HomePennsylvaniaBerks County
Berks County, Pennsylvania: commercial real estate data.
Berks County, Pennsylvania had an estimated 439,117 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 428,850, across 857 square miles. County output reached $26.58 bn in 2024, 8,521 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 376 7(a) approvals worth $186.8 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Berks County
How many people live in Berks County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024433,015
- Households163,236
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$79,777
- Median age39.9
- Median gross rent$1,181 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$257,300
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher27.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over296,613
- Population under 1895,140
- Share under 1822.0 percent
- Population 65 and over78,100
- Share 65 and over18.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64259,775
- Civilian labor force224,734
- Unemployment rate5.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.5 percent
- Rank by population among Pennsylvania counties9th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included166th of 3,222
Berks County is the 9th largest of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.0 percent against 18.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Berks County
Is Berks County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024439,117
- Census 2020 base population428,850
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.39 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20243,833
- Births, 20244,528
- Deaths, 20244,133
- Natural change, 2024395
- Net domestic migration, 2024-115
- Net international migration, 20243,558
- Total net migration, 20243,443
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,424
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1041st of 3,144
The county has grown 2.39 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Berks County
Where are people moving to Berks County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving7,935
- People arriving, from those returns13,629
- Tax returns filed by households leaving8,157
- Net household movement-222
- Adjusted gross income arriving$494.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-66.2 m
- Average income of an arriving household$62,310
- Average income of a leaving household$68,736
- Largest single originMontgomery County (1,125 households)
- Largest single destinationMontgomery County (797 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | 1,125 | 1,888 | $65.7 m |
| Lancaster County | 652 | 1,111 | $37.2 m |
| Lehigh County | 568 | 964 | $31.6 m |
| Chester County | 494 | 831 | $34.4 m |
| Bronx County | 347 | 633 | $12.5 m |
| Philadelphia County | 336 | 590 | $18.6 m |
| Lebanon County | 294 | 508 | $14.5 m |
| Schuylkill County | 245 | 396 | $11.5 m |
Households arriving report $6,426 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Montgomery County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Berks County
What is the Berks County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$26.58 bn
- County GDP, 2023$25.40 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.7 percent
- GDP change over five years28.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Pennsylvania areas BEA publishes11th of 67
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes212th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$61,384
Output grew 4.7 percent in the latest year and 28.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Berks County
Employment by industry in Berks County
- Covered employment, annual average173,692
- Establishments reporting8,917
- Average annual pay$63,608
- Average weekly wage$1,223
- Manufacturing, employment31,477
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$77,957
- Health care and social assistance, employment29,387
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$67,565
- Retail trade, employment18,583
- Retail trade, average annual pay$35,694
- Accommodation and food services, employment12,602
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$22,041
- Transportation and warehousing, employment10,444
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment8,718
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 31,477 | 508 | $77,957 |
| Health care and social assistance | 29,387 | 1,122 | $67,565 |
| Retail trade | 18,583 | 1,094 | $35,694 |
| Accommodation and food services | 12,602 | 770 | $22,041 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 10,444 | 312 | $55,987 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 8,718 | 512 | $41,709 |
| Construction | 7,460 | 884 | $78,831 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 6,209 | 736 | $88,499 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 31,477 jobs, 18.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Berks County
How many businesses are in Berks County?
- Establishments, all industries8,521
- Employment at those establishments172,167
- Annual payroll$9.90 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Berks County
Building permits in Berks County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024397
- Declared construction value permitted$79.7 m
- Single family units authorized214
- Multifamily units authorized183
- Multifamily share of units46.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$200,733
- Units authorized per 1,000 households2.4
Multifamily is 46.1 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Berks County
SBA loans in Berks County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded376
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$186.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$496,858
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,440,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3,624
- Jobs per approval9.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active55
- Distinct industries receiving approvals157
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms58
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter304
- Franchise loans39
- Franchise share of approvals10.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countPlumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (19)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (82)
- 504 approvals recorded97
- 504 gross approval dollars$80.4 m
- Average 504 approval$828,794
- Median 504 approval$482,000
- Distinct CDCs active7
- 504 jobs per approval12.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.5
- Most active CDCSouth Eastern Economic Development Company of Pennsylvania (65)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$267.2 m
The average approval of $496,858 sits well above the median of $150,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 15.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Berks County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Berks County
Do SBA loans in Berks County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded68
- Paid in full64
- Charged off4
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans5.9 percent
- Status: Paid in full64
- Status: Cancelled38
- Status: Exempt from disclosure251
- Status: Charged off4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed19
Of the 68 loans that have reached a final outcome, 5.9 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Berks County
SBA lending by place in Berks County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending35
- Reading, approvals157
- Wyomissing, approvals20
- Birdsboro, approvals20
- Kutztown, approvals16
- Hamburg, approvals15
- Temple, approvals14
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 157 | $83,842,700 |
| Wyomissing | 20 | $13,187,300 |
| Birdsboro | 20 | $10,002,500 |
| Kutztown | 16 | $8,757,400 |
| Hamburg | 15 | $2,632,000 |
| Temple | 14 | $10,621,000 |
| Boyertown | 13 | $4,216,500 |
| Mohnton | 12 | $5,947,200 |
| 27 other borrower cities | 109 | $47,612,000 |
Reading accounts for 157 approvals against 20 in Wyomissing. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Berks County
How large is Berks County?
