Berks County, Pennsylvania

History

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.

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

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 866 sqmi, 857 sqmi of which is land and 9.2 sqmi (1.1%) of which is water.

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. https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/

Adjacent counties

• Schuylkill County (north)
• Lehigh County (northeast)
• Montgomery County (east)
• Chester County (southeast)
• Lancaster County (southwest)
• Lebanon County (west)

National protected area

• Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in Elverson

State protected area

• French Creek State Park
• Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center

Major roads and highways

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2019

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 428,849. The median age was 40.4 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.0 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 72.1% White, 5.1% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% Asian,

73.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 26.6% lived in rural areas.

There were 161,485 households in the county, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.6% were married-couple households, 17.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 170,742 housing units, of which 5.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 69.7% were owner-occupied and 30.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.1%.

Racial and ethnic composition

2010 census

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.

There were 411,442 people, 154,356 households, and 106,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 479 PD/sqmi. There were 164,827 housing units at an average density of 191.9 /sqmi.

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.

Income

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

Cultural communities

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.

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. The Old Order Mennonites first bought land in the area in 1949. 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.

Metropolitan and Combined Statistical Area

The Office of Management and Budget has designated Berks County as the Reading, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2010 U.S. census 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

State Senate

• Judy Schwank, Democrat, Pennsylvania Senate, District 11
• Tracy Pennycuick, Republican, Pennsylvania Senate, District 24
• Dave Argall, Republican, Pennsylvania Senate, District 29
• Katie Muth, Democrat, Pennsylvania Senate, District 44

State House of Representatives

• Barry Jozwiak, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 5
• David H. Zimmerman, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 99
• Jamie Barton, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 124
• Mark Rozzi, Democrat, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 126
• Manny Guzman Jr., Democrat, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 127
• Mark Gillen, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 128
• Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, Democrat, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 129
• David Maloney, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 130

U.S. House of Representatives

• Madeleine Dean, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district

• Chrissy Houlahan, Democrat, Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district

• Dan Meuser, Republican, Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district U.S. Senate

• Dave McCormick, Republican

• John Fetterman, Democrat

Politics

As of September 21, 2023, there were 253,186 registered voters in Berks County.

• Republican: 107,690 (42.53%)
• Democratic: 104,430 (41.24%)
• Independent: 30,154 (11.91%)
• Minor parties: 10,912 (4.31%)

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.

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. 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%.

Education

Colleges and universities

• Albright College
• Alvernia University
• Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
• Penn State Berks
• Reading Area Community College

Public school districts

School districts include:

• Antietam School District
• Boyertown Area School District
• Brandywine Heights Area School District
• Conrad Weiser Area School District
• Daniel Boone Area School District
• Exeter Township School District
• Fleetwood Area School District
• Governor Mifflin School District
• Hamburg Area School District
• Kutztown Area School District
• Muhlenberg School District
• Oley Valley School District
• Reading School District
• Schuylkill Valley School District
• Tulpehocken Area School District
• Twin Valley School District
• Upper Perkiomen School District
• Wilson School District
• Wyomissing Area School District

Private high schools

• Berks Catholic High School in Reading
• Berks Christian School in Birdsboro
• Blue Mountain Academy, a Seventh-day Adventist boarding school in Tilden Township
• Conestoga Christian School in Morgantown, Pennsylvania
• Fairview Christian School in Reading
• Gateway Christian School in Mertztown
• Lighthouse Christian Academy in Lyons
• The King's Academy in Mohrsville
• Pine Forge Academy, a Seventh-day Adventist boarding school in Pine Forge

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)

Libraries

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.

The Berks County Public Library (BCPL) system consists of 19 member libraries and 4 branches:

• Bethel-Tulpehocken Public Library
• Boone Area Library
• Boyertown Community Library
• Brandywine Community Library
• Exeter Community Library
• Fleetwood Area Public Library
• Hamburg Public Library
• Kutztown Community Library
• Mifflin Community Library
• Muhlenberg Community Library
• Reading Public Library - Main Branch
• Reading Public Library - Northeast Branch
• Reading Public Library - Northwest Branch
• Reading Public Library - Southeast Branch
• Robesonia Community Library
• Schuylkill Valley Community Library
• Sinking Spring Public Library
• Spring Township Library
• Village Library
• Wernersville Public Library
• West Lawn-Wyomissing Hills Library
• Womelsdorf Community Library}} 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.

Arts and culture

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.

• French Creek State Park, a former Recreational Demonstration Area, straddles the Berks and Chester County line.
• Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center is south of Reading on land once owned by Jacob Nolde, a Reading businessman and Pennsylvania environmentalist.
• Ruth Zimmerman Natural Area, part of the William Penn Forest District in Oley.

There are two Pennsylvania Historic Sites in Berks County.

• Conrad Weiser Homestead near Womelsdorf
• Daniel Boone Homestead near Birdsboro

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.

Wyomissing is home to The Nicholas Stoltzfus Homestead, constructed in 1771 by Old Order Amish emigrants Nicholas Stoltzfus and his family. Stoltzfus was among the small group of families who fled Europe to settle in Pennsylvania, marking the Homestead as a culturally and historically significant site for the estimated one million descendants of Nicholas Stoltzfus.

