Butler County vs Centre County
A side-by-side comparison of Butler County and Centre County: population, income, housing, and more.
Butler County and Centre County are counties in Pennsylvania. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Butler County has the higher population (195,870 vs 158,041 in Centre County). Butler County has the higher median household income ($86,775 vs $72,748 in Centre County). Centre County has the higher median home value ($308,100 vs $275,600 in Butler County).
Population, income & housing
| Butler County | Centre County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 195,870 | 158,041 |
| Median age | 43.3 yrs | 33.8 yrs |
| Median household income | $86,775 | $72,748 |
| Median home value | $275,600 | $308,100 |
| Median gross rent | $1,018 | $1,181 |
| Housing units | 86,399 | 66,023 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.4% | 61.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.6% | 46.5% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.0% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Butler County | Centre County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 186,899 → 195,870 (+4.8%) | 161,960 → 158,041 (-2.4%) |
| Median household income | $70,668 → $86,775 (+22.8%) | $60,403 → $72,748 (+20.4%) |
| Median home value | $205,600 → $275,600 (+34.0%) | $234,900 → $308,100 (+31.2%) |
| Median gross rent | $869 → $1,018 (+17.1%) | $1,000 → $1,181 (+18.1%) |
Butler County
186,899195,870
$70,668$86,775
$205,600$275,600
$869$1,018
Centre County
161,960158,041
$60,403$72,748
$234,900$308,100
$1,000$1,181
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Butler County | Centre County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4.8% | 3.6% |
| 5 to 17 | 14.6% | 11.1% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.7% | 23.5% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.1% | 13.0% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.8% | 10.6% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.3% | 11.5% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.0% | 9.1% |
| 75 and over | 8.1% | 6.4% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Butler County | Centre County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 93.0% | 83.5% |
| Black or African American | 1.0% | 3.2% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 1.4% | 6.0% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Two or more races | 2.4% | 3.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.9% | 3.6% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Butler County | Centre County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| High school graduate | 31.9% | 28.5% |
| Some college or associate's | 25.1% | 19.6% |
| Bachelor's degree | 24.3% | 22.4% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 14.3% | 24.1% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Butler County | Centre County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 76.3% | 66.0% |
| Carpooled | 6.3% | 6.8% |
| Public transit | 0.3% | 3.6% |
| Walked | 2.1% | 7.6% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 1.8% |
| Worked from home | 13.9% | 13.6% |
| Other means | 1.0% | 0.6% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Butler County | Centre County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 69.6% | 58.7% |
| 1-unit, attached | 7.8% | 6.5% |
| 2 to 4 units | 5.5% | 6.8% |
| 5 to 19 units | 4.8% | 12.3% |
| 20 or more units | 5.2% | 10.9% |
| Mobile home & other | 7.2% | 4.9% |
Poverty & households
| Butler County | Centre County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 8.0% | 16.9% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 2.33 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 27 | 20 |
| Median year structure built | 1979 | 1980 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in Pennsylvania
- Most densely populated — counties in Pennsylvania
- Highest median household income — counties in Pennsylvania
- Highest median home value — counties in Pennsylvania
- Most affordable home values — counties in Pennsylvania
- Highest median gross rent — counties in Pennsylvania
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in Pennsylvania
- Oldest by median age — counties in Pennsylvania
- Youngest by median age — counties in Pennsylvania
- Most college-educated — counties in Pennsylvania
- Highest poverty rate — counties in Pennsylvania
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in Pennsylvania
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in Pennsylvania
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in Pennsylvania
- Longest commutes — counties in Pennsylvania
- Shortest commutes — counties in Pennsylvania
- Largest households — counties in Pennsylvania
- Newest housing — counties in Pennsylvania
- Oldest housing — counties in Pennsylvania
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in Pennsylvania
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in Pennsylvania