City · Minnesota
Butterfield, Minnesota
Butterfield, city, in Watonwan County, Minnesota. Butterfield had 611 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 601 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 535 (±112). GEOID 2708992.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
611
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 601 · ACS 2020-2024: 535 ±112
Median household income
$64,083
±$12,368 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$90,400
±$9,753 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$678
±$8 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Butterfield and what county is it in?
Butterfield is a city in Watonwan County, Minnesota. It covers 0.4 square miles of land, 1,484 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Butterfield, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 611 people lived in Butterfield on July 1, 2025, up 1.7% since 2020, slower than Minnesota (+2.2%). The 2020 Census counted 601 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 535 (±112).
| Measure | Butterfield | Watonwan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 535 ±112 | 11,205 | no clear change |
| Households | 209 ±41 | 4,227 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.56 ±0.46 | 2.61 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 216 ±42 | 4,881 | no clear change |
Butterfield's population since 2000
From 564 in 2000 to 611 in 2025: up 8.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Butterfield as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Butterfield?
The median resident of Butterfield is 45.0 years old; 27.7% are under 18 and 35.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 59.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 36.8%. 20.2% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Butterfield | Watonwan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.0 ±9.8 | 40.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 27.7% ±7.4 pts | 26.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 35.5% ±12.3 pts | 20.2% | – |
| Male | 48.6% ±6.3 pts | 50.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 36.8% ±13.0 pts | 30.4% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 59.8% ±12.8 pts | 67.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.7% ±1.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.7% ±1.5 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 20.2% ±8.3 pts | 13.0% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 36.9% ±13.4 pts | 24.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 15.5% ±6.2 pts | 6.4% | – |
| With a disability | 10.7% ±4.2 pts | 11.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 15.1% ±9.7 pts | 10.7% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 70.1% ±11.3 pts | 86.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 10.1% ±3.9 pts | 17.2% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.9% ±1.5 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.7% ±4.2 pts | 94.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±4.2 pts | 0.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Butterfield earn?
Half of Butterfield's 209 households earn less than $64,083 a year (±$12,368), against $71,699 in Watonwan County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $50,766 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 8.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Butterfield | Watonwan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,083 ±$12,368 | $71,699 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $70,265 ±$11,282 | $93,447 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,315 ±$5,057 | $35,869 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 8.4% ±5.0 pts | 13.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 6.8% ±5.8 pts | 21.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 7.7% ±4.5 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 83.3% ±14.3 pts | 91.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 68.4% ±15.6 pts | 83.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Butterfield?
Owners occupy 84.2% of Butterfield's occupied homes and renters 15.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $90,400 by its owner (±$9,753). The median renter pays $678 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Butterfield | Watonwan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $90,400 ±$9,753 | $162,400 | +$17,789 |
| Median gross rent | $678 ±$8 | $834 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±50.4 pts | 21.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,526 ±$465 | $1,453 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 84.2% ±12.0 pts | 77.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 15.8% ±12.0 pts | 22.2% | – |
| Housing units | 216 ±42 | 4,881 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±11.6 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±43.0 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 78.7% ±9.2 pts | 82.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 18.1% ±8.5 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±9.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±9.9 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 27.3% ±13.6 pts | 30.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.2% ±11.2 pts | 7.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Butterfield building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Butterfield in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 3.6 across Minnesota.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Butterfield work and get to work?
72.9% of Butterfield's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 17.0 minutes.
| Measure | Butterfield | Watonwan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 59.8% ±11.5 pts | 63.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 14.9% ±10.6 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.9% ±12.1 pts | 73.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 11.1% ±7.4 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±10.3 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Walked | 4.3% ±3.1 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.8% ±6.2 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.0 min ±2.0 | 23.2 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Butterfield?
No census tract lies mostly in Butterfield; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9503Watonwan County | 2,913 | $80,885 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Butterfield) · Census block assignment files
How does Butterfield compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Butterfield is the 12,394th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 449th-most populous of 855 in Minnesota.
Butterfield is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 449th | 855 |
Butterfield's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Butterfield with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Butterfield?
21 of the 57 figures for Butterfield on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Butterfield are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Butterfield.