Butler County has made an advocate of Scott Docherty.

Docherty's home as well as his family business, CID Associates, have relocated a number of times.

“I tell all of my friends, 'You better move to Butler County. You get twice the house for a few hundred dollars more in taxes per year,” he said.

The county's reputation for lower real estate tax rates has merit.

Business Matters recently compared total real estate taxes — tallying county, municipal and school — that would be paid on a $212,000 house in Butler County versus a half-dozen communities in adjacent counties.

The results, available in the graphics, show Butler County residents paying as much as $4,400 less than their neighbors in those randomly selected communities.

The results were enough to surprise even Mark Gordon, Butler County's chief of economic development and planning, and Chris Savage, county assessment director.

“It appears we stack up pretty well,” Savage said.

Road to success

But both men, as well as other county officials, say taxes can be the icing on the location cake.

Other draws are transportation availability including the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Routes 8, 19, 28 and 422, and the county's rural character.

“The rolling hills, lay of the land … our properties are picturesque,” Gordon said. “Even our highly populated areas, like Cranberry Township, have lovely green space. The developers worked with municipal planners to integrate urban settings like sidewalks with tree-lined streets and parks for the kids. As a consequence, they have built on the beauty to deliver the total package.”

Although Butler County sees new commercial buildings going up throughout, residential growth fuels the current construction trend.

According to data compiled for the county's comprehensive plan, 8,448 residential units were constructed here between 2000 and 2010.

Last year, the county received 3,000 building permits, which was slightly down from recent numbers. However, Savage said, that number could be deceptive as it includes deck, porch, demolition and renovation permits.

Savage, who visits the sites as part of his job, said it's his opinion that the county's growth areas are still bustling, especially new homes in Jackson, Forward, Adams, Middlesex and Cranberry townships.

“I know there's a lot of homes being built … I'm looking at three subdivisions right now,” Savage said. “We are Pittsburgh's bedroom.”

Brent Thomas of Butler-based construction company W.K. Thomas said, in his opinion, the county's real estate growth has been consistent throughout his career.

“We didn't have the highs and lows the rest of the country did,” Thomas said. “Butler County has always been a great place to be.”

Jared Sullivan, an agent with Chuck Swidzinski's Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices office, calls himself “blessed” to be based in Butler County.

He explained that when you compare sales prices, you could get a larger property or bigger home in some other areas for less money upfront.

According to the real estate internet site Zillow, the median price of homes recently sold in Butler County was $215,800, about $65,000 more than the median price of homes recently sold in Allegheny County.

But, Sullivan said, most people wrap their taxes into their mortgage payments, ultimately making Butler County the fiscal better choice.

“Taxes make the difference,” he said, noting that many of his residential clients who work in Pittsburgh choose a slightly longer commute “because they get a bigger bang for their buck.”

And even within the county, Sullivan said, house and lot prices can be location dependent. Generally, the further south you locate, the higher the sales price.

“No matter where you locate in Butler County, the cost of living is low. There's good jobs here,” Sullivan said. “And we are a rural community … There's nothing like a Western Pennsylvania landscape.”

Business friendly

A final point in the county's favor, according to these officials, is a pro-business environment.

The Butler County Chamber of Commerce agrees, naming Butler County the 2019 recipient of the David L. Lloyd Memorial Business Champion Award, which recognizes local businesses that impact the community through cooperative projects and initiatives.

The award, which will be presented to the county in September, specifically notes collaborative advances by Commissioners Leslie Osche, Kim Geyer and Kevin Boozel.

“Our organization recognizes that the single most effective recent influence on business growth and economic enhancement has been this governing body,” the award states.

Stan Kosciuszko, chamber president, said it's his opinion that, “This county is extremely business friendly.”

Boozel said the commissioners made the county's business environment one of their top three priorities from the day they took office.

“With our growth, our taxes are remaining low and we are balancing between economic growth and maintaining our agricultural community and quality of life for residents … It truly is a balance,” he said.

Although the award recognizes the current board of commissioners, business leaders say the county has historically had a pro-business environment.

As an example, Docherty relates that when his parents were debating between CID Associates' current location in Buffalo Township and a site in Cumberland, Md., then-county Commissioners Glenn Anderson and Bill McCarrier worked together to ease any issues the company had and initiate incentives.

“A Democrat (Anderson) and a Republican (McCarrier) worked together,” Docherty said. “We built a $1 million facility in Butler County. I moved here. My mom and dad and sister moved here. My 65 employees shop here. We buy our cars and food here. That effort had a cascading ripple effect that helped the entire area.

“I thank God every day that we are in Butler County.”