While campaigning for the last election, Butler County Commissioner Kevin Boozel attended municipal meetings across Butler County, where he witnessed something he already knew: Life is drastically different between northern to southern Butler County.

In the first few minutes of a municipal meeting in southwestern Butler County, Boozel remembers seeing $250,000 to $300,000 allocated to projects.

He later attended a meeting in the northernmost part of the county, where he recalls a township had a budget of about $300,000 total.

“They were talking about not having enough money to clear the roads on Sundays,” he said.

While Butler County continues to be one of the few growing counties in Pennsylvania and only one of two growing counties in the western portion of the state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, people like Boozel are tasked with leading a county that looks different from every angle.

The challenge? To lead all of Butler County forward despite its differences.

One thing’s for sure: Butler is a hard working county.

More than half of residents ages 16 to 64 worked full time, year-round in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

The median number of hours a Butler resident worked each week was 38.4, and for men it was even higher, at 41.1.

For context, median number of hours worked weekly statewide was identical at 38.4, while the median for men statewide was slightly lower at 40.7.

County Commissioners Chairwoman Leslie Osche noted that Butler County’s unemployment rate is the lowest in the region. In August, the unemployment rate was 3.5%, almost identical to the state rate of 3.4% and below the national rate of 4.2%.

She credited the leadership of government and business, as well as the vibrant manufacturing sector.

“We make things here,” Osche said, “with more manufacturers (over 300) than any other county in the commonwealth, providing a strong economic base, reliable employment, and excellent health care.”

And manufacturing is the fourth largest economic sector in Butler County, with nearly 12,000 workers employed. Education, health care and social services is the largest category with more than 20,000 workers countywide, followed by retail with more than 12,500 and professional, scientific and management, and administrative and waste management services with more than 12,200.

In the second quarter of 2023, the top 10 employers in the county were the federal government, Independence Health, Westinghouse Electric, Cleveland-Cliffs, Walmart, Seneca Valley Area School District, the state higher education system, Butler Area School District, II-VI Incorporated and Penn United Technologies.

Top 10 employers in Butler County

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1. Federal government

2. Independence Health System

3. Westinghouse Electric

4. Cleveland-Cliffs

5. Walmart

6. Seneca Valley School District

7. State higher education system

8. Butler Area School District

9. II-VI Incorporated (Coherent Corp.)

10. Penn United Technologies

Information above is according to county-level data from the second quarter of 2023.

Osche highlighted several of those companies as helping to give Butler County its identity.

“Butler County is an energy hub, with the headquarters of Westinghouse nuclear energy located in Cranberry,” she said, “and we are ranked eighth in the commonwealth and 85th in the country as a producer of natural gas. The Cleveland-Cliffs steel plant, employing over 1,300 people, produces specialty electrical steel used in transformers that power the country.”

County Commissioner Kim Geyer said the work ethic of county residents has brought companies here and is part of the reason for the county’s success.

“The people of Butler County are hard working, and it's their work ethic that makes businesses attracted to Butler County, wanting to hire its skilled and educated workforce for these reasons,” she said.

And that hard work appears to be paying off. In 2023, the median household income in the county was $80,379. For families, the median income was even higher, at $108,733.

And for families headed by a married couple, the median income was higher still, with the latest census figures putting it at $122,564.

The figures are higher than the averages for both the United States as a whole and for Pennsylvania. The median household income in the U.S. in 2023 was $77,719, while for Pennsylvania it was $73,824.

But a closer look at the data indicates that the average income varies drastically across the county. In the city of Butler, the average household income is $56,690, and 14.8% of families live within the poverty range, according to census data.

In the southwestern portion of Butler County, Adams Township residents make an average household income of $196,919, and Cranberry Township residents make an average household income of $146,977. Within that portion of the county, census data indicates that the lowest average household income is $68,649 in both Mars and Seven Fields.

In the northern parts of the county, average income fluctuates too, but only two of the municipalities in northern Butler County have residents making an average household income of more than $100,000. These are Cherry Township and Marion Township, where residents make $101,274 and $132,016 respectively.

In general, the higher salaries Butler County residents earn have translated into higher home ownership rates. In the county, 76.1% of residents are homeowners, compared to the statewide average of 69.5%.

The median home price in 2023 was nearly $300,000, according to Census Bureau figures, and more than 50% of the homes in the county have a value of between $200,000 and $500,000.

But again, this experience differs depending on where someone resides within the county.

According to census data, the average house value peaks for Butler County in Adams Township where the average home is valued at $448,600.

In the city of Butler, the average house value is $105,250. In Winfield Township — positioned in the southeastern part of Butler County — an average house value is $243,600.

Average house values in the north vary drastically. In Parker Township, the average house value is $87,300, but in neighboring Washington Township, the average house value is $147,150, according to census data.

Osche said there are still issues to be addressed on housing.

“The greatest concern is making sure that we are addressing our ability to attract and retain young individuals and families who want to work, live and play here and who take an interest in our ‘make it here’ economy,” she said. “Housing that is practical and affordable for young people just beginning their careers is limited.

“And as young people desire to spend more time on recreation and travel, the need for low-maintenance properties increases. These will be discussions that developers and municipal leaders will need to focus on particularly in the middle and northern part of the county where housing stock has aged significantly.”

In terms of housing affordability, the median monthly cost for a homeowner with a mortgage is $1,677. The median monthly rent is $1,060.

While nearly 93% of residents are white, the county has grown more diverse over the last 10 years. The 2010 Census recorded that more than 96% of residents were white. Perhaps the biggest change is the increase in the number of people of two or more races.

In 2010, about 1,700 people, or less than 1% of county residents, identified as belonging to two or more races. In 2020, that number grew to 7,888, or more than 4% of the population.

On average, Butler County is a bit older than the rest of the state, with a median age of 43.4, compared to the Pennsylvania median age of 41.4.

The single largest demographic group is men and women ages 60 to 64, at more than 15,000. Men and women ages 55 to 59 are close behind with nearly 14,500.

Rounding out the top five are men and women ages 50 to 54, with nearly 14,000; men and women ages 65 to 69 with just over 13,000; and men and women ages 25 to 29 with nearly 13,000.

In all, more than 21% of the county’s population is age 65 or older, compared to 20% statewide.

Osche has noticed the number of retired people who call Butler County home.

“What I find most interesting is the number of retirees who move here or stay here leading to an explosion in the number of retirement communities and housing that caters to those,” she said. “I believe that to be driven by the fact that Pennsylvania doesn’t tax retirement income, and we aren’t as affected by severe weather as some of the more typical retirement locations in the south.”

Boozel noted that the aging population may leave gaps in the workforce.

“I honestly believe Butler County had relied heavily on senior workforce,” he said.

When that workforce retired, entry level roles were often empty, he said, noting that jobs are abundant in the county, which creates an environment where employers must offer improved quality of life to retain the best employees.

It’s that quality of life that makes Butler County an attractive place to live.

“Our death rate is higher than the birth rate, yet we’re still growing,” Boozel said. “People see this as an opportunity.”

For Geyer, the way people in the county think and act has set it apart and made it attractive.

“The traditional American values of hard work ethic, patriotism, volunteerism efforts, faith in God and family-oriented communities, the honor of hard work and good schools are the values that attract outsiders to Butler County and attract those who once left Butler County to eventually return,” she said.

Eagle assignment editor Tracy Leturgey contributed to this report.