below the county average: retail trade ($28,569). Jobs there are plentiful but the pay is lower than the headline average suggests.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate in Butler County was 4.9%, 8% above the average of the state's counties (4.9% against 4.5%). The labour force (people working or looking for work) numbered 5,046. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 4.0% (2025M12) to 6.1% (2026M06); the latest month is preliminary and BLS revises it. These county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so compare the same month across years.
The median household income was $56,092 (ACS 2020–2024), 12% below the state median ($56,092 against $63,726). None of the largest places of the guide has this as its main county, which usually means a smaller or more rural county; the figures above still describe the whole county.
Counties close to Butler County in output are Rockcastle County, Pendleton County, Morgan County, Ballard County. Compare their jobs, pay and unemployment on their own pages.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ | Rank among the 120 counties of Kentucky ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,393 | 89 of 120 |
| GDP 2024 | $409 million | 87 of 120 |
| GDP per resident | $33,026 | 73 of 120 |
| Jobs (QCEW 2024) | 2,929 | 81 of 120 |
| Average annual pay | $46,410 | 74 of 120 |
| Job change vs 2023 | -1.1% | 97 of 120 |
| Unemployment rate (lower is better) | 4.9% | 70 of 120 |
| Median household income | $56,092 | 65 of 120 |
Federal jobs in Kentucky (288) →All cities of KentuckyState guide: Kentucky
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
None of the 80 largest places of Kentucky has this as its main county, so the guide has no city page here. County figures on the other tabs are complete.
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,005 | 58.5% | $56,792 | 4.18 |
| Retail trade | 232 | 13.5% | $28,569 | 0.79 |
| Construction | 115 | 6.7% | $53,557 | 0.75 |
| Administrative and waste services | 90 | 5.2% | $50,456 | 0.52 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 84 | 4.9% | $40,311 | 0.95 |
| Finance and insurance | 75 | 4.4% | $51,720 | 0.63 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 59 | 3.4% | $48,529 | 0.48 |
| Professional and technical services | 38 | 2.2% | $55,189 | 0.19 |
| Information | 10 | 0.6% | $21,824 | 0.18 |
| Real estate and rental | 10 | 0.6% | $29,946 | 0.22 |
A location quotient above 1 means the industry is more concentrated here than in the US. BLS withholds sectors with too few employers.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Labour force | 5,046 |
| Employed residents | 4,800 |
| Unemployed residents | 246 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% |
| Jobs located in the county (QCEW) | 2,929 |
| Employer sites | 309 |
Residents employed and jobs located here differ: many residents commute to other counties.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP 2024 ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Unemployment ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 783,022 | $78,803 million | $100,640 | 482,313 | $71,280 | 4.6% |
