The Town Files

Butler, New York

Town in Wayne County · population 1,835 (2020 Census)

Map: where Butler is in New YorkButler
Median home
$89,900
Household income
$50,192
Jan low / Jul high
16° / 79°
Snow a year
113 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
5
Median age
47.6

Butler is a town of 1,835 people in Wayne County, New York. The median home is worth $89,900, below the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks better for cycling than 90% of New York towns, quieter than 83% of New York towns, easier by car than 71% of New York towns.

How Butler ranks

Percentile among New York towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New York towns.

Butler lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement22nd pctFamilies31st pctQuiet83rd pctWalkability45th pctFirst-time buyers70th pctYoung professionals16th pctVibrancy37th pctHip & trendy52nd pctCollege town3rd pctUpscale2nd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling90th pctTransit50th pctDriving71st pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Butler is worth $89,900, below the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 1.8 times the median household income of $50,192, which is more affordable than 91% of New York towns. Median rent is $684 a month. 80.3% of households own their home.

Butler vs Wayne County vs typical New York townButlerWayne CountyTypical New York townHome value$89,900$170,000$217,700Household income$50,192$74,506$80,740Monthly rent$684$938$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingButlerTypical New York town
Median home value$89,900$217,700
Median rent$684$1,080
Median household income$50,192$80,740
Home value ÷ income1.8×2.8×
Homeownership80.3%79.5%
Median year built19381965
Seasonal / vacation homes2.6%—

Who lives in Butler

PeopleButlerTypical New York town
Median age47.643.5
Age 65 and over24.3%20.4%
Under 1819.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher5.7%30.4%
Below the poverty line13.6%9.3%
Veterans9.1%—
Born outside the U.S.3.6%—
Work from home3.3%11.1%
Average commute22.8 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband67.1%91.1%

Weather in Butler

July highs average 79.2°F and January lows 15.9°F. About 39.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 112.7 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 8 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 132 nights at or below freezing.

Butler monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing31°16°Jan33°17°Feb41°24°Mar54°34°Apr67°45°May75°54°Jun79°59°Jul78°58°Aug72°51°Sep59°41°Oct47°31°Nov36°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.034.42.528.42.715.03.22.23.40.13.53.63.83.44.30.13.47.33.225.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Sodus 1W station (16.6 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Butler since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 2, 1983 about 7.3 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 0 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 10, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Butler by decade01950s11960s01970s11980s01990s02000s22010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 23 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on June 16, 2022.

Severe weather in Wayne County since 1996

Storm events in Wayne County since 1996 by typeHail59Flood10Drought3High Wind42Heavy Rain3Heavy Snow48Flash Flood28Frost/Freeze19
NOAA Storm Events Database, Wayne County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Wayne County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 20, 2020BiologicalDR-4480: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3434: Covid-19
November 14, 2017FloodDR-4348: Flooding
October 28, 2012HurricaneEM-3351: Hurricane Sandy
September 30, 2005HurricaneEM-3262: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

Jobs and pay in Wayne County

Wayne County had 28,230 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $56,984 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Butler itself the ACS puts it at 9.9%.

Largest industries in Wayne CountyManufacturing5,348 jobs · $71,446Retail3,218 jobs · $37,874Health care & social assistan…2,797 jobs · $46,594Hotels & restaurants1,675 jobs · $21,597Construction1,397 jobs · $65,214Administrative & support940 jobs · $53,016
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Wayne County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Wayne 3.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Butler

Butler questions

Is Butler, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Butler scores better for retirees than 22% of New York towns and quieter than 83%. 24.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.6).

How much does a house cost in Butler?

The median owner-occupied home in Butler is valued at $89,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $50,192, so homes cost about 1.8 times income. Median rent is $684 a month.

What is the weather like in Butler?

July highs average 79.2°F and January lows 15.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.9 inches of precipitation a year and 112.7 inches of snow.

Does Butler get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Butler since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 2, 1983. The typical New York town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Butler's Census boundary (GEOID 3611711473). Comparisons use the median of New York towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.