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Berks County (Pennsylvania Dutch: Barricks Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 428,849.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat is Reading, the fourth-most populous city in the state.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county is part of the South Central Pennsylvania and Delaware Valley regions of the state.Template:Efn

The county borders Lehigh County to its north, Schuylkill County to its north, Lebanon and Lancaster counties to its west, Chester County to its south, and Montgomery County to its east. The county is approximately Template:Convert southwest of Allentown, the state's third-largest city, and Template:Convert northwest of Philadelphia, the state's largest city.

The Schuylkill River, a Template:Convert tributary of the Delaware River, flows through Berks County. The county is part of the Reading, PA metropolitan statistical area (MSA), which in turn is part of the Greater Philadelphia metropolitan area known as the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD combined statistical area (CSA).

History

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Reading developed during the 1740s when inhabitants of northern Lancaster County sent several petitions requesting that a separate county be established. With the help of German immigrant Conrad Weiser, the county was formed on March 11, 1752, from parts of Chester County, Lancaster County, and Philadelphia County.<ref>The Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania from 1682 to 1809, 18 vols. (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Wm. Stanley Ray, 1898), vol. 5 1744-1759, pages 133-140, 502-503, Chapter CCCXCII, "An Act for Erecting Part of the Counties Of Philadelphia, Chester and Lancaster into a Separate County," March 11, 1752, confirmed by the King in Council, May 10, 1753, creation of Berks County, digital images, Internet Archive (https://archive.org : July 26, 2018).</ref>

It was named after Berkshire the English county in which William Penn's family home lay, of which the original town of Reading is the county town and which is traditionally abbreviated "Berks". Berks County began much larger than it is today. The northwestern parts of the county went to the founding of Northumberland County in 1772 and Schuylkill County in 1811, when it reached its current size.

In 2005, Berks County was added to the Delaware Valley Planning Area due to a fast-growing population and close proximity to the other communities.

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, Template:Convert of which is land and Template:Convert (1.1%) of which is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Most of the county is drained by the Schuylkill River, but an area in the northeast is drained by the Lehigh River via the Little Lehigh Creek and areas are drained by the Susquehanna River via the Swatara Creek in the northwest and the Conestoga River, which starts in Berks County between Morgantown and Elverson in the county's extreme south. It has a humid continental climate (Dfa except for some Dfb on Blue Mountain at the northern boundary.) The hardiness zone is mostly 7a with 6b in some higher northern and eastern areas. [1]

Adjacent counties

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National protected area

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State protected area

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Major roads and highways

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File:2022-08-16 16 20 06 View east along Interstate 78 and U.S. Route 22 (William Penn Highway) from the overpass for Power Drive in Upper Tulpehocken Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.jpg
I-78/US Route 22 eastbound in Berks County

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Demographics

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As of the 2010 census, the county was 76.9% white non-Hispanic, 4.9% black, 0.3% Indian, 1.3% Asian, and 2.5% were two or more races. 16.4% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Historically there is a large Pennsylvania Dutch population. It is known as part of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. More recently there is a large Puerto Rican population centered in the city of Reading. There were 411,442 people, 154,356 households, and 106,532 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 164,827 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.

According to Muninet Guide's 2010 analysis, the median household income for Berks County is $54,105.

There were 154,356 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.1 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.

Berks County is home to an Old Order Mennonite community consisting of about 160 families, located in the East Penn Valley near Kutztown and Fleetwood.<ref name=berksmont82318>Template:Cite news</ref> The Old Order Mennonites first bought land in the area in 1949.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2012, Old Order Mennonites bought two large farms in the Oley Valley. The Old Order Mennonites in the area belong to the Groffdale Conference Mennonite Church and use the horse and buggy as transportation. There are several farms in the area belonging to the Old Order Mennonite community and meetinghouses are located near Kutztown and Fleetwood.<ref name=berksmont92116>Template:Cite news</ref>

2020 census

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Berks County, Pennsylvania – Racial and ethnic composition
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Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> % 2000 % 2010 Template:Partial
White alone (NH) 317,025 316,406 291,258 84.85% 76.90% 67.92%
Black or African American alone (NH) 12,478 16,517 18,087 3.34% 4.01% 4.22%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 397 536 450 0.11% 0.13% 0.10%
Asian alone (NH) 3,713 5,244 6,225 0.99% 1.27% 1.45%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 57 58 61 0.02% 0.01% 0.01%
Other race alone (NH) 320 374 1,551 0.09% 0.09% 0.36%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 3,291 4,952 11,667 0.88% 1.20% 2.72%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 36,537 67,355 99,550 9.73% 16.37% 23.21%
Total 373,638 411,442 428,849 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

Metropolitan and Combined Statistical Area

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File:Delawarevalleymap.png
Location of Berks County in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD CSA

The Office of Management and Budget<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> has designated Berks County as the Reading, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2010 U.S. census<ref name="Archived copy">Template:Cite web</ref> the metropolitan area is the 10th-most populous in Pennsylvania and the 128th-most populous in the U.S. with a population of 413,491.

