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%), Other (Hispanic) (8.68%), Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) (6.96%), 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 (1,736 degrees awarded in 2023), Alvernia University (696 degrees), and Reading Area Community College (496 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.

About the photo: Berks County, PA
Photo by Nicholas A. Tonelli
United StatesPennsylvaniaReading, 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 7.81 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (291k people) in Berks County, PA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 37.3k Other (Hispanic) and 29.9k Two Races Including 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.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Berks County, PA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    291k ± 706
  2. Other (Hispanic)
    37.3k ± 2.55k
  3. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    29.9k ± 2.53k
24%
Hispanic Population
103k people

In 2023, there were 7.81 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (291k people) in Berks County, PA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 37.3k Other (Hispanic) and 29.9k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

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

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Berks County, PA as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Pennsylvania.
Most Common Origin
  1. India
    99,504 ± 7,715 people
  2. Dominican Republic
    93,569 ± 7,483 people
  3. China
    70,789 ± 6,514 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Pennsylvania was India, the natal country of 99,504 Pennsylvania residents, followed by Dominican Republic with 93,569 and China with 70,789.

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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 approximately the same as 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.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    7,042 ± 445
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    3,234 ± 394
  3. 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.

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Economy

The economy of Berks County, PA employs 212k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Berks County, PA were Manufacturing (37,625 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (32,847 people), and Retail Trade (24,758 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($103,896), Utilities ($94,792), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($71,960).

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.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

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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).

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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.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 679
    Other Services (except Public Administration)
  2. 544
    Construction
  3. 432
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $1.97M
    Manufacturing
  2. $1.87M
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  3. $676k
    Retail Trade

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

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Pennsylvania went to Donald J. Trump with 50.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Jill Stein (0.491%).

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

Voting results are not available for Berks County, PA. Showing the available data for Pennsylvania.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (50.4%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (48.7%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Jill Stein (0.491%)
    Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Pennsylvania went to Donald J. Trump with 50.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Jill Stein (0.491%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Pennsylvania for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Pennsylvania

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.
John Fetterman
Senator from Pennsylvania3
Assumed office on January 3, 2023
Dave McCormick
Senator from Pennsylvania1
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.

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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.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Berks County, PA awarded 4,212 degrees. The student population of Berks County, PA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 7,693 male students and 11,578 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Berks County, PA are White (2,692 and 64.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (736 and 17.5%), Black or African American (391 and 9.32%), and Two or More Races (155 and 3.7%).

The largest universities in Berks County, PA by number of degrees awarded are Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (1,736 and 41.2%), Alvernia University (696 and 16.5%), and Reading Area Community College (496 and 11.8%).

The most popular majors in Berks County, PA are General Business Administration & Management (433 and 10.3%), General Psychology (198 and 4.7%), and Social Work (158 and 3.75%).

The median tuition costs in Berks County, PA are $34,310 for private four year colleges, and $11,552 and $19,166 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Berks County, PA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 86.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 13.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 19,271 (39.9% men and 60.1% 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.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 19,271 students enrolled in Berks County, PA, 39.9% men and 60.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 11,299 records, of which 59.8% were women and 40.2% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Business Administration & Management
    314 degrees awarded
  2. General Psychology
    177 degrees awarded
  3. Early Childhood Education & Teaching
    100 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Berks County, PA was General Business Administration & Management with 314 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
    1,736 degrees awarded
  2. Alvernia University
    696 degrees awarded
  3. Reading Area Community College
    496 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Kutztown University of Pennsylvania with 1,736 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,592 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Berks County, PA, which is 0.608 times less than the 2,620 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 2,692 degrees mean that there were 3.66 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 736 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($34,310) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($2,628) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

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.

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Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

In 2023, 0.797% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.798% of women were in the same situation.

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

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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 2023 were High School or Equivalent (3.48M), Bachelors Degree (2.03M), and Some college (1.81M).

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.

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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 higher than 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, Berks County, PA with a value of $153,292, followed by Census Tract 117.02, Berks County, PA and Census Tract 119.02, Berks County, PA, with respective values of $120,820 and $113,112.

In 2024, 13% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Berks County, PA. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 1.7%.

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.

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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.

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Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.
Race/Ethnicity
Highest Median Household Income (Total)
  1. Census Tract 119.03, Berks County, PA
  2. Census Tract 117.02, Berks County, PA
  3. Census Tract 119.02, Berks County, PA

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

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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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Berks County, PA is from Pennsylvania.
0.463
2023 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania
0.466
2022 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania

In 2023, the income inequality in Pennsylvania was 0.463 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.564% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Pennsylvania was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023
  1. Drove Alone (75.3%)
  2. Worked At Home (10.6%)
  3. 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.

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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.

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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.

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Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 13% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Berks County, PA. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 1.7%.

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

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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.

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Children in Poverty

In 2024, 14.3% of the children was living in poverty in Berks County, PA. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 7.7%.

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

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Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 300 in Berks County, PA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 20.5 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

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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 1,590 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.6% increase from the previous year (1,565 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1786 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 557 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,590 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Berks County, PA

Primary care physicians in Berks County, PA see an average of 1,590 patients per year. This represents a 1.6% increase from the previous year (1,565 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.

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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, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

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

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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.

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Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2024, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 48.9 in Berks County, PA.

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

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2024, 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 36.3% in Berks County, PA.

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

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Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2024, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 7.81% in Berks County, PA.

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

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