Berks County, Pennsylvania

Berks County (Pennsylvania German: Barricks Kaundi) is a county located in the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 411,442.[2] The county seat is Reading.[3]

"Berks County" redirects here. For the county of England, see Berkshire.
Not to be confused with Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Berks County
U.S. county
The Reading area from the Pagoda
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°25′N 75°56′W
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
FoundedMarch 11, 1752
Named forBerkshire
SeatReading
Largest cityReading
Area
 • Total866 sq mi (2,240 km2)
 • Land857 sq mi (2,220 km2)
 • Water9.2 sq mi (24 km2)  1.1%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2019)
421,164
 • Density485/sq mi (187/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts4th, 6th, 9th
Websitewww.co.berks.pa.us
DesignatedMay 12, 1982[1]

Berks County comprises the Reading, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which is also included in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD Combined Statistical Area. (CSA).

History

Reading developed during the 1740s when the 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.[4]

It was named after the English county in which William Penn's family home lay, Berkshire, which is often abbreviated to 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.

In 2016, former Strausstown borough merged with Upper Tulpehocken township. Strausstown is now a village within Upper Tulpehocken Township.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 866 square miles (2,240 km2), of which 857 square miles (2,220 km2) is land and 9.2 square miles (24 km2) (1.1%) is water.[5] 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 extreme south. It has a humid continental climate (Dfa except for some Dfb on Blue Mountain at the northern boundary and on Mount Penn) and the hardiness zone is mostly 6b with 6a in some higher areas and 7a along the Schuylkill in the SE part of the county.

Major roads and highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

State protected area

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
179030,189—
180032,4077.3%
181043,14633.1%
182046,2757.3%
183053,15214.9%
184064,56921.5%
185077,12919.5%
186093,81821.6%
1870106,70113.7%
1880122,59714.9%
1890137,32712.0%
1900159,61516.2%
1910183,22214.8%
1920200,8549.6%
1930231,71715.4%
1940241,8844.4%
1950255,7405.7%
1960275,4147.7%
1970296,3827.6%
1980312,5095.4%
1990336,5237.7%
2000373,63811.0%
2010411,44210.1%
2019 (est.)421,164[6]2.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9]
1990–2000[10] 2010–2019[2]

As of the 2010 census, the county was 76.9% White non-Hispanic, 4.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.3% Asian, and 2.5% were two or more races. 16.4% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[11] Historically there is a large Pennsylvania Dutch population. It is known as part of Pennsylvania Dutch Country.

As of the census[12] of 2010, there were 411,442 people, 154,356 households, and 106,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 479 people per square mile (184.9/km2). There were 164,827 housing units at an average density of 191.9 per square mile (74.1/km2).

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.[13] The Old Order Mennonites first bought land in the area in 1949.[14] 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.[15]

Metropolitan and Combined Statistical Area
Location of Berks County (Reading, PA) in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD CSA
See also: List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas and List of Combined Statistical Areas

The United States Office of Management and Budget[16] has designated Berks County as the Reading, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2010 U.S. Census[17] the metropolitan area ranked 10th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 128th most populous in the United States with a population of 413,491. Berks County is also a part of the larger Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which combines the populations of Berks County as well as several counties around Philadelphia and in the states of Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey. The Combined Statistical Area is the largest in the State of Pennsylvania and 8th most populous in the United States with a population of 7,067,807.

Government

County Commissioners
Berks County Courthouse
  • Christian Leinbach, Chair Republican
  • Kevin Barnhardt, Vice Chair Democrat
  • Michael S. Rivera, Republican

Other county offices
  • Clerk of Courts, James P. Troutman, Republican
  • Controller, Sandy Graffius, Republican
  • Coroner, Jonn M. Hollenbach (acting)
  • District Attorney, John T. Adams, Democrat
  • Prothonotary, Jonathan K. Del Collo, Republican
  • Recorder of Deeds, Mary Kozak, Republican
  • Register of Wills, Larry J. Medaglia Jr., Republican
  • Sheriff, Eric Weaknecht, Republican
  • Treasurer, A. Dennis Adams, Republican

State Senate[18]

State House of Representatives[18]

United States House of Representatives

Politics

As of October 24, 2016, there were 259,918 registered voters in Berks County.[19]

