HomeCaliforniaButte County
Butte County, California: commercial real estate data.
Butte County, California had an estimated 208,334 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 211,632, across 1,636 square miles. County output reached $12.90 bn in 2024, 4,677 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 165 7(a) approvals worth $93.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Butte County
How many people live in Butte County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024207,929
- Households83,312
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$67,928
- Median age36.2
- Median gross rent$1,414 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$424,700
- Home value to household income6.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income25.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher31.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over135,188
- Population under 1842,452
- Share under 1820.4 percent
- Population 65 and over38,227
- Share 65 and over18.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64127,250
- Civilian labor force100,743
- Unemployment rate7.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.9 percent
- Rank by population among California counties28th of 58
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included336th of 3,222
Butte County is the 28th largest of 58 California counties by population. A median home costs 6.3 times median household income, which is severely unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.4 percent against 18.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Butte County
Is Butte County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024208,334
- Census 2020 base population211,632
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.56 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024980
- Births, 20241,812
- Deaths, 20242,280
- Natural change, 2024-468
- Net domestic migration, 2024896
- Net international migration, 2024545
- Total net migration, 20241,441
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,157
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2377th of 3,144
The county has lost 1.56 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Butte County
Where are people moving to Butte County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,726
- People arriving, from those returns7,849
- Tax returns filed by households leaving4,984
- Net household movement-258
- Adjusted gross income arriving$275.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-25.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$58,195
- Average income of a leaving household$60,300
- Largest single originSacramento County (393 households)
- Largest single destinationSacramento County (345 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento County | 393 | 691 | $19.4 m |
| Sutter County | 247 | 509 | $12.3 m |
| Glenn County | 228 | 390 | $11.5 m |
| Tehama County | 204 | 339 | $10.8 m |
| Los Angeles County | 172 | 287 | $9.1 m |
| Shasta County | 167 | 231 | $7.9 m |
| Contra Costa County | 166 | 292 | $13.3 m |
| Yuba County | 159 | 287 | $7.5 m |
Households arriving report $2,105 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Sacramento County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Butte County
What is the Butte County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$12.90 bn
- County GDP, 2023$11.86 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.7 percent
- GDP change over five years35.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the California areas BEA publishes30th of 58
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes361st of 3,127
- GDP per resident$62,045
Output grew 8.7 percent in the latest year and 35.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Butte County
Employment by industry in Butte County
- Covered employment, annual average78,999
- Establishments reporting9,029
- Average annual pay$57,521
- Average weekly wage$1,106
- Health care and social assistance, employment19,255
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$57,496
- Retail trade, employment9,123
- Retail trade, average annual pay$41,784
- Accommodation and food services, employment7,266
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$26,647
- Construction, employment3,918
- Construction, average annual pay$77,408
- Manufacturing, employment3,734
- Other services, except public administration, employment3,571
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 19,255 | 4,249 | $57,496 |
| Retail trade | 9,123 | 630 | $41,784 |
| Accommodation and food services | 7,266 | 424 | $26,647 |
| Construction | 3,918 | 600 | $77,408 |
| Manufacturing | 3,734 | 192 | $65,524 |
| Other services, except public administration | 3,571 | 420 | $41,113 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 2,774 | 342 | $56,868 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 2,661 | 278 | $44,029 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 19,255 jobs, 24.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Butte County
How many businesses are in Butte County?
