COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Berks County

Pennsylvania · 336,523 residents · 856 sq mi

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The short version

Berks County is home to 336,523 people in Pennsylvania. Owners hold 74% of the housing stock. Poverty is uncommon here, at 8.0% of people here. 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. There are 37,115 fewer people here than in 2000. Median home value sits at $80,900.

At a glance

Wealthier

above the US median

US median: $30,130

Older

median age 35.5

US median: 33.0

Less educated

15% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

Stable housing

home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

336,523

−10%vs 2000

vs 373,638 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

35.5

−5%vs 2000

vs 37.4 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

856 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

2024433K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 56.7%(22,398)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 96.7%(22,535)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 146.2%(20,929)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 196.7%(22,452)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 247%(23,455)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3416%(54,000)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4414.7%(49,501)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 5410.4%(34,934)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 6410%(33,661)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 748.9%(29,998)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 845.2%(17,622)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.5%(5,038)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$32,048

−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $44,714 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$14,604

−31%vs 2000

vs $21,232 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

8.0%

−1.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 9.4% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$80,900

+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $104,400 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$413

Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $545 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

73.9%

−0.1 ptsvs 2000

vs 74.0% in 2000

26.1% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic84.8%(317,025)

Black3.3%(12,478)

Hispanic / Latino9.7%(36,357)

Asian1%(3,713)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic93.7%(315,186)

Black2.9%(9,844)

Hispanic / Latino4.8%(16,290)

Asian0.7%(2,490)

Other2.7%(9,003)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Puerto Rican10.5%(45,598)

Dominican7%(30,304)

Mexican3.9%(16,889)

South American1.2%(5,276)

Central American1%(4,419)

Colombian0.6%(2,430)

Guatemalan0.4%(1,638)

Salvadoran0.4%(1,526)

Spaniard0.3%(1,456)

Peruvian0.3%(1,143)

Cuban0.2%(1,025)

Ecuadorian0.2%(914)

+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data

Nicaraguan0.1%(600)

Honduran0.1%(515)

Venezuelan0.1%(392)

Argentine0%(161)

Chilean0%(150)

Panamanian0%(92)

Uruguayan0%(79)

Costa Rican0%(48)

Paraguayan0%(7)

Asian origin

Asian Indian0.3%(1,452)

Vietnamese0.2%(1,039)

Chinese0.2%(930)

Filipino0.2%(741)

Korean0.1%(490)

Pakistani0.1%(380)

Laotian0%(140)

Japanese0%(123)

Nepalese0%(105)

Sri Lankan0%(67)

Kazakh0%(49)

Cambodian0%(29)

+ 6 more asian origin groups with data

Hmong0%(28)

Bhutanese0%(19)

Thai0%(18)

Taiwanese0%(14)

Bangladeshi0%(7)

Burmese0%(6)

Pacific Islander origin

Native Hawaiian0%(111)

Fijian0%(54)

Chamorro0%(11)

Samoan0%(3)

Ancestry

German27.9%(120,786)

Irish10.1%(43,526)

Italian8.2%(35,528)

English6.3%(27,356)

Polish4.6%(19,825)

American3.7%(16,003)

Dutch1.3%(5,702)

French1.2%(5,264)

Scottish1%(4,444)

Welsh1%(4,312)

Swiss0.7%(3,013)

West Indian0.7%(2,994)

+ 49 more ancestry groups with data

Hungarian0.7%(2,987)

Subsaharan African0.6%(2,494)

Ukrainian0.6%(2,445)

Slovak0.5%(2,257)

Scotch-Irish0.5%(2,060)

Greek0.5%(1,993)

Russian0.4%(1,873)

Swedish0.4%(1,768)

Norwegian0.3%(1,386)

Lithuanian0.3%(1,346)

Romanian0.3%(1,312)

Arab0.3%(1,217)

Haitian0.3%(1,189)

Jamaican0.2%(960)

French Canadian0.2%(913)

Nigerian0.2%(865)

Austrian0.2%(833)

British0.2%(760)

Czech0.2%(664)

Canadian0.1%(464)

Portuguese0.1%(445)

Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.1%(437)

Danish0.1%(430)

Lebanese0.1%(396)

Turkish0.1%(385)

Egyptian0.1%(369)

Belgian0.1%(307)

Syrian0.1%(303)

Guyanese0.1%(283)

Brazilian0.1%(222)

Bulgarian0%(176)

Slovene0%(143)

Finnish0%(122)

Croatian0%(119)

Moroccan0%(105)

Latvian0%(92)

Armenian0%(76)

Ghanaian0%(64)

Kenyan0%(58)

Serbian0%(41)

Barbadian0%(35)

Palestinian0%(31)

Somali0%(27)

Iranian0%(19)

Israeli0%(12)

Jordanian0%(10)

Australian0%(10)

Ethiopian0%(9)

Macedonian0%(2)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Puerto Rican population · Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population · Largest Dominican population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

15.1%

−3.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 18.5% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

70.0%

−8.1 ptsvs 2000

vs 78.0% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

5.1%

−1.3 ptsvs 2000

vs 6.5% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

18.6 min

+24%vs 2000

vs 15.0 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married36.7%(64,170)

Married50.8%(88,966)

Widowed2.9%(5,031)

Divorced9.6%(16,792)

Women 15+

Never married31.3%(56,489)

Married48%(86,711)

Widowed9.3%(16,718)

Divorced11.4%(20,643)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

7.3%

−3.0 ptssince 2013

from 10.3% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

56.6%

−2.2 ptssince 2020

from 58.8% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

13.7%

−0.5 ptssince 2020

from 14.2% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

19.2%

+0.6 ptssince 2020

from 18.6% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

22.1%

+1.5 ptssince 2020

from 20.6% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

1.7%

−0.1 ptssince 2020

from 1.8% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

68.2%

−3.0 ptssince 2020

from 71.2% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

38.7%

+1.8 ptssince 2020

from 36.9% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

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, 2024

Gulf War (2001 or later)19.1%(3,610)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)20.9%(3,953)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era35.7%(6,757)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War5.6%(1,055)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II1.2%(230)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 18,922 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.

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