Butler County, Ohio

Butler County, Ohio
County
Butler County Courthouse
Butler County Courthouse
Flag of Butler County, Ohio
Flag
Official seal of Butler County, Ohio
Seal
Map of Ohio highlighting Butler County
Location within the U.S. state of Ohio
Coordinates: 39°26′N 84°35′W / 39.44°N 84.58°W / 39.44; -84.58
Country United States
State Ohio
FoundedMay 1, 1803
Named forGeneral Richard Butler
SeatHamilton
Largest cityHamilton
Area
 • Total
470 sq mi (1,200 km2)
 • Land467 sq mi (1,210 km2)
 • Water3.1 sq mi (8.0 km2)  0.7%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
390,357
 • Estimate 
(2025)
400,128 Increase
 • Density836/sq mi (323/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district8th
Websitebcohio.gov

Butler County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 390,357, making it the seventh-most populous county in Ohio. Its county seat and most populous city is Hamilton. It is named for General Richard Butler, who died in 1791 during St. Clair's defeat. Located along the Great Miami River, it is also home to Miami University, a public university founded in 1809. Butler County is part of the Cincinnati, OH–KY–IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Successive cultures of ancient Indigenous peoples of the Americas occupied areas of the county. They built large earthworks, seven of which were still standing and recorded by a Smithsonian survey.

Early French explorers likely passed through the area along the Miami River. The gravesites of David and Margaret Gregory indicate they were some of the first white settlers in the area, in Liberty Township. White settlers began moving into the area in larger numbers after the 1795 Treaty of Greenville was signed with the Native Americans of the area. The current area was split about evenly between the Symmes Purchase and the Congress Lands West of Miami River.

Butler County was formed on March 24, 1803, from portions of Hamilton County. It is named for General Richard Butler, who served in the American Revolutionary War and Northwest Indian War. Between 1803 and 1823, the townships of the county became officially recognized. Large portions of the county were held by non-resident owners, including 640 acres owned by major general and future U.S. president William Henry Harrison. Butler County's original size was 480 square miles (1,200 km2); some land that was originally part of Butler County was reassigned to Warren County in the north and Hamilton County in the south.

In 1803, the United States Congress granted one township to the Ohio General Assembly in the region to build a college. The legislature selected a township off Four Mile Creek, the College Township, and chartered Miami University in 1809.

Around the late 1860s or early 1870s, the community of Maud was the sight of an attempt by a local entrepreneur to construct a mill that worked via perpetual motion. A large crowd gathered to watch the mill start, and when it did not, laughter ensued. Nothing was heard from the unnamed entrepreneur again, and the mill quickly vanished. The local newspapers did not record the event, and the only record of its occurrence was transmitted by elderly residents of Maud to William Marion Miller of Miami University.

The Great Flood of 1913 affected much of the county, particularly Middletown, where approximately 25% of the town was flooded and 6 people died, and Hamilton, where 46% of the city was flooded, over 300 buildings destroyed, and at least 98 people killed.

In the 1920s, Butler, Pickaway and Washington counties were central areas of the rural membership of the Ku Klux Klan in Ohio.

In 1957, the Ohio Legislature established Hueston Woods State Park, which covers 3,596 acres in Butler and neighboring Preble County. In addition to a 625-acre manmade lake, the park contains the 200-acre Hueston Woods, one of the last near-virgin growths of American beech and maple in Ohio.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 470 square miles (1,200 km2), of which 467 square miles (1,210 km2) is land and 3.1 square miles (8.0 km2) (0.7%) is water.

The majority of Butler County consists of the river valleys of the Great and Little Miami Rivers. The valley was originally carved by glaciation.

The soil at highest uplands is frequently heavy in clay, moving downhill to a sandy loam, while in the valleys the soil is black with river deposits.

