Butler, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Butler · Taylor County, Georgia
Population 1,916 (est. 2026: ~2,000)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 0.99% annual growth projection

Butler, Georgia

Taylor County, Georgia · Population 1,881

Butler is the county seat of Taylor County, a small, rural county in west-central Georgia between Columbus and Macon. Sitting roughly 90 miles south of Atlanta and 40 miles east of Columbus, Butler anchors a county of fewer than 8,000 people across largely agricultural land. The town is compact — just under 2,000 residents — and carries the economic and demographic profile typical of deep rural Georgia: modest incomes, high poverty rates, an aging stock of affordable housing, and a community built around county government, schools, and local trade. What distinguishes Butler is not growth or industry but its role as an essential hub for a wide area of middle Georgia with few alternatives close by.

People & Demographics

Butler's 2022 ACS population estimate of 2,059 places it as home to roughly 26 percent of Taylor County's 7,816 residents. The population skews younger than most rural Georgia communities — median age is 33.5, well below the state median. Children under 18 account for 576 residents, reflecting a significant share of family households among the 727 total.

Racially, Butler is majority Black: 1,274 residents identify as Black, against 671 white residents. Asian residents number 30, and the Hispanic or Latino population stands at 36. The town is one of the more racially distinct communities in this part of Georgia, a pattern common to many Black Belt county seats across the Deep South.

Average household size is 2.64. Of 727 occupied households, 418 are family households.

Economy & Employment

The economic picture is stark. Median household income is $27,656 — roughly half the Georgia state median, which sits near $61,000. Per capita income comes to $16,805. Of the 2,059 residents counted, 856 fall below the poverty line — approximately 41.6 percent of the population. That figure is among the highest poverty concentrations in the state.

The labor force counts 769 people, with 25 reported unemployed — a low raw number, but the labor force participation rate itself reflects how many working-age adults have left or opted out of the formal economy. County government, healthcare services, and the school system represent the primary employment anchors. Agriculture remains a presence in Taylor County's broader economy, though fewer residents commute to farm work than in prior generations.

Housing

Total housing stock stands at 906 units, of which 727 are occupied and 179 are vacant — a vacancy rate of approximately 19.8 percent, above typical suburban rates and reflective of slow population movement. Renters dominate: 474 occupied units are renter-occupied versus 253 owner-occupied. That means roughly 65 percent of occupied households rent, an unusually high share even for a small Georgia city.

Median home value is $85,600 — significantly below Georgia's statewide median. Median gross rent is $608 per month, making Butler one of the more affordable rental markets in the state by raw cost, though affordability relative to local incomes is a different calculation when median household income is under $28,000.

Schools

Butler is served by a single consolidated Taylor County school district. All four schools serve the entire county, with students from the surrounding rural area busing into facilities located in or near Butler.

Total enrollment across all four schools is 1,229 students. The district is the single largest institutional employer and community anchor in the county.

Getting Around

Butler is car-dependent. Of 667 total workers, 503 drive alone to work and 93 carpool. Public transit carries zero reported commuters. Five residents walk to work, and 44 work from home. Aggregate travel time for all workers totals 16,200 minutes, which works out to an average one-way commute of roughly 24 minutes — consistent with workers leaving Butler for jobs in Columbus, Macon, or other regional centers.

Healthcare

No hospital operates within Butler city limits. The nearest regional hospital access runs toward Columbus (Medical Center Navicent Health, Piedmont Columbus Regional) or Macon, both roughly 40–90 miles depending on destination. Local healthcare providers in Butler can be searched through the CMS NPI Registry.

Library

Butler Public Library serves the town and surrounding county. Contact: (478) 862-5428. The library functions as a key community resource in a county with limited broadband access and few public gathering alternatives.

Parks & Recreation

Several nationally significant sites are within reasonable driving distance of Butler:

The National Prisoner of War Museum visitor center is the closest NPS-affiliated visitor facility at 25.3 miles.

Natural Hazards

Taylor County has a documented history of federally declared disasters stretching back decades. The county has been included in fifteen FEMA declarations since 1966, touching nearly every major hazard category:

The pattern is consistent with Georgia's central position in the path of Gulf Coast and Atlantic hurricane remnants. Flooding, severe storms, and tropical system impacts are the most recurring threats.

Government & Municipal Code

Butler's municipal code is published through Municode and is publicly accessible at library.municode.com/ga/butler. The county FIPS code is 13269. Butler does not have a locally adopted building code on record.

Weather

Current forecasts for Butler are available through the National Weather Service. Active weather alerts can be checked at alerts.weather.gov. The nearest weather observation station is Reynolds 2.7 SSW, located 6.3 miles from Butler.

References

The law belongs to the people. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 590 U.S. (2020)