The county’s population is increasing, putting it in rare company among counties in the western half of the state.

According to 2014 population estimates recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the county’s population has increased by 2,081 people since the 2010 census.

Its population stood at 183,862 in 2010 and is now estimated to be 185,943, an increase of 1.1 percent.

In Western Pennsylvania it joins Allegheny and Washington counties as the only three to increase.

Within the county, the biggest growth was in the southwest. Cranberry Township’s estimated population is up to 30,170, an increase of 2,072. Adams Township saw an increase of 1,278 people.

Also increasing was Slippery Rock Township, which jumped by 787 people to 6,401.

Despite the county’s total increase, Butler and Butler Township’s populations decreased. Butler decreased by an estimated 388 people to 13,369 and Butler Township decreased by 371 people to 16,877.

Butler Chamber of Commerce President Stan Kosciuszko said the new estimates were not surprising and that the county has a healthy job market.

Companies like Westinghouse and MSA have brought people to the Cranberry area, while Iron Mountain, Butler Health System and the county’s educational institutions are creating jobs elsewhere, he said.

Despite the decrease in the city, Kosciuszko said he anticipates that it will stabilize and get some people back in the next few years.

“They probably lost all they’re going to lose. The bleeding has hopefully stopped,” he said.

One trend for the city is that young people are moving downtown.

“There are young people moving into the apartments downtown and wanting to live a more urban lifestyle,” he said.

If the Shell Cracker Plant proposed for Beaver County is built, it may bring new people to the Zelienople, Harmony and Evans City areas, he said.

Slippery Rock’s increase may be due to new apartment housing near Slippery Rock University. The Grove at Slippery Rock on Harmony Road was completed last year and has 201 apartments and 603 beds.

SRU spokesman Karl Schwab said that the university’s enrollment and number of students in university housing have stayed level for the past couple of years. However, its student retention rate has increased, which could account for more upperclassmen living in the areas adjacent to campus, he said.

John Maurer, data analyst with Pennsylvania State Data Center, which works with the Census Bureau to collect data, said the estimates are largely based on housing.

Colleges and prisons often attribute to the biggest changes if facilities are opened or closed, Maurer said.

Like the official census, the yearly data is collected in April to avoid fluctuations such as college students going on summer break, he said.