Before deforestation by settlers, much of the area was forests of American beech and maple trees.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
181011,150—
182021,74695.0%
183027,14224.8%
184028,1733.8%
185030,7899.3%
186035,84016.4%
187039,91211.4%
188042,5796.7%
189048,59714.1%
190056,87017.0%
191070,27123.6%
192087,02523.8%
1930114,08431.1%
1940120,2495.4%
1950147,20322.4%
1960199,07635.2%
1970226,20713.6%
1980258,78714.4%
1990291,47912.6%
2000332,80714.2%
2010368,13010.6%
2020390,3576.0%
2025 (est.)400,128 Increase2.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 390,357, and the median age was 37.4 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.8 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 76.6% White, 8.9% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 4.0% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.5% from some other race, and 6.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.5% of the population.

90.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 9.6% lived in rural areas.

There were 145,159 households in the county, of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.3% were married-couple households, 17.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 153,741 housing units, of which 5.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 67.4% were owner-occupied and 32.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.6%.

Racial and ethnic composition

Butler County, Ohio – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980 Pop 1990 Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 243,799 273,854 301,078 310,183 294,712 94.21% 93.95% 90.47% 84.26% 75.50%
Black or African American alone (NH) 11,972 13,069 17,398 26,463 34,144 4.63% 4.48% 5.23% 7.19% 8.75%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 257 363 645 606 610 0.10% 0.12% 0.19% 0.16% 0.16%
Asian alone (NH) 1,051 2,611 5,120 8,759 15,658 0.41% 0.90% 1.54% 2.38% 4.01%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x x 77 239 480 x x 0.02% 0.06% 0.12%
Other race alone (NH) 211 115 340 516 1,546 0.08% 0.04% 0.10% 0.14% 0.40%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x x 3,378 6,694 17,942 x x 1.02% 1.82% 4.60%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,497 1,467 4,771 14,670 25,265 0.58% 0.50% 1.43% 3.99% 6.47%
Total 258,787 291,479 332,807 368,130 390,357 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 368,130 people, 135,960 households, and 95,404 families residing in the county. The population density was 788.2 inhabitants per square mile (304.3/km2). There were 148,273 housing units at an average density of 317.5 per square mile (122.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 86.0% white, 7.3% black or African American, 2.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.8% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.0% were German, 14.8% were American, 13.6% were Irish, and 9.7% were English.

Of the 135,960 households, 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.8% were non-families, and 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age was 36.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $54,788 and the median income for a family was $68,539. Males had a median income of $50,499 versus $37,094 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,892. About 8.3% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 332,807 people, 123,082 households, and 87,880 families residing in the county. The population density was 712 inhabitants per square mile (275/km2). There were 129,793 housing units at an average density of 278 per square mile (107/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.20% White, 5.27% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.55% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. 1.43% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.1% were of German, 16.7% American, 10.7% Irish, and 9.8% English ancestry according to Census 2000. Those citing "American" ancestry in Butler County are of overwhelmingly English extraction, most English Americans identify simply as American because their ancestors have been in North America for centuries—in some cases since the 1600s.

There were 123,082 households, out of which 35.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 22.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.90% under the age of 18, 11.90% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 10.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,885, and the median income for a family was $57,513. Males had a median income of $42,052 versus $27,602 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,076. About 5.40% of families and 8.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.10% of those under age 18 and 7.00% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

From its creation until 1952, Butler County strongly favored the Democratic Party in presidential elections, only backing the Republican Party candidate twice (in 1924 and 1928). The Republican Party was in fact so weak that Socialist candidate Eugene Debs came in second in the 1912 election. Starting with the 1952 election, Butler County has become a Republican Party stronghold, with the sole Democrat to win the county in a presidential election since then being Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 in the midst of a landslide statewide and national victory.