Berks County is part of the larger Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD Combined Statistical Area (CSA), the largest in Pennsylvania and eighth-most populous in the nation with a population of 7,067,807.

Government

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File:Berks County Courthouse (Berks County, Pennsylvania - September 2010).jpg
Berks County Courthouse in Reading

State Senate

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State House of Representatives

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U.S. House of Representatives

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U.S. Senate

Politics

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As of September 21, 2023, there were 253,186 registered voters in Berks County.<ref>Template:Cite web dos.pa.gov</ref>

Berks County is strongly Republican, but is still competitive. As of 2023, the Republican Party maintained a total registration edge over Democrats in Berks County. At the top of the Pennsylvania ticket in November 2022, Berks County split its votes, supporting Democrat Josh Shapiro for governor and Republican Mehmet Oz for U.S. Senate. The last Democratic presidential candidate to win the county was Barack Obama in 2008.

Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow |} Template:U.S. SenHead Template:U.S. SenRow Template:U.S. SenFoot The first time since 1964 that a Democrat carried Berks in a Presidential election occurred in 2008, with Barack Obama receiving 53.9% of the vote to John McCain's 44.7%. The other three statewide winners (Rob McCord for treasurer, Jack Wagner for auditor general, and Tom Corbett for attorney general) also carried it.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While Republicans have controlled the commissioner majority most of the time and continue to control most county row offices, Democrats have become more competitive in Berks in recent years. In the 2012 Presidential election, Mitt Romney carried the county by approximately a one-percent margin, 49.6% to 48.6%, however, in 2016, Donald Trump carried Berks by a much larger margin of 52.9% to 42.7%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Pie chart

Education

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Colleges and universities

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Public school districts

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File:Map of Berks County Pennsylvania School Districts.png
Map of Berks County's public school districts

School districts include:<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref> Template:Div col

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Private high schools

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Technical and trade schools

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  • Berks Technical Institute
  • Pace Institute
  • Reading Hospital School of Nursing
  • Berks Career and Technology Center (east campus in Oley, west campus in Leesport)

Libraries

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In July of 1985, after a year long study, a 97-page report titled Public Library Service for Berks County was released, recommending a "county-wide system of federated libraries...and to operate a center supportive of all the libraries in the system." Following this report, the Berks County Public Library System was officially established by the Berks County Board of Commissioners in 1986.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>

The Berks County Public Library (BCPL) system consists of 19 member libraries and 4 branches:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col During the first year, the 12 libraries that were founding charter members served 45,000 registered borrowers and circulated over 470,000 items. Two branches in the county (Hamburg Public Library and the main branch of the Reading Public Library) were funded by grants from Andrew Carnegie. At this time, county funding for the library system totaled just $125,000.

As the system grew with 4 more libraries joining, the funding from the county grew to $325,000 in the year 1990. In 1990, the first public access computers were installed in System member libraries. One year later, the system took over control of a county bookmobile.

Several significant things for the library system took place in the year 1996 for its 10 year anniversary. During this year, the library system began van deliveries between branches and initiated involvement in the first ever state-wide Summer Reading program, Pennsylvania Patchwork. The system also began to offer access to the Internet. The following year, the first library automation network was installed across the system to connect the branch's collections.

In the year 2000, the number of member libraries totaled 19. The BCPL system was awarded a $225,500 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. These funds were used to expand the internet access points available in the libraries and create a training lab at Reading Public Library. E-books and e-book readers were added to the system in this year as well. In 2002, after a year of development, a children's bookmobile called the Bookasaurus began to visit local preschool programs. In 2008, the system added an Early Literacy Station (ELS) to every branch in the system, which is a specific pre-loaded computer tailored to younger patrons' needs and interests. The following year, due to state-subsidized funding cuts, the county bookmobile ceased operations after more than 30 years. During this year, however, the library hosted its most successful Summer Reading yet, with over half a million books read over the course of the program.

The library system began to participate in the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten initiative in 2014.

As of 2020, the system has over 130,000 registered cardholders with a collection size of just under 950,000 items.<ref name=":1" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Arts and culture

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Reading Public Museum in Reading is an art, science, and history museum.

The Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps are an all-age drum corps based in Berks County. Founded in 1957, the corps is a charter member Drum Corps Associates and an 11-time DCA World Champion.

Reading is home to Berks Opera Company, founded in 2007 as Berks Opera Workshop.

