The Town FilesButler, Pennsylvania
City in Butler County · population 13,502 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $108,100
- Household income
- $44,247
- Jan low / Jul high
- 17° / 82°
- Snow a year
- 35 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 14
- Median age
- 38.1
Butler is a city of 13,502 people in Butler County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $108,100, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks more walkable than 97% of Pennsylvania towns, hipper than 94% of Pennsylvania towns, more vibrant than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.
How Butler ranks
Percentile among Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Butler is worth $108,100, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $44,247, which is more affordable than 75% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $818 a month. 46.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Butler | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $108,100 | $214,250 |
| Median rent | $818 | $996 |
| Median household income | $44,247 | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.4× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | 46.1% | 81.5% |
| Median year built | 1938 | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.1% | — |
Who lives in Butler
| People | Butler | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.1 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.4% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 19.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.0% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 21.4% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 9.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.0% | — |
| Work from home | 7.6% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 22.1 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | 84.3% | 89.0% |
Weather in Butler
July highs average 81.7°F and January lows 17.3°F. About 43.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 34.9 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 7 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 140 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Butler since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 31, 1985 about 8.0 miles from the town center and killed 6. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 6 deaths and 80 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 14, 2026.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 33 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on March 28, 2020.
Severe weather in Butler County since 1996
Butler County has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 30, 2020 | Biological | DR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3441: Covid-19 |
| October 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3356: Hurricane Sandy |
| April 16, 2010 | Snowstorm | DR-1898: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms |
| September 10, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3235: Hurricane Katrina |
Jobs and pay in Butler County
Butler County had 88,461 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $65,579 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Butler itself the ACS puts it at 8.2%.
Public schools in Butler
5 public schools with 1,851 students, about 12.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center Township El Sch | K-5 | 608 | 11.9 |
| McQuistion El Sch | K-5 | 522 | 13.1 |
| Emily Brittain El Sch | K-5 | 249 | 10.4 |
| Summit Township El Sch | K-5 | 246 | 13.7 |
| Broad Street El Sch | K-5 | 226 | 11.3 |
Towns near Butler
- Meadowood, PA1.4 mi · 2,729 people · home $189,700
- Homeacre-Lyndora, PA1.5 mi · 6,721 people · home $202,800
- Butler, PA1.7 mi · 17,230 people · home $223,800
- Meridian, PA3.1 mi · 3,760 people · home $244,000
- Summit, PA3.4 mi · 4,504 people · home $209,400
- Shanor-Northvue, PA3.8 mi · 5,133 people · home $259,900
- Center, PA4.5 mi · 7,899 people · home $253,200
- Oakland, PA5.2 mi · 2,769 people · home $223,800
Butler questions
Is Butler, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Butler scores better for retirees than 6% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 8%. 12.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.1).
How much does a house cost in Butler?
The median owner-occupied home in Butler is valued at $108,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $44,247, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $818 a month.
What is the weather like in Butler?
July highs average 81.7°F and January lows 17.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 43.2 inches of precipitation a year and 34.9 inches of snow.
Does Butler get tornadoes?
14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Butler since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 31, 1985. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)