Berks County, Pennsylvania
Located in Pennsylvania, Berks County has a population of 433,015 residents and a median age of 39.9 years, making it the #166 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.2%. The median home value is $257,300, and the median household income is $79,777, which is 6% above the national median.
Demographics
Berks County has a population of 433,015, making it the #166 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.9 years, which is 2.6% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Berks County is $79,777, ranking #595 out of 3,222 counties — 6.2% above the national median. The poverty rate is 12.2% and unemployment stands at 5.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Berks County is $257,300 (-8.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,181/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.3%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Berks County, 27.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 17.8% below the national average, ranking #952 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Berks County is 77.8 years. 18.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
15.1% of adults in Berks County smoke , 35.0% are obese , and 21.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 31.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Berks County is 4.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 10.7 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
17.9% of children in Berks County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 16.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Berks County is 65.9%. The mean commute time is 27.8 min, which is 0.7% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Berks County voted Republican with a margin of 12.2%. The vote was 43.4% Dem / 55.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Berks County, Pennsylvania
Berks County, Pennsylvania has a total population of 433,015, making it the 166th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Berks County is 39.9 years, which is 2.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Berks County is $79,777, which ranks #595 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.2% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.4%.
The median home value in Berks County is $257,300, 8.7% below the national median. Renters in Berks County pay a median gross rent of $1,181 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Berks County, 27.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 17.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.8 min.
Berks County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 66.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (24.8%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (4.0%).
All data for Berks County, Pennsylvania comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.