Butler County, Pennsylvania


Butler County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 193,763. Its county seat is Butler. Butler County was created on March 12, 1800, from part of Allegheny County and named in honor of General Richard Butler, a hero of the American Revolution. The county is part of the Greater Pittsburgh region of the commonwealth.

History

Some famous inventions and discoveries were made in Butler County. Saxonburg was founded as a Prussian colony by John A. Roebling, a civil engineer, and his brother Carl. After farming for a time, Roebling returned to engineering, and invented his revolutionary "wire rope," which he first produced at Saxonburg. He moved the operation to Trenton, New Jersey. He is best known for designing his most famous work, the Brooklyn Bridge, but designed and built numerous bridges in Pittsburgh and other cities as well.
At what is now known as Oil Creek, Butler County resident William Smith and Edwin Drake first proved oil could be tapped from underground for consistent supply.
The Jeep was developed in Butler County by American Bantam in 1941.
Famous politicians have lived in and traveled through Butler County. U.S. Senator Walter Lowrie, the only senator from Butler, built a home in 1828 that still stands behind the Butler County Courthouse. The house has been adapted for use by the Butler County Historical Society. Butler's highest-ranked federal official is William J. Perry, Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton from 1994 to 1997. He graduated from Butler High School in 1945.
The 21-year-old George Washington passed through this area in December 1753 following his mission to Fort Le Boeuf in the lead-up to the French and Indian War and narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by a French-aligned Native American who escaped from the scene. In 1923, the funeral train of President Warren G. Harding passed through Butler County on its way to Washington, D.C. John F. Kennedy spoke in front of the Butler County Courthouse during the 1960 United States presidential election. Hubert Humphrey also campaigned in Butler. In 2004, Vice President Dick Cheney spoke in Saxonburg to campaign for President George W. Bush in the 2004 United States presidential election. Donald Trump, while president, campaigned at the Butler County Airport in 2020.
On July 13, 2024, Butler County was the site of an assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump as he spoke at a campaign rally. Trump was shot in the ear and one spectator was killed. The shooter was also killed. The next day, authorities named Thomas Matthew Crooks as the perpetrator.
Bret Michaels, lead singer of the rock band Poison, was born here in 1963.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. Butler County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, and it is identified as part of the "Midlands" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.
It is the location of Moraine State Park, with the glacial lake, Lake Arthur. Lake Arthur is used for fishing and sailing, and the surrounding park is used for hiking and hunting.

Climate

The county has a warm-summer humid continental climate, except for areas south of Moraine State Park where it is hot-summer. Average monthly temperatures in Butler borough range from 27.7 °F in January to 72.1 °F in July.

Waterways

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 193,763. The median age was 43.6 years. 19.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.3 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 92.5% White, 1.2% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.7% from some other race, and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.9% of the population.
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010
White alone 169,634176,259178,08197.44%95.86%91.90%
Black or African American alone 1,3431,9542,1740.77%1.06%1.12%
Native American or Alaska Native alone 1391661540.07%0.09%0.07%
Asian alone 9731,8262,7920.55%0.99%1.44%
Pacific Islander alone 5147360.02%0.02%0.01%
Other race alone 861025770.04%0.05%0.29%
Mixed race or Multiracial 8411,5676,2840.48%0.85%3.24%
Hispanic or Latino 1,0161,9413,6650.58%1.05%1.89%
Total174,083183,862193,763100.00%100.00%100.00%

56.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 43.3% lived in rural areas.
There were 78,727 households in the county, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.8% were married-couple households, 17.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 85,019 housing units, of which 7.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.5% were owner-occupied and 24.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.2%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 174,083 people, 65,862 households, and 46,827 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 69,868 housing units at an average density of. The racial/ethnic makeup of the county is 96.5% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, 0.7% from two or more races; and 0.9% Hispanic or Latino of any race. 39.0% German, 20.8% Irish, 13.1% Italian, 8.6% English, and 7.8% Polish.
There were 65,862 households, out of which 32.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.80% were married couples living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.60% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.80 males.

Law and government

County commissioners

Other elected row officers

Judges on the Court of Common Pleas

  • Dr. S. Michael Yeager
  • Timothy McCune
  • Kelly Streib
  • Joseph Kubit
  • Maura Palumbi
  • William Shaffer
  • William Robinson Jr.

    District judges

  • Kevin P. O'Donnell
  • Joseph Nash
  • Lewis Stoughton
  • Sue Elaine Haggerty
  • Kevin Flaherty
  • B.T. Fullerton
  • Amy Marcinkiewicz

    State Senate

State House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

United States Senate

Politics

Butler County has long been one of the most consistently Republican counties in Pennsylvania and the nation. The last Democratic presidential candidate to win it was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, when he won a national landslide and carried all but four counties in the state; indeed, Johnson is the only Democratic presidential candidate to carry this county in over a century. In 2000, Republican George W. Bush received 62% of the vote, while Democrat Al Gore received 35%. In 2004, the county was carried by Bush's 64% to Democrat John Kerry's 35%. In 2008, the county was carried by Republican John McCain's 63% to Democrat Barack Obama's 35%. Since 2008, Butler County has continually given Republican nominees support in the mid-60s, with both Mitt Romney and Donald Trump receiving around 66% of the vote in 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024.
In 2024, by political party, almost 80,000 residents registered as Republican, almost 40,000 registered as Democratic, and about 20,000 are not Democratic nor Republican. The New York Times described the county as being politically conservative.

Voter registration

As of September 30, 2024, there are 142,305 registered voters in Butler County.
  • Republican: 81,434
  • Democratic: 40,113
  • Independent: 15,061
  • Third Party: 5,697

    Education