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Place dossier plate
SheetNC-BUTNER-NC · Butner, NC 7,996 pop · income 54th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Butner
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Butner on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Roxboro · lowest
39,283
Roxboro · lowest
39,283 median HH income
33.9% of the leader · rank #1
Butner · this city
72,917
Butner · this city
72,917 median HH income
62.9% of the leader · rank #2
Daisy · near
72,917
Daisy · near
72,917 median HH income
62.9% of the leader · rank #3
South Windham · near
72,917
South Windham · near
72,917 median HH income
62.9% of the leader · rank #4
Bluffs · near
72,917
Bluffs · near
72,917 median HH income
62.9% of the leader · rank #5
New Market · near
72,917
New Market · near
72,917 median HH income
62.9% of the leader · rank #6
Brunswick · highest
115,972
Brunswick · highest
115,972 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Butner on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 7,996.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Butner - the verdict
Butner ranks in the 54th percentile for household income and the 44th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
54th
percentile, household income
50th
percentile, home value
48th
percentile, median rent
44th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Butner, NC
7,996 people live in Butner, North Carolina - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Butner report a median income of $72,917 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.1%. Butner's housing stock carries a median value of $225,600, and the median resident age is 41.4 years. 24.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 55.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Butner reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1557.1 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, North Carolina scores 94.3 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,161 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts North Carolina's average monthly utility costs around $215 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 66.7 out of 100 (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Butner's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to work and mobility to schools and households to comparison shortlist to population change to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Butner, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, matched public-school count, annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates.
No matched row is reported here for local building permits, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
How far does income reach against housing in Butner?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.1 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 7.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
What does the journey to work look like in Butner?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 75.5%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 24.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
Which cities make useful reference points for Butner?
Within North Carolina, the closest population matches are Fletcher (8,022 residents, $75,117 income); Zebulon (7,961 residents, $58,940 income); Woodfin (7,957 residents, $62,759 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Wahpeton, ND (7,996 residents); Grand Blanc, MI (7,995 residents); Fruitvale, CO (7,998 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Butner growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +149 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +1.9% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+1.9%
2025 estimate
8,112
2020 estimate
7,963
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Butner?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1557.1 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 32% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
1311.9
Violent rate
245.2
Total reported rate
1557.1
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Above median income · poverty 7.1% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.3 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average
C-
City profile score · Butner, NC
52/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living B-
94.3 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Household income C-
$72,917
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate C-
7.1%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share D
24.5%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime D
245 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Butner profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 67/100 (B-) · 94.3 index
Household income: 52/100 (C-) · $72,917
Poverty rate: 52/100 (C-) · 7.1%
Bachelor's+ share: 47/100 (D) · 24.5%
Violent crime: 41/100 (D) · 245 /100k
Where Butner sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Butner's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Butner highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Butner, NC (this city): home $225,600, crime 1,557/100k
Wahpeton, ND : home $164,600, crime 2,427/100k
Grand Blanc, MI : home $228,000, crime 902/100k
Brunswick, MD : home $348,500, crime 624/100k
Nevada, MO : home $100,600, crime 5,316/100k
Fletcher, NC : home $324,000, crime 1,411/100k
Zebulon, NC : home $275,400, crime 2,781/100k
Woodfin, NC : home $326,600, crime 1,258/100k
Siler City, NC : home $154,900, crime 2,628/100k
Roxboro, NC : home $138,700, crime 4,517/100k
How does Butner compare to other US cities?
Where Butner sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income54% higher than other cities
Home value50% pricier than other cities
Median rent48% pricier than other cities
Safety44% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just North Carolina and the picture shifts: Butner ranks #49 of 195 North Carolina cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Butner against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to North Carolina only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
North Carolina-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Butner near the bottom of North Carolina's cities
Among the 746 North Carolina cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Butner ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Butner only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#217 of 700
69th percentile in North Carolina
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 746
0th percentile in North Carolina
Median Home Value
#260 of 708
63rd percentile in North Carolina
Poverty Rate
#432 of 746
42nd percentile in North Carolina
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#310 of 746
58th percentile in North Carolina
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within North Carolina only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
54th percentile nationally for median household income · 44th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Butner's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Butner's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Butner's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$225,600Among the most affordablemore affordable than 50% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Butner's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.1×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#7,162 of 15,516
More affordable than 54% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#5,980 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 3.1×, Butner sits in the moderate band:
national rank #7,162 of 15,516 and #5,980 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$72,917Butner, NC median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Butner, NC median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Butner, NC.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)24.5%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)7.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)55.9%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
7,996
Median Income
$72,917
Median Home Value
$225,600
Median Age
41.4
Poverty Rate
7.1%
Labor force participation
55.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
24.5%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1557.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
245.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1311.9
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Butner's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
7,963 residents
2021
7,974 residents
2022
8,072 residents
2023
8,120 residents
2024
8,127 residents
2025
8,112 residents
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
75.5%
Carpool
13.2%
Public Transit
1.2%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
9.1%
Other
1.0%
Based on 3,463 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
North Carolina statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $215
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across North Carolina at $215 (electricity about $115 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are North Carolina statewide averages, not a meter reading for Butner. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
North Carolina's BEA cost-of-living index is 94.3 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Butner is $1,161/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to North Carolina statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 66.7 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a North Carolina statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Butner sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Butner compares to similar-size North Carolina cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.