- Establishments, all industries4,677
- Employment at those establishments63,158
- Annual payroll$3.25 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.5
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Butte County
Building permits in Butte County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024946
- Declared construction value permitted$156.0 m
- Single family units authorized657
- Multifamily units authorized289
- Multifamily share of units30.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$164,874
- Units authorized per 1,000 households11.4
Single-family homes are 69.5 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Butte County
SBA loans in Butte County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded165
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$93.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$567,115
- Median 7(a) approval$275,000
- 10th percentile approval$21,820
- 90th percentile approval$1,375,000
- Largest single approval$4,920,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,782
- Jobs per approval10.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active45
- Distinct industries receiving approvals97
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer26.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms43
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter114
- Franchise loans21
- Franchise share of approvals12.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countElectrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (10)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (34)
- 504 approvals recorded151
- 504 gross approval dollars$120.2 m
- Average 504 approval$796,053
- Median 504 approval$448,000
- Distinct CDCs active10
- 504 jobs per approval10.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.4
- Most active CDCGreater Sacramento Certified Development Corporation (75)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$213.8 m
The average approval of $567,115 sits well above the median of $275,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 26.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Butte County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Butte County
Do SBA loans in Butte County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded23
- Paid in full22
- Charged off1
- Status: Paid in full22
- Status: Cancelled18
- Status: Exempt from disclosure114
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed10
Only 23 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Butte County
SBA lending by place in Butte County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending10
- Chico, approvals103
- Oroville, approvals36
- Gridley, approvals10
- Paradise, approvals8
- Forest Ranch, approvals3
- Durham, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Chico | 103 | $59,686,200 |
| Oroville | 36 | $25,117,300 |
| Gridley | 10 | $4,431,900 |
| Paradise | 8 | $2,233,900 |
| Forest Ranch | 3 | $625,700 |
| Durham | 1 | $1,106,000 |
| Elk Grove | 1 | $150,000 |
| Palermo | 1 | $150,000 |
| 2 other borrower cities | 2 | $73,000 |
Chico accounts for 103 approvals against 36 in Oroville. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Butte County
How large is Butte County?
- Land area1,636 sq mi
- Rank by land area among California counties28th of 58
- Width, east to west51.6 mi
- Height, north to south59.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land127
- Establishments per square mile2.86
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Butte County
Flood risk in Butte County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Butte County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 060017
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book6
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Butte County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Butte County (community 060017), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Butte County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Butte County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Butte County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024207,929
- Households83,312
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$67,928
- Median age36.2
Common questions
Butte County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Butte County, California?
The Census Bureau estimates 208,334 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 207,929, in 83,312 households, ranking 28th of 58 California counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Butte County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.56 percent since the 2020 census base of 211,632, to 208,334 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 1,812 births against 2,280 deaths, with net migration of 1,441. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Butte County?
$67,928. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $424,700, which is 6.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,414 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Butte County?
4,677 establishments, employing 63,158 people with an annual payroll of $3.25 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Butte County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 19,255 jobs, 24.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 78,999 jobs at an average annual pay of $57,521, or $1,106 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Butte County?
165 7(a) approvals totaling $93.6 m since FY2020, across 45 lenders, with a median approval of $275,000, plus 151 504 approvals worth $120.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Butte County?
946 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $156.0 m. Multifamily was 30.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Butte County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Butte County come from?
The largest single origin is Sacramento County, with 393 households. Arriving households report an average income of $58,195 against $60,300 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Butte County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Butte County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Butte County
Cities and places in Butte.
30 Census places lie wholly or partly in Butte County. All 30 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chico | city | 102,188 | 103 | Wholly in this county |
| Oroville | city | 19,752 | 36 | Wholly in this county |
| Oroville East | CDP | 7,504 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Paradise | town | 7,392 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Magalia | CDP | 7,389 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Gridley | city | 7,330 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Thermalito | CDP | 6,720 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Durham | CDP | 5,340 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Palermo | CDP | 5,266 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| South Oroville | CDP | 2,846 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kelly Ridge | CDP | 2,825 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Biggs | city | 2,307 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Forest Ranch | CDP | 1,915 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Butte Valley | CDP | 1,087 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Berry Creek | CDP | 760 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Butte Creek Canyon | CDP | 713 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bangor | CDP | 597 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cohasset | CDP | 573 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Clipper Mills | CDP | 414 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Stirling City | CDP | 344 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Honcut | CDP | 271 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Yankee Hill | CDP | 232 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Nord | CDP | 190 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Concow | CDP | 183 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Richvale | CDP | 145 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rackerby | CDP | 138 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Robinson Mill | CDP | 100 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cherokee | CDP | 99 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Forbestown | CDP | 90 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Butte Meadows | CDP | 25 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 2 of the county's 165 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Butte County, the largest being Elk Grove (1), San Francisco (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby