Butler County, Pennsylvania

County in PA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

197,254

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

43.4

years ∙ half population younger than 43.4, half older

Diversity Index

14.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.4%

foreign-born population

97.6%Native

2.4% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Butler County is a county in Pennsylvania, United States.

Location

County in PA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC40.913847° N, 79.918978° W

DMS40° 54′ 49.85″ N, 79° 55′ 08.32″ W

Population Density & area

249.8/sq mi (96.47/km²)

Total Area

795.7 sq mi (2,060.8 km²)

Land Area

789.5 sq mi (2,044.8 km²) · 99.22%

Water Area

6.2 sq mi (16 km²) · 0.78%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.8% male

Male 49.8%

Female 50.2%

males per 100 females

Butler County 99.3

Pennsylvania 97.2

United States 98

Nativity

2.4%

foreign-born population

97.6%Native

2.4% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Butler County 2.4%

Pennsylvania 7.7%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

43.4

years ∙ half population younger than 43.4, half older

Butler County

43.4

Pennsylvania

40.9

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

66.3

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Butler County 66.3

Pennsylvania 66.4

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Butler County	Pennsylvania	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	19.3%	20.4%	22%
Working age (18-64)	60.1%	60.1%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	20.6%	19.5%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	66.3	66.4	64.4
Child dependency ratio	32	34	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	34.3	32.4	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

92.2%

Black

1.1%

Asian

1.4%

Hispanic

Other

3.3%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

14.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Butler County 14.8%

Pennsylvania 44.6%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Butler County population

	Butler County	Pennsylvania	United States
Hispanic or Latino	2%	8.7%	19.3%
Mexican	0.8%	1.4%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.4%	3.7%	1.8%
Cuban	0.1%	0.2%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.7%	3.4%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	98%	91.3%	80.7%
One race	95.3%	87.7%	76.4%
White	92.2%	73%	57.4%
Black or African American	1.1%	10.3%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.1%	0.5%
Asian	1.4%	3.8%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.5%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	2.7%	3.6%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

64.4% family

Family 64.4%

Non family 35.6%

% family households

Butler County 64.4%

Pennsylvania 62.4%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.37

persons per household

Butler County

2.37

Pennsylvania

2.39

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Butler County population

	Butler County	Pennsylvania	United States
Total households	80,824	5,274,853	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.37	2.39	2.53
Family households	52,026	3,291,192	82,990,528
Average family size	2.97	3.01	3.14
Married couple family	43,240	2,437,812	60,637,388
Other families	8,786	853,380	22,353,140
Male householder	3,227	246,246	6,572,819
Female householder	5,559	607,134	15,780,321
Non-family households	28,798	1,983,661	46,236,968
One-person households	24,477	1,629,974	37,140,836
Male householder	11,052	733,485	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	4,015	246,162	5,225,110
Female householder	13,425	896,489	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	7,569	477,851	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	4,321	353,687	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

87,382

housing units

Butler County 87,382

Pennsylvania 5,806,452

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

92.5% occupied

Occupied 92.5%

Vacant 7.5%

vacancy rate

Butler County 7.5%

Pennsylvania 9.2%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

77.7%

Single family houses

77.7%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

15.4%

Mobile homes

6.8%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1981

Half of houses were built before 1981, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

15.5%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

22.8%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

36.5%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

25.2%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Butler County	Pennsylvania	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.3	6	5.5
1–3 rooms	8.2%	11.7%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	45.5%	47.7%	51.6%
7+ rooms	46.3%	40.7%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.4%	2.3%	2.9%
1 bedroom	8%	10.4%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	22.2%	22.5%	25%
3 bedrooms	41.4%	42.3%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	27%	22.6%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1981	1966	1981
Total housing units	87,382	5,806,452	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

76.9% owners

Renter-occupied 23.1%

Owner-occupied 76.9%

homeownership rate

Butler County 76.9%

Pennsylvania 69.3%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.52

Owner-occupied

1.87

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Butler County 2.52

Pennsylvania 2.53

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Butler County	Pennsylvania	United States
Total occupied units	80,824	5,274,853	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	18.6%	20.2%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	35.8%	36.1%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	18.2%	17.5%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	27.4%	26.2%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99.4%	98.4%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.4%	1%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.2%	0.6%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	5.5%	10.4%	8.4%
1 vehicle	30.5%	35.1%	33.1%
2 vehicles	41.3%	35.9%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	22.7%	18.6%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	72.3%	56.4%	51.4%
Electricity	18.6%	25.3%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	6.4%	14%	3.9%
All other fuels	2.5%	3.7%	2%
No fuel used	0.2%	0.5%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.3%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.7%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.5%	0.9%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$294,200

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Butler County

$294,200

Pennsylvania

$254,500

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

20%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

20%

Owners without a mortgage

12.3%

Renters

42%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Butler County	Pennsylvania	United States
Property value
Median Value	$294,200	$254,500	$332,700
Under $100,000	11.5%	13.9%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	17.9%	22.4%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	21.7%	22.9%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	31.1%	25.9%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	15.5%	12.8%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	2.2%	2.1%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	57.3%	58%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	42.7%	42%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,845	$1,762	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$604	$644	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,041	$1,209	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

39.4%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Butler County 39.4%

Pennsylvania 35.2%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

4.3%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Butler County 4.3%

Pennsylvania 7.9%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

42,621

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

6.9%

K–12

67.1%

College / Undergraduate

22%

Graduate / Professional

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

45.3%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Butler County

45.3%

Pennsylvania

44%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Butler County	Pennsylvania	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	42,621	2,913,513	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	6.9%	5.7%	5.7%
K–12	67.1%	66.9%	67.6%
Kindergarten	5.2%	4.8%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	19.8%	19.7%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	20.8%	20.7%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	21.3%	21.7%	21.7%
College or graduate school	26%	27.4%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	22%	21.2%	21%
Graduate, professional school	4%	6.2%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	45.3%	44%	40.9%
School type
Public school	83.3%	75.3%	82%
Private school	16.7%	24.7%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

141,938

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

1.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

3.2%

HS graduate

31.6%

Some college no degree

14.4%

Associates degree

10.4%

Bachelors degree

24.6%

Graduate or professional degree

14.8%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

52.3% · 47.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

56.6% · 43.4%

HS graduate

51.7% · 48.3%

Some college no degree

50.7% · 49.3%

Associates degree

45.5% · 54.5%

Bachelors degree

48.4% · 51.6%

Graduate or professional degree

46.5% · 53.5%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Butler County	Pennsylvania	United States
Population (25+)	141,938	9,189,697	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	1.1%	2.9%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	3.2%	5%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	31.6%	32.9%	26%
Some college, no degree	14.4%	15.1%	19.1%
Associate's degree	10.4%	8.9%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	39.4%	35.2%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	24.6%	20.9%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	14.8%	14.3%	14.1%
High School or higher	95.7%	92.1%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$58,936

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$38,338

HS graduate

$41,091

Some college or associates

$51,709

Bachelors degree

$76,474

Graduate or professional degree

$92,670

Poverty Rate

3.2%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

24.9%

HS graduate

9.2%

Some college or associates

7.5%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.2%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Butler County	Pennsylvania	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$58,936	$53,549	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$38,338	$33,591	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$41,091	$40,643	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$51,709	$47,736	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$76,474	$69,335	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$92,670	$87,132	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	24.9%	25.2%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	9.2%	13.3%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	7.5%	9.1%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.2%	4.1%	4.5%

Insights for Butler County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

Cite this page

Citation style

Url to be used as reference

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.