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

Media

Berks County is home to several media outlets, including:

• Berks Community Television (BCTV)
• 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

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

• Reading (county seat)

Boroughs

• Adamstown (mostly in Lancaster County)
• Bally
• Bechtelsville
• Bernville
• Birdsboro
• Boyertown
• Centerport
• Fleetwood
• Hamburg
• Kenhorst
• Kutztown
• Laureldale
• Leesport
• Lenhartsville
• Lyons
• Mohnton
• Mount Penn
• New Morgan
• Robesonia
• St. Lawrence
• Shillington
• Shoemakersville
• Sinking Spring
• Topton
• Wernersville
• West Reading
• Womelsdorf
• Wyomissing

Townships

• Albany
• Alsace
• Amity
• Bern
• Bethel
• Brecknock
• Caernarvon
• Centre
• Colebrookdale
• Cumru
• District
• Douglass
• Earl
• Exeter
• Greenwich
• Heidelberg
• Hereford
• Jefferson
• Longswamp
• Lower Alsace
• Lower Heidelberg
• Maidencreek
• Marion
• Maxatawny
• Muhlenberg
• North Heidelberg
• Oley
• Ontelaunee
• Penn
• Perry
• Pike
• Richmond
• Robeson
• Rockland
• Ruscombmanor
• South Heidelberg
• Spring
• Tilden
• Tulpehocken
• Union
• Upper Bern
• Upper Tulpehocken
• Washington
• Windsor

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.

• Alleghenyville
• Alsace Manor
• Amity Gardens
• Baumstown
• Bethel
• Blandon
• Bowers
• Colony Park
• Dauberville
• Douglassville
• Dryville
• Edenburg
• Flying Hills
• Fox Chase
• Frystown
• Gibraltar
• Gouglersville
• Greenfields
• Grill
• Hereford
• Hyde Park
• Jacksonwald
• Kempton
• Kutztown University
• Lincoln Park
• Lorane
• Maxatawny
• Mertztown
• Mohrsville
• Montrose Manor
• Morgantown
• Mount Aetna
• Muhlenberg Park
• New Berlinville
• New Jerusalem
• New Schaefferstown
• Oley
• Pennside
• Penn State Berks
• Pennwyn
• Rehrersburg
• Reiffton
• Riverview Park
• Schubert
• Shartlesville
• South Temple
• Springmont
• Spring Ridge
• Stony Creek Mills
• Stouchsburg
• Strausstown
• Temple
• Virginville
• Walnuttown
• West Hamburg
• West Lawn
• West Wyomissing
• Whitfield

Unincorporated communities

• Brownsville
• Blue Marsh
• Cacoosing
• Geigertown
• Leinbachs
• North Heidelberg
• Pine Swamp
• Plowville
• Pricetown
• Scarlets Mill
• State Hill
• Wooltown

Population ranking

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

† county seat

CDP=census designated population

Notable people

• William Addams, former U.S. Congressman
• Priscilla Ahn, folk musician, singer, and songwriter
• Alex Anzalone (born 1994), Detroit Lions lineman
• John Barrasso, U.S. Senator
• Douglas Carter Beane, playwright
• Chad Billingsley, former professional baseball player, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies
• Daniel Boone, American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman
• Kenny Brightbill, professional race car driver
• Steve Burns, musician and former Blue's Clues host
• James Henry Carpenter, Civil War sailor, officer, founder of Carpenter Technology Corporation
• Jack Coggins, illustrator, author and artist, lived in Boyertown from 1948 to 2006
• Rocky Colavito, former Major League Baseball player
• Kerry Collins, professional football player (Panthers, Saints, Giants, Raiders, Titans, and Colts)
• Michael Constantine, actor, star of Room 222 and My Big Fat Greek Wedding
• Amy Cuddy, Harvard psychologist and TED Talks speaker
• Lisa Eichhorn, actress
• Wayne Ellington, NBA Basketball Player
• Carl Furillo, former professional baseball player, Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers
• John Henry Gilmore, Jr., former professional football player, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Jon Gosselin, reality television personality, Jon & Kate Plus 8
• Kate Gosselin, reality television personality, Jon & Kate Plus 8
• Chris Guiliano, Olympic swimmer
• Keith Haring, former artist
• Chad Henne, football professional football player, Miami Dolphins
• Chris Hero, professional wrestler
• Joseph Hiester, governor of Pennsylvania 1820–1823
• Tommy Hinnershitz (1912–1999), auto racing pioneer
• Chad Hurley, co-founder of YouTube
• Mildred Jordan (1901–1982), novelist
• Chip Kidd (born 1964), book jacket designer at Knopf Publishing Group
• Abraham Lincoln (1744–1786), grandfather of 16th U.S. president Abraham Lincoln
• Matt Lytle (born 1975), professional football player
• Donyell Marshall, former NBA player
• James H. Maurer (1864–1944), Labor leader and two-time Vice Presidential nominee
• Kelly McGillis, actress, [Top Gun/Witness/The Accused]
• Gordon McKellen, Jr., former U.S. figure skating champion and Hall of Fame member
• Morton L. Montgomery (1846–1933), Reading attorney and author of multiple history books about Berks County
• Lenny Moore, NFL Hall of Fame
• Thomas Morris, Democratic politician, served in the United States Senate
• Jillian Murray (b. June 4, 1989), model and actress
• Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, architect, founder of Muhlenberg Greene Architects, American military and political leader 1887–1980
• Jacob Nolde, conservationist
• Bodo Otto, Senior Surgeon of the Continental Army during the American Revolution (1711–1787)
• William Sands, U.S. Medal of Honor recipient (Civil War)
• Martin Cruz Smith, novelist
• Carl Spaatz, World War II general
• Wallace Stevens, major American Modernist poet (1879–1955)
• Taylor Swift (born 1989), Grammy Award-winning country/pop singer-songwriter
• Ross Tucker, professional football player
• John Updike, writer, 1932–2009
• Lonnie Walker, NBA player
• Gus Yatron, former U.S. Representative

Footnotes

References

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