| Fayette County | 323,725 | $28,909 million | $89,300 | 204,412 | $64,489 | 3.8% |
| Kenton County | 171,288 | $12,391 million | $72,342 | 74,672 | $71,985 | 3.9% |
| Warren County | 140,918 | $11,131 million | $78,989 | 70,761 | $55,488 | 4.0% |
| Boone County | 139,841 | $16,775 million | $119,960 | 102,941 | $59,189 | 3.9% |
| Hardin County | 111,942 | $7,341 million | $65,580 | 48,897 | $55,787 | 5.1% |
| Daviess County | 103,648 | $6,151 million | $59,344 | 47,217 | $53,566 | 4.0% |
| Madison County | 95,769 | $4,436 million | $46,322 | 36,909 | $53,794 | 5.0% |
| Campbell County | 93,426 | $5,048 million | $54,037 | 31,709 | $57,401 | 3.8% |
| Bullitt County | 84,027 | $3,824 million | $45,512 | 29,786 | $52,323 | 4.7% |
| Christian County | 72,069 | $7,866 million | $109,142 | 31,505 | $55,483 | 5.9% |
| Oldham County | 69,257 | $3,011 million | $43,481 | 17,474 | $68,157 | 4.0% |
| McCracken County | 67,564 | $6,989 million | $103,441 | 40,497 | $57,594 | 4.3% |
| Pulaski County | 65,897 | $3,033 million | $46,033 | 26,252 | $48,057 | 4.7% |
| Laurel County | 62,983 | $2,967 million | $47,113 | 26,264 | $48,566 | 5.6% |
| Scott County | 59,536 | $4,504 million | $75,655 | 31,634 | $72,236 | 3.9% |
| Pike County | 56,727 | $2,665 million | $46,988 | 20,549 | $51,529 | 6.2% |
| Jessamine County | 54,588 | $3,050 million | $55,879 | 18,660 | $54,048 | 3.9% |
| Franklin County | 51,842 | $4,573 million | $88,215 | 34,824 | $60,163 | 3.9% |
| Shelby County | 49,096 | $2,408 million | $49,048 | 16,556 | $55,073 | 4.0% |
| Boyd County | 47,911 | $3,758 million | $78,441 | 25,992 | $59,231 | 5.1% |
| Nelson County | 47,606 | $2,394 million | $50,297 | 18,445 | $56,670 | 4.4% |
| Hopkins County | 45,119 | $2,661 million | $58,977 | 17,505 | $54,831 | 4.5% |
| Barren County | 44,938 | $1,871 million | $41,639 | 15,413 | $51,346 | 4.6% |
| Henderson County | 44,280 | $2,756 million | $62,244 | 18,686 | $55,781 | 4.5% |
| Calloway County | 38,224 | $1,914 million | $50,068 | 15,570 | $46,250 | 4.9% |
| Clark County | 37,192 | $2,043 million | $54,940 | 13,594 | $55,905 | 4.2% |
| Whitley County | 36,920 | $1,559 million | $42,238 | 14,351 | $46,563 | 4.5% |
| Graves County | 36,630 | $1,754 million | $47,878 | 11,945 | $50,028 | 4.1% |
| Greenup County | 35,501 | $1,075 million | $30,281 | 7,009 | $47,910 | 5.7% |
| Floyd County | 35,224 | $1,403 million | $39,822 | 11,156 | $47,449 | 5.9% |
| Marshall County | 31,743 | $1,760 million | $55,439 | 11,710 | $62,678 | 4.8% |
| Boyle County | 30,941 | $1,763 million | $56,980 | 14,690 | $52,071 | 4.5% |
| Muhlenberg County | 30,591 | $1,544 million | $50,462 | 8,091 | $54,582 | 5.3% |
| Meade County | 30,158 | $1,003 million | $33,253 | 5,262 | $58,826 | 4.7% |
| Knox County | 29,865 | $837 million | $28,019 | 7,685 | $43,409 | 6.0% |
| Montgomery County | 28,395 | $1,384 million | $48,750 | 10,484 | $49,214 | 4.8% |
| Logan County | 27,986 | $1,331 million | $47,551 | 8,975 | $58,739 | 4.7% |
| Perry County | 27,499 | $1,295 million | $47,076 | 11,351 | $51,907 | 4.5% |
| Woodford County | 27,279 | $1,636 million | $59,965 | 9,977 | $52,784 | 3.4% |
| Grayson County | 26,707 | $997 million | $37,322 | 7,527 | $44,028 | 5.9% |
