Karns City refinery overview, 2015
Karns City’s story
152 years in pictures
Census counts: 701 in 1880, 175 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2015 and 3 maps from 1964 on.
- 1874Karns City is settled
Karns CityPA
A town of 160, settled in 1874. A regional job hub with 166 jobs.
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
160
2025 Census estimate · −4.2% since 2020
Typical home
$169K
−7.3% in a year
Household income
$50K
median
Median age
39.0
years
Jobs based here
166
A job hub
Is Karns City a good place to live?
Karns City’s density of trails is 1.5 miles per square mile, above both Pennsylvania’s towns (0.4) and U.S. towns (0.4). Karns City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Karns City stand out
Where Karns City beats most towns.
Small town
160 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Karns City: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Karns City, and how to reach them.
PowerCentral Electric Coop16.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Karns City’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereButler County Board of ElectionsButler County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code1604116041 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Karns City.
Work & commute
A smaller share of working residents work locally in Karns City than in most of Pennsylvania or the rest of the country
The income of the median household for Karns City comes to $50,000. Among residents in the town, 22% live below the poverty line, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 7.6% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. For half of commuters, work is under 15 miles away. The top destinations are Butler Township (9%), Pittsburgh (8%) and Butler (5%).
1%work in town
| Karns City | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 6.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Karns City1%
Butler Township9%
Pittsburgh8%
Butler5%
Summit Township4%
15 mi
median commute distance
166
jobs based in Karns City
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
Homes in Karns City are worth about $169K, by Zillow’s estimate
Home values are down 7.3% over the year to September 2026. In Karns City, 64% of households own their home.
$169KZillow home value
Typical home value
Karns City$169K
Pennsylvania$287K
−7.3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in March
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
The climate in Karns City brings four seasons and pleasant summers
Expect July afternoons of 83° and January nights of 18°, with about 35 inches of snow a winter.
35″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–37°
Spring36–60°
Summer57–81°
Fall41–62°
Oct 14
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Karns City is
18% of Karns City adults smoke cigarettes. Karns City: 29% of adults get no exercise outside work.
| Karns City | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 24% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 19% | 19% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
0 better14 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Karns City | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20% | 14.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.5% | 7.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 7.9% | 5.8% |
Independence Health System Butler Memorial Hospita
12.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Karns City is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level
Compared with three fifths of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Karns City is lower. 88% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding.
40risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
Karns City keeps 2% of its land conserved
Walkers can cover 0.6 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
2%conserved
2%
conserved · 5 of 231 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 1.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fairview Township Municipal Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Karns City
17pages on Karns City
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Karns City; the nearest are
Butler County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Butler15.1 mi$5,910 in-state tuitionSlippery Rock University of PennsylvaniaUniversity or college · Public · Slippery Rock17.3 mi$10,568 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Karns City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A job hub
Every workday, about 165 people come to Karns City for work
Where Karns City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
166jobs based in Karns City
1%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Karns City
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Karns City is a borough that is located in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 175 at the time of the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1874
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,227 ft
- ZIP code
- 16041
Questions about Karns City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Karns City, PA a good place to live?
Karns City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.