United States presidential election results for Butler County, Ohio
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1856 2,301 37.68% 3,509 57.47% 296 4.85%
1860 2,867 39.19% 4,109 56.16% 340 4.65%
1864 3,250 42.96% 4,316 57.04% 0 0.00%
1868 3,298 40.01% 4,945 59.99% 0 0.00%
1872 2,993 37.55% 4,926 61.80% 52 0.65%
1876 3,351 35.68% 6,029 64.20% 11 0.12%
1880 3,831 37.90% 6,266 62.00% 10 0.10%
1884 3,976 36.72% 6,751 62.34% 102 0.94%
1888 4,143 34.77% 7,454 62.55% 319 2.68%
1892 4,636 36.16% 7,834 61.10% 352 2.75%
1896 5,936 40.21% 8,724 59.09% 103 0.70%
1900 6,025 39.52% 8,880 58.25% 339 2.22%
1904 7,048 45.44% 7,397 47.69% 1,066 6.87%
1908 7,320 40.61% 9,678 53.70% 1,026 5.69%
1912 3,431 20.59% 7,763 46.59% 5,469 32.82%
1916 5,850 31.81% 10,806 58.75% 1,736 9.44%
1920 14,998 44.91% 16,437 49.22% 1,961 5.87%
1924 19,349 56.25% 11,612 33.76% 3,437 9.99%
1928 29,124 64.66% 15,663 34.77% 255 0.57%
1932 19,673 44.70% 22,516 51.16% 1,819 4.13%
1936 17,842 35.80% 29,892 59.99% 2,098 4.21%
1940 23,380 43.14% 30,821 56.86% 0 0.00%
1944 22,702 45.96% 26,698 54.04% 0 0.00%
1948 21,393 46.52% 24,276 52.78% 322 0.70%
1952 35,769 53.77% 30,751 46.23% 0 0.00%
1956 41,785 63.20% 24,331 36.80% 0 0.00%
1960 46,518 58.66% 32,778 41.34% 0 0.00%
1964 31,413 42.63% 42,278 57.37% 0 0.00%
1968 35,962 48.73% 23,649 32.04% 14,191 19.23%
1972 50,380 68.42% 21,194 28.78% 2,061 2.80%
1976 49,625 57.56% 35,123 40.74% 1,469 1.70%
1980 61,231 61.91% 31,796 32.15% 5,874 5.94%
1984 76,216 72.92% 27,700 26.50% 598 0.57%
1988 75,725 68.71% 33,770 30.64% 713 0.65%
1992 63,375 48.34% 39,682 30.27% 28,055 21.40%
1996 67,023 54.76% 43,690 35.70% 11,685 9.55%
2000 86,587 63.32% 46,390 33.93% 3,760 2.75%
2004 109,872 65.86% 56,243 33.71% 704 0.42%
2008 105,341 60.52% 66,030 37.94% 2,688 1.54%
2012 105,176 61.68% 62,388 36.58% 2,966 1.74%
2016 106,976 61.13% 58,642 33.51% 9,376 5.36%
2020 114,392 61.26% 69,613 37.28% 2,732 1.46%
2024 114,831 62.66% 66,713 36.41% 1,708 0.93%
United States Senate election results for Butler County, Ohio1
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2024 104,952 57.91% 69,734 38.48% 6,557 3.62%
2018 80,106 59.02% 55,604 40.96% 26 0.02%

Education

There are sixteen school districts having territory in Butler County.

Primary Boundaries in Butler County

Partial Boundaries in Butler County

Private High Schools

Higher Education

Butler County is home to Miami University.

Campuses

Butler County is also home to Butler Tech, a Career Technical Education institution for High School students and Adults. Butler Tech has campuses in West Chester and Fairfield Township.

Communities

Map of Butler County, Ohio with municipal and township labels

Cities

Villages

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Townships

There are thirteen civil townships in Butler County and three paper townships:

Civil

1914 Map of Butler County, Ohio

Paper

  • Hamilton
  • Heritage (Fairfield)
  • Middletown

Ohio House Districts

Ohio Senate Districts

Transportation

The Butler County Regional Transit Authority provides bus service throughout the county primarily serving Hamilton, Oxford, and Middletown. The service connects to the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority in Springdale.

Airports

The Butler County Regional Airport is located three nautical miles (3.5 mi; 5.6 km) southeast of Hamilton's central business district.

