CensusEasy
COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Berkshire County

Massachusetts · 129,026 residents · 927 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Pittsfield metro area
Compare
The short version

Berkshire County is a county of 129,026 people in Massachusetts. At a median age of 47.8, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Households here earn about 26% less than in Massachusetts as a whole. The foreign-born share is 6%. The average commute runs 20 minutes. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $221,000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 47.8
US median: 38.8
Average education
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 28%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
129,026
−4%since 2000
from 134,953 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
47.8
+18%since 2000
from 40.5 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
927 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
125K129K133K137K141K19902000201020202024Berkshire County
2024129K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 53.9%(5,079)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.6%(5,951)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 145.2%(6,751)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.1%(7,874)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.9%(7,651)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3410.8%(13,893)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4410.6%(13,643)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.1%(15,585)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6416.4%(21,107)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7414%(18,073)
US avg: 10%
75 to 847.2%(9,235)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over3.2%(4,184)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$62,166
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,047 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$37,025
+70%since 2000
from $21,807 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
41.7%
+11.0 ptssince 2009
from 30.6% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
9.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2000
from 9.5% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information11.3%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade7.7%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade6.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services5.1%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance3.9%
US avg: 5.5%
Public administration3.8%
US avg: 4.7%
Professional, scientific, technical2.9%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
US avg: 2%
Transportation & warehousing1.3%
US avg: 2.5%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.8%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$221,000
+28%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $115,100 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$894
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $499 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
66.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2000
from 66.9% in 2000
33.3% rent
Persons per household
2.17 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.24 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.6
−12%since 2009
from 4.1 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic94.1%(126,961)
Black1.9%(2,570)
Hispanic / Latino1.7%(2,286)
Asian1%(1,312)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic84.7%(109,263)
Black3.1%(4,064)
Hispanic / Latino5.5%(7,064)
Asian1.5%(1,999)
Other3.1%(3,995)
Segregation Score
31
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican2.2%(2,770)
Central American0.8%(1,037)
Mexican0.6%(745)
Salvadoran0.2%(298)
Honduran0.2%(288)
Ecuadorian0.2%(243)
Guatemalan0.2%(206)
Dominican0.2%(193)
Colombian0.1%(151)
Spaniard0.1%(134)
Costa Rican0.1%(98)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0.1%(90)
Cuban0.1%(83)
Peruvian0%(56)
Argentine0%(41)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.4%(519)
Chinese0.3%(386)
Korean0.3%(320)
Nepalese0.2%(296)
Filipino0.1%(178)
Vietnamese0.1%(160)
Japanese0.1%(87)
Thai0.1%(84)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Pacific Islander origin
Fijian0%(30)
Chamorro0%(13)
Ancestry
Irish17.5%(22,097)
Italian14.3%(18,003)
English12%(15,075)
German10.2%(12,818)
French10%(12,610)
Polish7.4%(9,290)
American4.3%(5,397)
French Canadian3.6%(4,532)
Scottish2.2%(2,776)
Russian1.3%(1,591)
Dutch1.2%(1,511)
Swedish1.1%(1,333)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Portuguese0.7%(906)
Greek0.7%(897)
Welsh0.6%(815)
Norwegian0.6%(806)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(755)
Lebanese0.5%(648)
British0.5%(596)
West Indian0.4%(566)
Canadian0.4%(560)
Ukrainian0.4%(515)
Lithuanian0.4%(481)
Danish0.4%(473)
Hungarian0.4%(462)
Austrian0.3%(423)
Finnish0.3%(394)
Czech0.3%(380)
Swiss0.2%(266)
Haitian0.2%(238)
Romanian0.2%(215)
Jamaican0.2%(214)
Armenian0.1%(184)
Slovak0.1%(136)
Belgian0.1%(106)
Serbian0.1%(105)
Ghanaian0.1%(97)
Croatian0.1%(78)
Brazilian0.1%(76)
Iranian0.1%(72)
Latvian0%(54)
Egyptian0%(52)
Syrian0%(51)
Arab0%(26)
Guyanese0%(26)
Moroccan0%(21)
Israeli0%(18)
Ethiopian0%(16)
Slovene0%(15)
Barbadian0%(15)
Turkish0%(9)
Kenyan0%(7)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
35.3%
+9.4 ptssince 2000
from 26.0% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
92.9%
+7.8 ptssince 2000
from 85.1% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
16.0%
+5.0 ptssince 2000
from 11.0% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.4 min
+55%since 2000
from 13.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
76.9%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 78.8% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
9.1%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.9% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.1%
−3.2 ptssince 2011
from 8.4% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
61.7%
−1.3 ptssince 2011
from 62.9% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
78.7%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
41.6%
+5.2 ptssince 2009
from 36.4% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 48.0% in 2009
Female
51.5%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 52.0% in 2009
Foreign born
5.6%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
2.6%
−0.7 ptssince 2013
from 3.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
90.4%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
87.0%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married38%(20,881)
Married47.5%(26,058)
Widowed3.4%(1,852)
Divorced11.1%(6,111)
Women 15+
Never married31.9%(18,560)
Married45.4%(26,360)
Widowed9%(5,256)
Divorced13.6%(7,928)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
2.6%
−0.7 ptssince 2013
from 3.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
56.4%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
17.4%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
25.9%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
25.2%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.4%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
71.2%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
45.7%
US average: 35.2%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)11.7%(926)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)13.9%(1,100)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era38.6%(3,052)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War10.3%(814)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II4.8%(376)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 7,908 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

Places similar to Berkshire County

Newton County
Pop 125,583
Clark County
Pop 130,451
Tazewell County
Pop 130,049
Carroll County
Pop 131,036
Places similar to Berkshire County
Head to head

Compare Berkshire County to nearby counties

BERKSHIRE COUNTY VS
Columbia County
Income$81,528+31%
Home value$347,100+57%
Population60,168−53%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BERKSHIRE COUNTY VS
Rensselaer County
Income$87,915+41%
Home value$258,400+17%
Population160,510+25%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BERKSHIRE COUNTY VS
Hampshire County
Income$87,001+40%
Home value$390,300+77%
Population164,065+28%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BERKSHIRE COUNTY VS
Hampden County
Income$71,306+15%
Home value$298,800+35%
Population464,338+262%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Berkshire County, Massachusetts?

Berkshire County, Massachusetts has about 129,026 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Berkshire County, Massachusetts?

The typical household in Berkshire County, Massachusetts earns about $62,166 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Berkshire County, Massachusetts expensive?

In Berkshire County, Massachusetts, the median home is worth about $221,000, and the typical rent is about $894 a month.

How educated are people in Berkshire County, Massachusetts?

About 35.3% of adults age 25 and over in Berkshire County, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Berkshire County, Massachusetts?

About 9.7% of people in Berkshire County, Massachusetts live below the federal poverty line.

Has Berkshire County, Massachusetts grown since 1990?

Yes, Berkshire County, Massachusetts has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 10,326 residents, a change of about -7 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →