Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Lake Butler’s subject grades is an A− for cost of living; the weakest is a D for incomes. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in Lake Butler, above both the Florida town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On incomes, just 36 of Florida’s 774 towns do worse. Residents are less healthy than 89% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Lake Butler’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile, against 0.4 in Florida’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Only 32 of Florida’s 779 towns score higher on history. Lake Butler has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Lake Butler beats most towns.
Townsend BuildingWhere Lake Butler’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Lake Butler is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 431 in 1900, 1,986 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and a map from 1966 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lake Butler, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Lake Butler.
Most working residents leave Lake Butler for work: only 17% work in town. The median household income in Lake Butler is $50,000. Since 2013, Lake Butler has lost 205 jobs, to 1,296 in 2023.
| Lake Butler | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 5% | 8% |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Union school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Union County High School, with 606 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Butler Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 951 | A− |
| Union County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 606 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
21% of Lake Butler adults report frequent mental distress. Lake Butler beats the Florida average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 41% of Lake Butler adults have obesity.
| Lake Butler | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 32% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Lake Butler | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| More smokers | 18.3% | 12.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Lake Butler’s median rent is $774 a month. The typical Lake Butler home is worth about $273,000, up 0.6% in a year, 27% below the Florida typical home. 42% of households own their home in Lake Butler.
| Lake Butler | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 42% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $774 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 72% of U.S. communities. Since 1992, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Lake Butler.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Lake Butler has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 42° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Lake Butler; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Lake Butler residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
4 places in Lake Butler on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Lake Butler.
City in Florida, United States
Lake Butler is a city in and the county seat of Union County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,986 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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−.
5 notable people were born here, including C. J. Spiller and Joe Hendricks.