Major highways

Former highways

U.S. Route 25 in Ohio

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ohio County Profiles: Butler County" (PDF). Ohio Department of Development. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 21, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
  2. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ Rennick, Robert M. (August 28, 2013). Kentucky Place Names. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 103–. ISBN 9780813144016. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  5. ↑ Squier, E.G. (1848). Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. p. 57. Archived from the original on September 8, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bartlow, Bert Surene (1905). Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio. B. F. Bowen. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
  7. 1 2 Havighurst, Walter (1984). The Miami Years. New York: G.P. Putnam and Sons. Archived from the original on June 14, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2010.
  8. ↑ Taylor, William Alexander (1899). Ohio Statesmen and Annals of Progress. Press of the Westbote Company. pp. 243.
  9. ↑ "About Oxford: Brief History of Oxford and Miami University". City of Oxford Ohio. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  10. ↑ Arthur W.J.G. Ord-Hume, Perpetual Motion: The History of an Obsession (New York: Barnes & Noble, 1977), 208-212.
  11. ↑ United States. Weather Bureau (1913). Bulletin: Lettered Ser. United States. Weather Bureau. pp. 54–55.
  12. ↑ Giffin, William Wayne (2005). African Americans and the Color Line in Ohio, 1915-1930. Ohio State University Press. pp. 115–. ISBN 9780814210031. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
  13. 1 2 Ney, Jason; Nichols, Terri (November 25, 2009). America's Natural Places: The Midwest. ABC-CLIO. pp. 154–. ISBN 9780313353178. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
  14. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on May 4, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  15. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020–2025". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  16. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  18. ↑ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 8, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  20. 1 2 3 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  21. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  22. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  23. ↑ "1980 Census of Population – General Social and Economic Characteristics – Ohio- Table 59 – Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980 AND Table 58 – Race by Sex: 1980" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 49-67 and 27-47.
  24. ↑ "1990 Census of Population – General Population Characteristics – Ohio: Table 6 – Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 21-95.
  25. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Butler County, Ohio". United States Census Bureau.
  26. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Butler County, Ohio". United States Census Bureau.
  27. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Butler County, Ohio". United States Census Bureau.
  28. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  29. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  30. ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
  31. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
  32. 1 2 3 "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  33. ↑ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  34. ↑ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  35. ↑ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  36. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  37. ↑ "Ancestry of the Population by State: 1980 – Table 3" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
  38. ↑ Sharing the Dream: White Males in a Multicultural America By Dominic J. Pulera.
  39. ↑ Reynolds Farley, 'The New Census Question about Ancestry: What Did It Tell Us?', Demography, Vol. 28, No. 3 (August 1991), pp. 414, 421.
  40. ↑ Stanley Lieberson and Lawrence Santi, 'The Use of Nativity Data to Estimate Ethnic Characteristics and Patterns', Social Science Research, Vol. 14, No. 1 (1985), pp. 44–46.
  41. ↑ Stanley Lieberson and Mary C. Waters, 'Ethnic Groups in Flux: The Changing Ethnic Responses of American Whites', Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 487, No. 79 (September 1986), pp. 82–86.
  42. ↑ "Butler County Election Results". Butler County Board of Elections. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  43. ↑ "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)". Commonwealth of Texas by county. November 5, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  44. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Butler County, OH" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 18, 2024. - Text list
  45. ↑ "Middletown". Miami University Regionals. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  46. ↑ "Farmer School of Business MBA". Miami University. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  47. ↑ "Resolution to erect a new township with boundaries identical to the city of Fairfield, Ohio" (PDF). www.bocc.hamilton-co.org. January 4, 1995. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 13, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  48. ↑ "FAA Airport Form 5010 for HAO" (PDF). FAA. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  49. ↑ "Valor awards for Lorenzo D. Immell". Military Times, Hall of Valor. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
  50. ↑ Clark, Dave (April 25, 2020). "Green Bay Packers select Indiana guard Simon Stepaniak, former Ross High School standout". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved September 17, 2020.

Further reading

39°26′N 84°35′W / 39.44°N 84.58°W / 39.44; -84.58