| Taylor County | 26,397 | $1,164 million | $44,082 | 11,841 | $44,581 | 4.9% |
| Carter County | 26,341 | $671 million | $25,460 | 5,650 | $41,562 | 6.3% |
| Harlan County | 25,772 | $760 million | $29,483 | 6,280 | $44,461 | 6.5% |
| Grant County | 25,418 | $784 million | $30,844 | 5,446 | $52,144 | 4.1% |
| Rowan County | 24,578 | $1,068 million | $43,457 | 10,490 | $48,895 | 5.2% |
| Lincoln County | 24,504 | $596 million | $24,305 | 3,920 | $44,735 | 4.9% |
| Anderson County | 24,353 | $815 million | $33,453 | 5,066 | $48,999 | 4.2% |
| Ohio County | 23,735 | $1,077 million | $45,391 | 7,387 | $44,414 | 4.8% |
| Bell County | 23,509 | $997 million | $42,427 | 8,335 | $42,450 | 5.9% |
| Mercer County | 23,028 | $1,146 million | $49,751 | 6,560 | $59,248 | 4.6% |
| Johnson County | 22,334 | $619 million | $27,732 | 5,352 | $42,878 | 5.9% |
| Allen County | 21,293 | $616 million | $28,950 | 5,024 | $47,631 | 4.1% |
| Breckinridge County | 20,881 | $541 million | $25,895 | 3,722 | $43,778 | 4.9% |
| Letcher County | 20,808 | $539 million | $25,894 | 4,258 | $45,995 | 5.0% |
| Bourbon County | 20,240 | $1,309 million | $64,692 | 7,092 | $53,178 | 4.1% |
| Spencer County | 20,193 | $445 million | $22,022 | 2,235 | $46,034 | 4.5% |
| Simpson County | 19,972 | $1,226 million | $61,406 | 9,115 | $52,092 | 4.8% |
| Clay County | 19,921 | $455 million | $22,829 | 4,077 | $45,485 | 6.0% |
| Marion County | 19,749 | $1,276 million | $64,592 | 9,158 | $50,139 | 4.9% |
| Hart County | 19,603 | $843 million | $43,019 | 5,269 | $52,189 | 4.4% |
| Wayne County | 19,602 | $560 million | $28,577 | 5,231 | $39,309 | 6.2% |
| Harrison County | 19,140 | $710 million | $37,109 | 5,310 | $50,516 | 4.1% |
| Adair County | 19,089 | $570 million | $29,870 | 4,954 | $41,613 | 4.4% |
| Russell County | 18,221 | $1,053 million | $57,793 | 6,399 | $43,596 | 4.6% |
| Garrard County | 17,568 | $432 million | $24,578 | 2,759 | $48,370 | 4.1% |
| Mason County | 16,956 | $1,543 million | $91,018 | 7,910 | $50,145 | 5.3% |
| McCreary County | 16,867 | $349 million | $20,684 | 2,873 | $46,870 | 6.0% |
| Rockcastle County | 16,163 | $432 million | $26,702 | 4,008 | $41,657 | 5.1% |
| Lawrence County | 16,077 | $539 million | $33,506 | 4,232 | $44,742 | 6.6% |
| Casey County | 15,914 | $480 million | $30,165 | 3,952 | $43,138 | 4.8% |
| Henry County | 15,856 | $476 million | $30,039 | 2,892 | $49,764 | 4.2% |
| Fleming County | 15,323 | $435 million | $28,379 | 3,265 | $45,681 | 4.9% |
| Larue County | 15,107 | $314 million | $20,778 | 2,578 | $45,904 | 4.6% |
| Pendleton County | 14,723 | $411 million | $27,909 | 2,239 | $54,453 | 4.1% |
| Trigg County | 14,315 | $465 million | $32,479 | 2,930 | $40,821 | 5.0% |
| Morgan County | 14,053 | $378 million | $26,875 | 3,293 | $47,329 | 5.1% |
| Estill County | 14,035 | $292 million | $20,801 | 2,271 | $46,527 | 5.7% |
| Knott County | 13,830 | $274 million | $19,796 | 2,156 | $41,628 | 6.3% |
| Breathitt County | 13,276 | $307 million | $23,116 | 2,635 | $46,008 | 5.8% |
| Union County | 13,260 | $1,146 million | $86,415 | 5,225 | $61,075 | 4.2% |
| Jackson County | 13,086 | $207 million | $15,812 | 1,781 | $40,276 | 7.0% |