There are two Pennsylvania state parks and one natural area in Berks County.

There are two Pennsylvania Historic Sites in Berks County.

The Old Morlatton Village in Douglassville is maintained by the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County. The village is composed of four historic structures: White Horse Inn, George Douglass Mansion, Bridge keeper's House, and the Mouns Jones House, constructed in 1716, which is the oldest recorded building in the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

West Reading in home to the annual Art on the Avenue, which reached its 25th year in 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Media

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Berks County is home to several media outlets, including:

  • Berks Community Television (BCTV)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
  • Reading Eagle, the daily newspaper, based in Reading and founded in 1867
  • WEEU (830 AM), a radio station broadcasting news and conservative talk shows
  • WFMZ-TV, an Allentown-based news channel that covers the region
  • WRFY-FM (102.5 FM "Y102"), a commercial radio station licensed to serve Reading

Communities

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File:Map of Berks County Pennsylvania With Municipal and Township Labels.png
Map of Berks County with municipal labels showing cities and boroughs (in red), townships (in white), and census-designated places (in blue)

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Berks County:

City

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Boroughs

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Townships

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File:Farmstead in winter, Windsor Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.jpg
A farm in Windsor Township in January 2008

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Census-designated places

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Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.

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Unincorporated communities

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Population ranking

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The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Berks County.<ref name="Archived copy"/>

† county seat

CDP=census designated population

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 † Reading City 88,082
2 Wyomissing Borough 10,461
3 Blandon CDP 7,152
4 Shillington Borough 5,273
5 Birdsboro Borough 5,163
6 Kutztown Borough 5,012
7 Whitfield CDP 4,733
8 Hamburg Borough 4,289
9 Lorane CDP 4,236
10 Pennside CDP 4,215
11 West Reading Borough 4,212
12 Reiffton CDP 4,178
13 Fleetwood Borough 4,085
14 Boyertown Borough 4,055
15 Sinking Spring Borough 4,008
16 Laureldale Borough 3,911
17 West Wyomissing CDP 3,407
18 Amity Gardens CDP 3,402
19 Jacksonwald CDP 3,393
20 Riverview Park CDP 3,380
21 Mount Penn Borough 3,106
22 Mohnton Borough 3,043
23 Kutztown University CDP 2,918
24 Kenhorst Borough 2,877
25 Womelsdorf Borough 2,810
26 Flying Hills CDP 2,568
27 Hyde Park CDP 2,528
28 Wernersville Borough 2,494
29 Topton Borough 2,069
30 Robesonia Borough 2,061
31 West Hamburg CDP 1,979
32 Leesport Borough 1,918
33 Temple CDP 1,877
34 St. Lawrence Borough 1,809
35 West Lawn CDP 1,715
36 Fox Chase CDP 1,622
37 Lincoln Park CDP 1,615
38 Grill CDP 1,468
39 South Temple CDP 1,424
40 Muhlenberg Park CDP 1,420
41 Shoemakersville Borough 1,378
42 New Berlinville CDP 1,368
43 Oley CDP 1,282
44 Greenfields CDP 1,170
45 Alleghenyville CDP 1,134
46 Bally Borough 1,090
47 Colony Park CDP 1,076
48 Stony Creek Mills CDP 1,045
49 Spring Ridge CDP 1,003
50 Bernville Borough 955
51 Bechtelsville Borough 942
52 Hereford CDP 930
53 Dauberville CDP 848
54 Morgantown CDP 826
55 Pennwyn CDP 780
56 Springmont CDP 724
57 Edenburg CDP 681
58 Gibraltar CDP 680
59 Mertztown CDP 664
60 New Jerusalem CDP 649
61 Montrose Manor CDP 604
62 Stouchsburg CDP 600
63 Gouglersville CDP 548
64 Bethel CDP 499
65 Walnuttown CDP 484
T-66 Lyons Borough 478
T-66 Alsace Manor CDP 478
67 Shartlesville CDP 455
68 Douglassville CDP 448
69 Baumstown CDP 422
70 Dryville CDP 398
71 Centerport Borough 387
72 Mohrsville CDP 383
73 Frystown CDP 380
74 Mount Aetna CDP 354
75 Strausstown Borough 342
76 Bowers CDP 326
77 Rehrersburg CDP 319
78 Virginville CDP 309
79 Schubert CDP 249
80 New Schaefferstown CDP 223
81 Kempton CDP 169
82 Lenhartsville Borough 165
83 New Morgan Borough 71

Notable people

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See also

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Footnotes

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Further reading

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Template:Geographic Location Template:Reading, Pennsylvania Template:Berks County, Pennsylvania Template:Pennsylvania Template:Delaware Valley Template:Authority control

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