Butler County, Ohio

Butler County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 368,130.[2] Its county seat is Hamilton.[3] It is named for General Richard Butler, who died in 1791 during St. Clair's Defeat.[4] 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. The majority of the county is in District 52 of the State House.

Not to be confused with Butler, Ohio.

Butler County
U.S. county
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Ohio
Ohio's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°26′N 84°35′W
Country United States
State Ohio
FoundedMay 1, 1803[1]
Named forGeneral Richard Butler
SeatHamilton
Largest cityHamilton
Area
 • Total470 sq mi (1,200 km2)
 • Land467 sq mi (1,210 km2)
 • Water3.1 sq mi (8 km2)  0.7%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2019)
383,134
 • Density788/sq mi (304/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district8th
Websitewww.butlercountyohio.org

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.[5]

Early French explorers likely passed through the area along the Miami River.[6] 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 1793 Treaty of Greenville was signed with the Native Americans of the area.[6]

Butler County was formed on March 24, 1803 from portions of Hamilton County. It is named for General Richard Butler.[7] Between 1803 and 1823, the townships of the county became officially recognized.[6] Large portions of the county were held by non-resident owners, including 640 acres owned by future President William H Harrison.[6] Some land that was originally part of Butler County was reassigned to Warren County in the north and Hamilton County to the south. Butler County's original size was 480 sq miles.[6]

The Great Flood of 1913 affected much of the county, particularly the communities of Middletown, Ohio where approximately 25% of the town was flooded and 6 people died and Hamilton, Ohio, where 46% of the city was flooded, over 300 buildings destroyed, and at least 98 people killed.[8]

In the 1920s, Butler, Pickaway and Washington counties were central areas of the rural membership of the Ku Klux Klan in Ohio.[9]

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.[10]

Middletown, Ohio is the subject of J.D. Vance's book "Hillbilly Elegy," (2017), which chronicles the author's upbringing and the societal issues of southwestern Ohio.

Geography and geology

According to the U.S. 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.[11]

The majority of Butler County consists of the river valleys of the Great and Little Miami Rivers. The valley was originally carved by glaciation.[6]

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.[6]

Before deforestation by settlers, much of the area was forests of American beech and maple trees.[10]

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
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%
2019 (est.)383,134[12]4.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]
1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15]
1990-2000[16] 2010–2019[2]

2000 census

As of the census[17] of 2000, there were 332,807 people, 123,082 households, and 87,880 families residing in the county. The population density was 712 people 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, however most English Americans identify simply as having American ancestry because their roots have been in North America for so long, in some cases since the 1600s.[18][19][20][21][22]

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.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 368,130 people, 135,960 households, and 95,404 families residing in the county.[23] 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).[24] 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.[23] In terms of ancestry, 27.0% were German, 14.8% were American, 13.6% were Irish, and 9.7% were English.[25]

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.[23]

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.[26]

Politics

Prior to 1952, Butler County was strongly Democratic in presidential elections, only backing two Republican candidates for president from 1856 to 1948. Starting with the 1952 election, it 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 his statewide & national landslide victory.

Presidential election results
Presidential election results[27][28]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 61.3% 114,392 37.3% 69,613 1.5% 2,670
2016 61.1% 106,976 33.5% 58,642 5.4% 9,376
2012 61.7% 105,176 36.6% 62,388 1.7% 2,966
2008 60.5% 105,341 37.9% 66,030 1.5% 2,688
2004 65.9% 109,872 33.7% 56,243 0.4% 704
2000 63.3% 86,587 33.9% 46,390 2.8% 3,760
1996 54.8% 67,023 35.7% 43,690 9.6% 11,685
1992 48.3% 63,375 30.3% 39,682 21.4% 28,055
1988 68.7% 75,725 30.6% 33,770 0.7% 713
1984 72.9% 76,216 26.5% 27,700 0.6% 598
1980 61.9% 61,231 32.2% 31,796 5.9% 5,874
1976 57.6% 49,625 40.7% 35,123 1.7% 1,469
1972 68.4% 50,380 28.8% 21,194 2.8% 2,061
1968 48.7% 35,962 32.0% 23,649 19.2% 14,191
1964 42.6% 31,413 57.4% 42,278
1960 58.7% 46,518 41.3% 32,778
1956 63.2% 41,785 36.8% 24,331
1952 53.8% 35,769 46.2% 30,751
1948 46.5% 21,393 52.8% 24,276 0.7% 322
1944 46.0% 22,702 54.0% 26,698
1940 43.1% 23,380 56.9% 30,821
1936 35.8% 17,842 60.0% 29,892 4.2% 2,098
1932 44.7% 19,673 51.2% 22,516 4.1% 1,819
1928 64.7% 29,124 34.8% 15,663 0.6% 255
1924 56.3% 19,349 33.8% 11,612 10.0% 3,437
1920 44.9% 14,998 49.2% 16,437 5.9% 1,961
1916 31.8% 5,850 58.8% 10,806 9.4% 1,736
1912 20.6% 3,431 46.6% 7,763 32.8% 5,469
1908 40.6% 7,320 53.7% 9,678 5.7% 1,026
1904 45.4% 7,048 47.7% 7,397 6.9% 1,066
1900 39.8% 6,025 58.6% 8,880 1.6% 238
1896 40.2% 5,936 59.1% 8,724 0.7% 103
1892 36.2% 4,636 61.1% 7,834 2.7% 352
1888 34.8% 4,143 62.6% 7,454 2.7% 319
1884 36.7% 3,976 62.3% 6,751 0.9% 102
1880 37.9% 3,831 62.0% 6,266 0.1% 10
1876 35.7% 3,351 64.2% 6,029 0.1% 11
1872 37.6% 2,993 61.8% 4,926 0.7% 52
1868 40.0% 3,298 60.0% 4,945
1864 43.0% 3,250 57.0% 4,316
1860 39.2% 2,867 56.2% 4,109 4.7% 340
1856 37.7% 2,301 57.5% 3,509 4.9% 296

Education

There are sixteen school districts having territory in Butler County.

Communities
Map of Butler County, Ohio with municipal and township labels

Cities

Villages

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Townships

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

Civil

https://web.archive.org/web/20160715023447/http://www.ohiotownships.org/township-websites

Paper
  • Hamilton
  • Heritage (Fairfield)[29]
  • Middletown
  • Sharonville[30]
  • Trenton

Ohio House Districts

Ohio Senate Districts

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. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  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. Bartlow, Bert Surene (1905). Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio. B. F. Bowen. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
  7. Taylor, William Alexander (1899). Ohio Statesmen and Annals of Progress. Press of the Westbote Company. pp. 243.
  8. United States. Weather Bureau (1913). Bulletin: Lettered Ser. United States. Weather Bureau. pp. 54–55.
  9. 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.
  10. Ney, Jason; Nichols, Terri (November 25, 2009). America's Natural Places: The Midwest. ABC-CLIO. pp. 154–. ISBN 9780313353178. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
  11. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on May 4, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  12. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  13. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  14. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  15. 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.
  16. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  17. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  18. "Ancestry of the Population by State: 1980 - Table 3" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
  19. Sharing the Dream: White Males in a Multicultural America By Dominic J. Pulera.
  20. Reynolds Farley, 'The New Census Question about Ancestry: What Did It Tell Us?', Demography, Vol. 28, No. 3 (August 1991), pp. 414, 421.
  21. 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.
  22. 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.
  23. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  24. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  25. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  26. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  27. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  28. "Ohio Historical Election Results". Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  31. "Valor awards for Lorenzo D. Immell". Military Times, Hall of Valor. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2014.

Further reading

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