Berks County, PA

County

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2023 Population

429,989

0.351% 1-year growth

US Senator

John Fetterman

Democratic Party

US Senator

Dave McCormick

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

39.9

0% 1-year change

2023 Poverty Rate

11.7%

1.11% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$77,684

4.11% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$239,700

6.2% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

211,518

0.0454% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Berks County, PA had a population of 430k people with a median age of 39.9 and a median household income of $77,684. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Berks County, PA grew from 428,483 to 429,989, a 0.351% increase and its median household income grew from $74,617 to $77,684, a 4.11% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Berks County, PA are White (Non-Hispanic) (67.8%), Two+ (Hispanic) (9.43%), Other (Hispanic) (8.68%), White (Hispanic) (4.52%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (3.95%).

None of the households in Berks County, PA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96% of the residents in Berks County, PA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Berks County, PA are Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (1,710 degrees awarded in 2022), Alvernia University (784 degrees), and Reading Area Community College (482 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Berks County, PA was $239,700, and the homeownership rate was 71%.

Most people in Berks County, PA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25 minutes. The average car ownership in Berks County, PA was 2 cars per household.

Berks County, PA borders Chester County, PA, Lancaster County, PA, Lebanon County, PA, Lehigh County, PA, Montgomery County, PA, and Schuylkill County, PA.

About the photo: Berks County, PA

Photo by Nicholas A. Tonelli

United States Pennsylvania Reading, PA

Population & Diversity

Berks County, PA is home to a population of 430k people, from which 96% are citizens. As of 2023, 8.7% of Berks County, PA residents were born outside of the country (37.4k people).

In 2023, there were 7.18 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (291k people) in Berks County, PA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 40.6k Two+ (Hispanic) and 37.3k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96%

2023 Citizenship

96.3%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 96% of Berks County, PA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Berks County, PA was 96.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Berks County, PA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Berks County, PA

White (Non-Hispanic)
291k ± 706
Two+ (Hispanic)
40.6k ± 2.82k
Other (Hispanic)
37.3k ± 2.55k

24%

Hispanic Population

103k people

24% of the people in Berks County, PA are hispanic (103k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Berks County, PA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Pennsylvania.

Most Common Origin

India
99,082 ± 7,698 people
Dominican Republic
90,229 ± 7,349 people
China
69,880 ± 6,473 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Pennsylvania was India, the natal country of 99,082 Pennsylvania residents, followed by Dominican Republic with 90,229 and China with 69,880.

Foreign-Born Population

8.7%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

37.4k people

8.07%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

34.6k people

As of 2023, 8.7% of Berks County, PA residents (37.4k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Berks County, PA was 8.07%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Berks County, PA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
7,042 ± 445
Gulf War (2001-)
3,234 ± 394
Gulf War (1990s)
2,593 ± 353

Berks County, PA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.18 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Berks County, PA employs 212k people. The largest industries in Berks County, PA are Manufacturing (37,625 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (32,847 people), and Retail Trade (24,758 people), and the highest paying industries are Management of Companies & Enterprises ($103,896), Utilities ($94,792), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($71,960).

Males in Pennsylvania have an average income that is 1.32 times higher than the average income of females, which is $62,610. The income inequality in Pennsylvania (measured using the Gini index) is 0.466, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

212k

2023 Value

± 3,587

0.0454%

1 Year growth

± 2.41%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Berks County, PA grew at a rate of 0.0454%, from 211k employees to 212k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Berks County, PA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (23,770 people), Production Occupations (20,826 people), and Management Occupations (19,263 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Berks County, PA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Pennsylvania (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

212k

2023 Value

± 3,587

0.0454%

1 Year growth

± 2.41%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Berks County, PA grew at a rate of 0.0454%, from 211k employees to 212k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Berks County, PA, are Manufacturing (37,625 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (32,847 people), and Retail Trade (24,758 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Berks County, PA, though some of these residents may live in Berks County, PA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$54,655

Median earning men ± $741

$39,559

Median earning women ± $941

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Public Administration ($77,078), Information ($76,775), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($71,457).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($56,766), Public Administration ($56,524), and Manufacturing ($47,415).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.

Y-Axis

2.78%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 6.03M people employed in Pennsylvania. This represents a 2.78% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 18.1%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Pennsylvania.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

679
Other Services (except Public Administration)
544
Construction
432
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$1.97M
Manufacturing
$1.87M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$676k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Berks County, PA went to Donald J. Trump with 53.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (45.2%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.42%).

John Fetterman and Dave McCormick are the senators currently representing the state of Pennsylvania. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Pennsylvania is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (53.4%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (45.2%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.42%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Berks County, PA went to Donald J. Trump with 53.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (45.2%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.42%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Berks County, PA for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Pennsylvania

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.