- Land area857 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Pennsylvania counties19th of 67
- Width, east to west47.9 mi
- Height, north to south37.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land505
- Establishments per square mile9.94
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Berks County
Flood risk in Berks County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book73
- Of those, participating in the NFIP73
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Berks County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Berks County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Berks County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Berks County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024433,015
- Households163,236
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$79,777
- Median age39.9
Common questions
Berks County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Berks County, Pennsylvania?
The Census Bureau estimates 439,117 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 433,015, in 163,236 households, ranking 9th of 67 Pennsylvania counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Berks County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.39 percent since the 2020 census base of 428,850, to 439,117 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 4,528 births against 4,133 deaths, with net migration of 3,443. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Berks County?
$79,777. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $257,300, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,181 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Berks County?
8,521 establishments, employing 172,167 people with an annual payroll of $9.90 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Berks County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 31,477 jobs, 18.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 173,692 jobs at an average annual pay of $63,608, or $1,223 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Berks County?
376 7(a) approvals totaling $186.8 m since FY2020, across 55 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 97 504 approvals worth $80.4 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Berks County get paid back?
Of the 68 loans that have reached a final outcome, 64 were paid in full and 4 charged off, a charge-off rate of 5.9 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Berks County?
397 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $79.7 m. Multifamily was 46.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Berks County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Berks County come from?
The largest single origin is Montgomery County, with 1,125 households. Arriving households report an average income of $62,310 against $68,736 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Berks County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Berks County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Berks County
Cities and places in Berks.
86 Census places lie wholly or partly in Berks County. All 86 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | city | 95,242 | 157 | Wholly in this county |
| Wyomissing | borough | 11,172 | 20 | Wholly in this county |
| Blandon | CDP | 7,357 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Shillington | borough | 5,492 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Pennside | CDP | 5,407 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Whitfield | CDP | 5,226 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Birdsboro | borough | 5,116 | 20 | Wholly in this county |
| Lorane | CDP | 4,601 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Reiffton | CDP | 4,575 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| West Reading | borough | 4,562 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Amity Gardens | CDP | 4,499 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hamburg | borough | 4,456 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Boyertown | borough | 4,287 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Laureldale | borough | 4,284 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sinking Spring | borough | 4,281 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Kutztown University | CDP | 4,182 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kutztown | borough | 4,180 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Fleetwood | borough | 4,064 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Jacksonwald | CDP | 3,894 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Riverview Park | CDP | 3,619 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| West Wyomissing | CDP | 3,289 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mount Penn | borough | 3,244 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kenhorst | borough | 3,009 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mohnton | borough | 2,922 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Womelsdorf | borough | 2,904 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Hyde Park | CDP | 2,846 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wernersville | borough | 2,786 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Robesonia | borough | 2,261 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Topton | borough | 2,215 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Leesport | borough | 2,166 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Temple | CDP | 2,135 | 14 | Wholly in this county |
| Grill | CDP | 1,903 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| West Hamburg | CDP | 1,896 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| South Temple | CDP | 1,882 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| St. Lawrence | borough | 1,851 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lincoln Park | CDP | 1,801 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Flying Hills | CDP | 1,738 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fox Chase | CDP | 1,575 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hereford | CDP | 1,452 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| New Berlinville | CDP | 1,432 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Shoemakersville | borough | 1,394 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| West Lawn | CDP | 1,384 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Morgantown | CDP | 1,381 | 10 | 88.4 percent here, 11.6 percent Lancaster County |
| Springmont | CDP | 1,319 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Muhlenberg Park | CDP | 1,259 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Colony Park | CDP | 1,175 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bally | borough | 1,161 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Oley | CDP | 1,153 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Stony Creek Mills | CDP | 1,081 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Greenfields | CDP | 986 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Alleghenyville | CDP | 932 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Spring Ridge | CDP | 917 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bechtelsville | borough | 914 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Penn State Berks | CDP | 872 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dauberville | CDP | 854 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bernville | borough | 802 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Gouglersville | CDP | 694 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Edenburg | CDP | 691 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| New Jerusalem | CDP | 645 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Montrose Manor | CDP | 630 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bethel | CDP | 587 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Mount Aetna | CDP | 544 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mertztown | CDP | 530 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lyons | borough | 466 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Stouchsburg | CDP | 452 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Walnuttown | CDP | 426 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gibraltar | CDP | 398 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Shartlesville | CDP | 387 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Pennwyn | CDP | 384 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Centerport | borough | 342 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mohrsville | CDP | 341 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Virginville | CDP | 336 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Strausstown | CDP | 302 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Douglassville | CDP | 279 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Dryville | CDP | 256 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Alsace Manor | CDP | 246 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Baumstown | CDP | 221 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lenhartsville | borough | 197 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| New Schaefferstown | CDP | 189 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kempton | CDP | 148 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rehrersburg | CDP | 145 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bowers | CDP | 103 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Frystown | CDP | 99 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| New Morgan | borough | 75 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Maxatawny | CDP | 49 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Schubert | CDP | 39 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 9 of the county's 376 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Berks County, the largest being Barto (3), Easton (1), Bechtelsviile (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.