Butler County, PA: the USDA septic-suitability picture

Very limited

USDA puts Butler County, PA at "Very limited" for septic absorption fields, the dominant reading across 96.5% of the county's soil. A standard gravity system routinely fails on ground like this; the same share of the county falls in USDA's worst absorption-field bucket outright. The county spans 789.482 square miles, home to 199,341 people.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

USDA's survey covers the whole of Butler County, PA at once, not any single address. Budget $750-$1,850 for a real perc test on any specific parcel - that's the only figure a permit application accepts.

Butler County: conventional vs. engineered cost

96.5% of Butler County carrying a "Very limited" reading changes the realistic budget here. Conventional systems run $3,000-$8,000 where they pass; where they don't, engineered alternatives (mound or aerobic treatment, whichever the health department requires) run $10,000-$40,000 - budget toward the higher figure until a perc test says otherwise.

Butler County's rank among Pennsylvania counties

Among the 3,058 rated counties on this site, Butler County, PA ranks 448 most-constrained nationally, and 19 of 66 within Pennsylvania.

Further reading

How this rating is built, and its real limits · Conventional vs. engineered septic systems