Choctaw County Alabama Courthouse, 2009
Butler’s story
178 years in pictures
Census counts: 194 in 1880, 1,871 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 2 maps from 1978 on.
- 1848Butler is settled
ButlerAL
A town of 1,698, settled in 1848.
Photo: RuralSWAlabama (Billy Milstead) · CC BY 3.0
Population
1,698
2025 Census estimate · −9% since 2020
Typical home
$123K
−0.7% in a year
Household income
$47K
median
Median age
38.3
years
Jobs based here
894
A job hub
Is Butler a good place to live?
Butler’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D for incomes. Butler’s violent crime rate is 8.9 per 1,000 residents, against 2.9 in Alabama’s towns and 1.6 across U.S. towns. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 94% of the country. The biggest park or preserve is Zack Rogers Park, at 28 acres. Butler has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Butler stand out
Where Butler beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A job hub
Every workday, about 762 people come to Butler for work
Where Butler’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
894jobs based in Butler
23%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Butler grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Butler is from typical.
Jobs & income$47K median household incomeDOpen →HealthOchsner Choctaw General 2.9 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →SafetyC−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →SchoolsC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.8 of 20; 8.5% of households have no car; 1.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trailsC−Open →History7 notable people born hereC+Open →Civic life5.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 38.3; 26% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Butler: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Butler, and how to reach them.
PowerBlack Warrior Elec Member15.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterButler Water System2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers35% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Butler’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Alabama you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereChoctaw County Circuit ClerkChoctaw County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code3690436904 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Butler.
HealthD
Butler earns a D for health
51% of adults have high blood pressure in Butler, above both the Alabama town median (43%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). 19% of adults have diabetes in Butler. Butler beats the Alabama average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17.
6%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Butler | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 51% | 43% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 24% | 19% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Alabama
1 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Butler | AL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.4% | 78% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 24.8% | 15.4% |
Ochsner Choctaw General
2.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
23%of AL districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrician Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 262 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Butler has 1.6 jobs for every working resident, and 762 people commute in
About one in 4 of Butler’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Butler has lost 291 jobs, to 894 in 2023. 17% of Butler residents live below the poverty line.
23%work in town
| Butler | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 10% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Butler23%
Mobile5%
Livingston2%
Birmingham2%
Montgomery2%
28 mi
median commute distance
894
jobs based in Butler
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 42% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade A−
A typical Butler home is worth about $123K
The typical Butler home is worth about $123,000, down 0.7% in a year, 49% below the Alabama typical home.
$123KZillow home value
Typical home value
Butler$123K
Alabama$239K
−0.7%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SafetyC−
Crime per resident in Butler is higher than in 83% of U.S. towns
The property crime rate in Butler is 19.5 per 1,000 residents.
17%of U.S. towns report more crimeC−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Butler8.9
Alabama3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Butler19.5
Alabama15
U.S.15.5
17th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
15
violent crimes reported in 2025
33
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Butler faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 83% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 16 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Butler.
83risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes
16
paid flood claims since 1980
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in Butler
Butler has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Butler’s July high is 92°F.
92°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter38–60°
Spring52–77°
Summer70–91°
Fall53–78°
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More children than Alabama overall
Children under 18 are 28% of residents (22% statewide). Butler has lost 9% of its people since 2020, down to 1,698 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 28% across Alabama.
38.3median age · AL 39.3
| Butler | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 28% | 23% | 22% |
| Median age | 38.3 years | 39.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 23% | 29% |
ButlerAlabamaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma9%
High school36%
Some college19%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.2 points. Across Alabama, 51.4% of residents are women.
| Butler | AL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.9% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.3% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.3% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.7% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.9% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.1% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.4% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.1% | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.2% | 7.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.4% | 11.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36% | 30.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.8% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.3% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.8% | 17.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.7% | 11.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,700, single groups can be off by several points
OutdoorsC−
Butler has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
0.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 4,306 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Zack Rogers Park | — | 28 |
| 2. Robert Locke Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Butler
20pages on Butler
The big questions
SchoolsC−Behind 77% of AL districts · 1 schoolSafetyC−8.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than AL on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$123K typical home · down 0.7% in a yearWork & commuteD$47K median household income · 894 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 83% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Butler; the nearest are
University of West AlabamaUniversity or college · Public · Livingston34 mi$10,990 in-state tuitionMeridian Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Meridian, MS35.8 mi$4,078 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Butler residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Alabama.
Famous people from Butler
7 notable people were born in Butler.
About Butler
City in and county seat of Choctaw County, Alabama
Butler is a town in and the county seat of Choctaw County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 census, Butler had a population of 1,871.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1848
- Area
- 5.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 213 ft
- ZIP code
- 36904
- Area code
- 205
Questions about Butler
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Butler, AL expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
What is Butler, AL known for?
7 notable people were born here, including Johnny Ruffin and Brian Witherspoon.