| Powell County | 13,038 | $337 million | $25,821 | 3,017 | $40,158 | 4.5% |
| Lewis County | 12,965 | $252 million | $19,421 | 1,972 | $41,450 | 7.3% |
| Bath County | 12,851 | $261 million | $20,288 | 1,969 | $47,539 | 5.3% |
| Webster County | 12,842 | $539 million | $42,005 | 2,695 | $52,524 | 4.3% |
| Caldwell County | 12,618 | $543 million | $43,031 | 4,693 | $43,790 | 4.3% |
| Todd County | 12,469 | $569 million | $45,615 | 2,812 | $47,765 | 3.7% |
| Butler County | 12,393 | $409 million | $33,026 | 2,929 | $46,410 | 4.9% |
| Edmonson County | 12,355 | $250 million | $20,257 | 1,681 | $42,464 | 5.3% |
| Washington County | 12,140 | $468 million | $38,554 | 3,652 | $51,444 | 4.0% |
| Green County | 11,369 | $239 million | $21,015 | 1,852 | $42,522 | 4.9% |
| Magoffin County | 11,348 | $212 million | $18,725 | 1,936 | $39,288 | 7.7% |
| Owen County | 11,330 | $263 million | $23,188 | 1,540 | $50,249 | 4.2% |
| Monroe County | 11,269 | $455 million | $40,337 | 3,230 | $47,811 | 4.4% |
| Martin County | 11,027 | $290 million | $26,326 | 1,960 | $52,197 | 7.7% |
| Carroll County | 10,954 | $2,456 million | $224,200 | 7,615 | $73,076 | 4.1% |
| Metcalfe County | 10,425 | $254 million | $24,365 | 2,174 | $44,358 | 4.2% |
| Leslie County | 10,079 | $197 million | $19,531 | 1,590 | $43,744 | 5.1% |
| Clinton County | 9,202 | $466 million | $50,611 | 3,534 | $40,596 | 5.1% |
| McLean County | 9,114 | $345 million | $37,881 | 1,737 | $44,027 | 4.3% |
| Hancock County | 9,034 | $900 million | $99,587 | 3,621 | $80,392 | 4.6% |
| Crittenden County | 8,979 | $246 million | $27,408 | 1,976 | $42,065 | 5.1% |
| Livingston County | 8,903 | $519 million | $58,329 | 3,402 | $61,759 | 4.8% |
| Lyon County | 8,900 | $332 million | $37,342 | 2,673 | $46,303 | 4.7% |
| Gallatin County | 8,769 | $461 million | $52,618 | 2,488 | $70,485 | 4.2% |
| Trimble County | 8,550 | $736 million | $86,045 | 1,072 | $60,405 | 4.1% |
| Bracken County | 8,444 | $219 million | $25,994 | 1,534 | $47,259 | 4.4% |
| Nicholas County | 7,708 | $131 million | $16,944 | 955 | $36,536 | 4.3% |
| Ballard County | 7,654 | $354 million | $46,277 | 2,000 | $63,982 | 4.8% |
| Lee County | 7,339 | $161 million | $21,872 | 1,706 | $43,886 | 4.7% |
| Elliott County | 7,307 | $110 million | $15,070 | 857 | $47,029 | 7.1% |
| Wolfe County | 6,443 | $157 million | $24,423 | 1,564 | $39,134 | 7.4% |
| Fulton County | 6,409 | $286 million | $44,679 | 2,262 | $42,101 | 4.9% |
| Menifee County | 6,230 | $115 million | $18,460 | 978 | $42,110 | 5.6% |
| Cumberland County | 5,948 | $253 million | $42,511 | 2,402 | $48,343 | 3.6% |
| Carlisle County | 4,762 | $265 million | $55,570 | 1,046 | $46,625 | 4.5% |
| Hickman County | 4,439 | $280 million | $63,163 | 951 | $41,176 | 4.8% |
| Owsley County | 3,971 | $69 million | $17,355 | 728 | $40,488 | 5.2% |
| Robertson County | 2,283 | $42 million | $18,276 | 316 | $38,493 | 5.1% |
12,393 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024).
$409 million in 2024 (BEA, current dollars).
4.9% in 2026M09 (BLS, not seasonally adjusted; the latest month may be revised).
2,929 jobs on average in 2024 with an average annual pay of $46,410 (BLS QCEW).