Butler is among the top cities in the state for young families, according to one online financial website.

NerdWallet.com, a consumer advocacy website based in San Francisco, ranked the city 12th out of the 90 communities it examined in the study.

The website used five criteria in determining its best cities, including school ratings, home values, homeowner costs, household income and income change during the past decade.

Only cities with more than 10,000 residents were considered.

Mike Anderson, analyst for the company that did the study, said income, affordability, and schooling had equal standing in the rankings.

“The point of the study is to help people understand what it means to own a home,” Anderson said. “To understand what you’re buying into.”

Anderson used U.S. Census data for information on income and affordability, and GreatSchools.org information on schools.

Anderson is confident that the study, which took about two weeks to do, is a good representation of livability across the state.

“I think they’re generally pretty accurate,” he said of the result.

According to the study, the median home value in the city is $86,800, with monthly homeowner costs at about $1,000. The median household income was $31,955, 27 percent higher than it was a decade ago.

The website will conduct the same study in each of the 50 states. Anderson said the goal is to provide “transparent” financial analysis to readers.

Mayor Maggie Stock said she was happy to hear the results.

“It’s very complimentary,” she said. “It sits well with the rest of the success we’ve had.”

Stock said it was important for a city try to attract younger families.

“It improves stability of a community and allows for it to continue on,” she said.

Stock added that starting a family in a city like Butler has numerous advantages.

“The advantage to raising a family in a small community is you can be more familiar with the schools and other community services,” she said.

Chelynne Curci, the director of Butler Downtown, the city’s Main Street Program, said having a young population is vital to having a strong Main Street.

“Younger populations are important because they make their roots here,” she said. “The city needs a continuous cycle.”

Curci said the city’s Main Street welcomes young families.

“We have a very walkable city,” she said. “And the city has a lot to offer to young people, whether its our restaurants or our businesses.”

The top 11 cities on the list were: Jefferson Hills, Greensburg, Phoenixville, Broomall, Lansdale, Emmaus, Willow Grove, Hershey, Allison Park, Wyomissing, and Ardmore.

In a similar study completed this week by Movoto Real Estate of San Mateo, Calif., Butler ranked as the 37th best city in the state.