Half of Butler Beach’s homes were built after 1988
More historic than 6% of U.S. towns · #449 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
Most of Butler Beach was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1988. Below: maps from 1937 on and the census since 1990.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Butler Beach is more historic than 6% of U.S. towns, #449 of 638 in Florida. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Butler Beach’s overall grade.
Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Butler Beach’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (33% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.3 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Butler Beach’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Butler Beach yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Butler Beach is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. The population was 4,978 at the time of the 2020 United States census, up from 4,951 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Jacksonville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Established by Frank B. Butler, who had been successful in operating a grocery store and became a political activist, it was a resort for African Americans. The Lincolnville businessman bought land in the area between the Atlantic Ocean and the Matanzas River, and offered beach access to African Americans. It was the only beach open to them between Jacksonville and Daytona Beach. The site of his beach resort is a stop on the S…
Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 4,951 in 2010, 4,978 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Butler Beach is more historic than 6% of U.S. towns, #449 of 638 in Florida. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Butler Beach?
0.0% of Butler Beach’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 1988.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (2), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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