Butler County’s population continues to grow in contrast to other counties in the region that are losing residents.

The county’s population was estimated at 186,818 as of July 1, 2015, an increase of 432 from the previous year, according to a report of the U.S. Census Bureau.

In 2010, when the last census was done, the county’s population was 183,862, meaning it has increased by 1.6 percent in the past five years.

Elsewhere in Western Pennsylvania, counties have seen continued decreases in their populations.

Allegheny County peaked in 2013 with 1.234 million, but has decreased in the past two years to 1.230 million.

Beaver County decreased by 533 in the past year to 168,871.

Armstrong, Westmoreland, Venango, Lawrence and Mercer counties all continued to have decreasing populations.

Clarion County, which has decreased by fewer than 500 people since 2010, had an estimated increase of 70 in the past year.

Stan Kosciuszko, president of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, said that the county is an attractive place for people to move to for multiple reasons.

“Housing is cheaper. Taxes are lower than the surrounding counties, and we have different amenities such as cultural institutions, outdoor activities, golf courses and Moraine State Park,” he said.

Kosciuszko said companies such as Westinghouse, AzAOberg Industries, UPS, FedEx and II-VI Incorporated have attracted people in recent years by providing jobs. He said the county’s growth can be tied to job availability and a relatively low cost of living.

The county also is unique in the region because it has both a state university and a community college in Slippery Rock University and Butler County Community College.

Officials say a large contributor to the growth has been the continued development of the southwestern area, especially Cranberry Township.

Chelsea Puff, manager of business and economic development for Cranberry, said the township’s population has increased by 103 percent since 1990. Last year, it reached 30,149 people.

“Anecdotally we’ve continued to grow steadily and strongly, and we’ve seen that since the 1980s,” she said.

Census data released last year showed Cranberry as the third-fastest growing municipality in the state, she said.

Based on continued development, the township officials anticipate its population will surpass 30,600 this year.

“I think it’s a little bit of everything. Cranberry is a place where people want to live, work and play,” she said.