Presidential election results
Presidential election results[20]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 53.2% 109,926 45.0% 93,116 1.7% 3,511
2016 52.5% 96,626 42.6% 78,437 4.9% 9,022
2012 49.6% 84,702 48.6% 83,011 1.7% 2,963
2008 44.6% 80,513 53.8% 97,047 1.6% 2,951
2004 53.0% 87,122 46.4% 76,309 0.6% 1,056
2000 52.7% 71,273 43.7% 59,150 3.6% 4,874
1996 46.3% 56,289 41.0% 49,887 12.8% 15,542
1992 40.3% 52,939 35.0% 46,031 24.7% 32,437
1988 62.4% 70,153 36.5% 41,040 1.1% 1,251
1984 65.9% 74,605 33.5% 37,849 0.6% 691
1980 56.4% 60,576 33.9% 36,449 9.6% 10,360
1976 50.6% 54,452 47.4% 50,994 2.0% 2,107
1972 62.4% 66,172 34.5% 36,563 3.2% 3,392
1968 46.5% 50,623 45.8% 49,877 7.7% 8,424
1964 33.2% 36,726 66.4% 73,444 0.4% 476
1960 54.8% 61,743 44.9% 50,572 0.4% 391
1956 57.3% 57,258 42.4% 42,349 0.3% 320
1952 52.4% 51,720 46.5% 45,874 1.1% 1,074
1948 43.6% 35,608 52.7% 43,075 3.7% 3,043
1944 43.3% 35,274 53.9% 43,889 2.8% 2,247
1940 36.9% 32,111 61.3% 53,301 1.8% 1,530
1936 30.2% 26,699 64.4% 56,907 5.3% 4,721
1932 37.1% 27,073 40.8% 29,763 22.2% 16,187
1928 64.0% 47,073 25.8% 18,960 10.2% 7,481
1924 51.4% 28,186 31.4% 17,220 17.3% 9,487
1920 47.7% 22,221 39.4% 18,361 12.9% 6,009
1916 34.3% 11,937 55.4% 19,267 10.3% 3,565
1912 8.8% 3,032 47.5% 16,430 43.7% 15,098
1908 41.0% 13,642 52.3% 17,381 6.8% 2,245
1904 46.3% 15,539 48.7% 16,357 5.0% 1,683
1900 41.5% 13,952 56.6% 19,013 1.9% 628
1896 43.3% 14,318 54.7% 18,099 2.0% 665
1892 34.8% 10,077 64.2% 18,602 1.1% 312
1888 36.7% 10,626 62.5% 18,105 0.9% 261
1884 36.4% 9,587 62.6% 16,484 0.8% 226
1880 34.9% 9,225 64.3% 16,959 0.6% 181

The first time since 1964 that a Democrat carried Berks in a Presidential election occurred in November 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.[21] 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%.[22]

While Reading itself is heavily Democratic, the rural areas are strongly Republican.

Education
Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania Public School Districts

Colleges and universities

Public school districts

Private high schools

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

Arts and culture

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

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

Reading is home to one opera company, Berks Opera Company, founded in 2007 as Berks Opera Workshop. They were named Arts and Entertainment Newsmaker of the Year in 2015.

There are two Pennsylvania state parks and a 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.[24]

West Reading in home to the annual Art on the Avenue, which reached its 25th year in 2019.[25]

Media

Berks County has been home to several media sources including:

  • Berks Community Television (BCTV)[26]
  • Reading Eagle, a daily printed newspaper based in Reading, Pennsylvania
  • WEEU, a local AM radio station
  • WFMZ, a Local news channel that has offices in Berks County and covers South Eastern Pennsylvania
  • WRFY-FM - (102.5 FM "Y102"), a commercial FM radio station licensed to serve Reading, Pennsylvania

Communities
Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Cities and Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (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

Boroughs

Townships
A farm in Windsor Township

Census-designated places

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.

Unincorporated communities

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Berks County.[17]

† 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

See also

Footnotes
  1. "PHMC Historical Markers Search" (Searchable database). Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. The Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania from 1682-1809, 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).
  5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  6. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 12, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  9. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  10. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  11. "Census 2010: Pennsylvania - USATODAY.com".
  12. http://pasdc.hbg.psu.edu/sdc/pasdc_files/census2010/Berks%20County.pdf
  13. Orth, Richard L.T. (August 23, 2018). "A Look Back in History Mennonite Plain Dutch families call Kutztown area home". BerksMont News. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  14. Shaner, Richard (July 24, 2009). "Kutztown welcomes Old Order Mennonites in 1949". BerksMont News. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  15. Orth, Richard L.T. (September 21, 2016). "A Look Back in History: The Old Order Mennonite Sect at Kutztown also preserving the Historic Oley Valley". BerksMont News. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  16. "Office of Management and Budget". February 7, 2017.
  17. "Decennial Census by Decades". Archived from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  18. Center, Legislativate Data Processing. "Find Your Legislator". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  19. Archived October 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Voting & Election Statistics
  20. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
  21. http://www.electionreturns.state.pa.us/ElectionsInformation.aspx?ElectionID=28 Archived November 16, 2012, at the Wayback Machine electionreturns.state.pa.us
  22. "Election Results". Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  23. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_20031119.pdf
  25. "Art on the Avenue 2018 Photos". BerksLuxury.com. June 16, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  26. Community Television Review. National Federation of Local Cable Programmers. 1986. p. 23.
  27. Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
  28. "Reading Eagle". readingeagle.
  29. Montgomery, Morton L. Historical Sketch of Reading Artillerists: Read Upon the Occasion of Their 102d Anniversary in Metropolitan Hall, May 25, 1896. Chicago, Illinois: J.E. Norton & Company, 1897. OCLC 16413450
  30. Montgomery, Morton L. History of Berks County in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Everts, Peck & Richards, 1886. OCLC 11333191
  31. "Tolleson, Arizona". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  32. "Sands, William", in "Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War (S-Z):. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Army Center of Military History, retrieved online October 6, 2018.

Further reading

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