John Fetterman

Senator from Pennsylvania

Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Dave McCormick

Senator from Pennsylvania

Assumed office on January 3, 2025

John Fetterman and Dave McCormick are the senators currently representing Pennsylvania.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Pennsylvania over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Pennsylvania have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Berks County, PA awarded 4,435 degrees. The student population of Berks County, PA in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 7,637 male students and 11,227 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Berks County, PA are White (2,968 and 67.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (711 and 16.2%), Black or African American (386 and 8.78%), and Two or More Races (126 and 2.87%).

The largest universities in Berks County, PA by number of degrees awarded are Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (1,710 and 38.6%), Alvernia University (784 and 17.7%), and Reading Area Community College (482 and 10.9%).

The most popular majors in Berks County, PA are General Business Administration & Management (398 and 8.97%), General Psychology (215 and 4.85%), and Registered Nursing (168 and 3.79%).

The median tuition costs in Berks County, PA are $33,060 for private four year colleges, and $11,552 and $18,859 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Berks County, PA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 84.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 15.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 18,864 (40.5% men and 59.5% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 18,864 students enrolled in Berks County, PA, 40.5% men and 59.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 11,489 records, of which 59.1% were women and 40.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Criminal Justice - Safety Studies
98 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
309 degrees awarded
General Psychology
179 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Berks County, PA was Criminal Justice - Safety Studies with 98 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Berks County, PA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
1,710 degrees awarded
Alvernia University
784 degrees awarded
Reading Area Community College
482 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Kutztown University of Pennsylvania with 1,710 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 1,600 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Berks County, PA, which is 0.564 times less than the 2,835 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 2,968 degrees mean that there were 4.17 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 711 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($33,060) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($2,266) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($1,800) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.

Measure

In 2022, 0.733% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.743% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (3.5M), Bachelors Degree (1.98M), and Some college (1.83M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Berks County, PA was $239,700 in 2023, which is 0.79 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $225,700 to $239,700, a 6.2% increase. The homeownership rate in Berks County, PA is 71%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Berks County, PA have an average commute time of 25 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Berks County, PA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Berks County, PA is $77,684. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Berks County, PA was Census Tract 119.03 with a value of $153,292, followed by Census Tract 117.02 and Census Tract 119.02, with respective values of $120,820 and $113,112.

In 2023, 13.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Berks County, PA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.9%.

Housing

Property

$239,700

Median Property Value 2023

±$2,406

$114,882

Median Property Taxes

±$2,347

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Berks County, PA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Berks County, PA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

71%

Homeownership

2023

61.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 71% of the housing units in Berks County, PA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 70.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Berks County, PA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 119.03
Census Tract 117.02
Census Tract 119.02

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Berks County, PA was Census Tract 119.03 with a value of $153,292, followed by Census Tract 117.02 and Census Tract 119.02, with respective values of $120,820 and $113,112.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Berks County, PA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$77,684

Median Household Income

± $1,522

162k

Number of Households

± 3,091

In 2023, the median household income of the 162k households in Berks County, PA grew to $77,684 from the previous year's value of $74,617.

The following chart displays the households in Berks County, PA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Berks County, PA is from Pennsylvania.

0.466

2022 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania

0.467

2021 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania

In 2022, the income inequality in Pennsylvania was 0.466 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.123% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Pennsylvania was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Pennsylvania in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Pennsylvania across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (75.3%)
Worked At Home (10.6%)
Carpooled (8.25%)

In 2023, 75.3% of workers in Berks County, PA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.6%) and those who carpooled to work (8.25%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Berks County, PA have a shorter commute time (25 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.28% of the workforce in Berks County, PA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Berks County, PA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Berks County, PA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Berks County, PA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 13.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Berks County, PA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.9%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

11.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Berks County, PA (48.7k out of 417k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Berks County, PA is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 18.1% of the children was living in poverty in Berks County, PA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.9%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

93.3% of the population of Berks County, PA has health coverage, with 49.2% on employee plans, 18.1% on Medicaid, 13.6% on Medicare, 11.6% on non-group plans, and 0.74% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Berks County, PA see 1565 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.51% decrease from the previous year (1589 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1782 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 603 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,565 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Berks County, PA

Primary care physicians in Berks County, PA see an average of 1,565 patients per year. This represents a 1.51% decrease from the previous year (1,589 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Berks County, PA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.8% under 18 years, 20.5% between 18 and 34 years, 38.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

6.67%

Uninsured

49.2%

Employer Coverage

18.1%

Medicaid

13.6%

Medicare

11.6%

Non-Group

0.74%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Berks County, PA grew by 5.02% from 6.35% to 6.67%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Berks County, PA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 47.3 in Berks County, PA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Berks County, PA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 37.3% in Berks County, PA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Berks County, PA.