Cranberry Township... (Butler, Penn: crime, houses, job market)

[Rathagos]

First, let me apologize if this is a repetitive thread. I have not looked through the Pennsylvania posts to see if something like this has been previously posted. That said, my wife is from western PA. We currently live in West Central Texas, but are trying to decide where to put down some (hopefully) final roots. She said there was something nice about Cranberry Township, and I'm hoping that someone who either lives there or near there can reply to this post.

If we were to move there, I would prefer a ranch-style house, but looking at realtor.com it seems that all houses that are on the market now there are two story (I wouldn't mind a ranch with a basement). I would be willing to spend between $100-300k. If I wanted a smaller house than what's offered for those larger houses, are there tracts of land also?

What are crime and drug problems like there (comparatively)?

Any information you can provide on the city (positive and negative) is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Rath

[kpoeppel]

Cranberry Township is one of the fastest growing areas in the state. People are bailing out of "tax and spend" Allegheny County for relatively low-tax Butler County. I am not aware of any major drug/crime problems there.

Are you already retired? If not, be aware that the job market in western PA, like in other "Rust Belt" areas is not very good. Make sure you have a job lined up before you move if you need one. Also, if you are moving from sunny western TX, be prepared for the long, cloudy, gloomy winters in western PA. Seasonal Affective Disorder can be a problem. On a positive note, summers are very nice, although they will be much more humid than you are likely used to.