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Butler County, Pennsylvania

A shallow water table limits basements on 53% of Butler County's mapped land, a higher share than 69% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 1%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 194 flood losses here since 2016, 56% of them in buildings with basements. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

1%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

53%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

50%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Butler County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.9%
High water table (limits basements)53.3%
Septic fields very limited96.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)2.0%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.7%
Mapped soil508,679 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Gilpin17%under 1%
Hazleton13%0%
Wharton8%n/a
Buchanan7%n/a
Cavode6%n/a
Ernest6%n/a
Lawrence County: 67%Armstrong County: 33%Beaver County: 35%Allegheny County: 31%Mercer County: 87%Clarion County: 50%Venango County: 73%Hancock County: 11%Butler County LawrenceArmstrongBeaverAlleghenyMercerClarionVenangoHancockButler
Butler County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas PA019 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 53% of Butler County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 43.60 in, 0.32 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 43.28 in.

USDA rates 96% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 2 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 69.8% of its area, on the October 21, 2025 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

194 flood losses since 2016, $4.1 million paid. The worst year was 2019, with 68. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 56% basements, 14% slabs, 8% crawl spaces, 22% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 17 in.

YearFlood losses
20160
201746
201824
201968
20201
20212
20228
20231
202442
20252
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202043.28 in
12 months to August 202643.60 in (+0.32)
202539.18 in (-4.10)
Wettest year since 18952018: 58.28 in
Driest year since 18951930: 29.10 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BUTLER 2 SW (5 mi away)7.9

Homes

Housing units87,382
Median year built1980
Built before 198050%
Built 2000 or later25%
Owner-occupied77%
Median value, owner-occupied$294,200
Single-family detached70%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Lawrence County, PA 22 mi 1% 67%
Armstrong County, PA 25 mi 1% 33%
Beaver County, PA 28 mi 6% 35%
Allegheny County, PA 31 mi 10% 31%
Mercer County, PA 32 mi 0% 87%
Clarion County, PA 33 mi under 1% 50%
Venango County, PA 35 mi under 1% 73%
Hancock County, WV 44 mi 1% 11%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status