Berkshire County, Massachusetts

MA · FIPS 25003 Democrat

Located in Massachusetts, Berkshire County has a population of 129,430 residents and a median age of 47.3 years, making it the #510 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.4%. The median home value is $305,400, and the median household income is $76,013, which is 1% above the national median.

129,430
Population
#510 of 3,222
$76,013
Median Income
+1.1% #779 of 3,222
47.3 years
Median Age
+21.6% #426 of 3,222
11.4%
Poverty Rate
-9.3% #1,122 of 3,222

Demographics

Berkshire County has a population of 129,430, making it the #510 most populous county in the US. The median age is 47.3 years, which is 21.6% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

93.8%
Native Born
6.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Berkshire County is $76,013, ranking #779 out of 3,222 counties — 1.1% above the national median. The poverty rate is 11.4% and unemployment stands at 5.4%.

Income#779
$76,013
+1.1%
vs nation
76th percentile
Per Capita#235
$49,365
+19.6%
vs nation
93th percentile
Poverty#1,122
11.4%
-9.3%
vs nation
65th percentile
Unemployment#2,228
5.4%
+1.1%
vs nation
31th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Berkshire County is $305,400 (+8.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,097/mo and the homeownership rate is 69.9%.

Home Value#601
$305,400
+8.3%
vs nation
81th percentile
Rent#733
$1,097
-5.7%
vs nation
77th percentile
Homeownership#2,300
69.9%
+8.6%
vs nation
29th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Berkshire County, 40.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 18.5% above the national average, ranking #282 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
40.0% +18.5% vs nation
Rank #282 of 3,222
91th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Berkshire County is 77.7 years. 14.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 2.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#726
77.7
+3.3%
vs nation
76th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#439
14.6%
-25.4%
vs nation
86th percentile
Diabetes#181
8.1%
-27.2%
vs nation
94th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,752
38.2%
+2.4%
vs nation
44th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,915
5.8
+2.8%
vs nation
39th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#869
4.0
-10.0%
vs nation
72th percentile
Uninsured Rate#8
2.8%
-73.3%
vs nation
100th percentile
Physical Inactivity#791
22.8%
-13.6%
vs nation
75th percentile
Food Insecurity#582
11.2%
-22.3%
vs nation
82th percentile

Substance Use

13.1% of adults in Berkshire County smoke , 28.9% are obese , and 23.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 49.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#305
13.1%
-27.0%
vs nation
90th percentile
Adult Obesity#141
28.9%
-23.8%
vs nation
96th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,828
23.9%
+20.1%
vs nation
10th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,811
49.6
+53.4%
vs nation
14th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Berkshire County is 2.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 10.1 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#246
2.9
-63.3%
vs nation
84th percentile
Suicide Rate#762
15.1
-23.6%
vs nation
70th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#70
5.7
-68.2%
vs nation
97th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#364
10.1
-50.4%
vs nation
87th percentile

Families & Children

16.5% of children in Berkshire County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 8.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#308
5.1
-25.0%
vs nation
78th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#325
8.8
-59.5%
vs nation
89th percentile
Child Poverty#1,348
16.5%
-13.1%
vs nation
57th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Berkshire County is 70.2%. The mean commute time is 23.4 min, which is 15.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
70.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.4 min −15.3% vs nation
Rank #2,279 of 3,222
29th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Berkshire County voted Democratic with a margin of 39.9%. The vote was 68.9% Dem / 29% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.2 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +39.9%
68.9% 29%
Dem 68,341 votes Rep
2020 DEM +47.1%
72.4% 25.3%
Dem 71,375 votes Rep
2016 DEM +41.5%
67.5% 26%
Dem 64,507 votes Rep
2012 DEM +53.6%
75.8% 22.2%
Dem 64,078 votes Rep
2008 DEM +52.4%
74.9% 22.5%
Dem 66,130 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Berkshire County, Massachusetts

Berkshire County, Massachusetts has a total population of 129,430, making it the 510th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Berkshire County is 47.3 years, which is 21.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Berkshire County is $76,013, which ranks #779 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 1.1% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.4%.

The median home value in Berkshire County is $305,400, 8.3% above the national median. Renters in Berkshire County pay a median gross rent of $1,097 per month. The homeownership rate is 69.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Berkshire County, 40.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 18.5% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 98.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.4 min.

Berkshire County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 84.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).

All data for Berkshire County, Massachusetts 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.