Income to individuals from governmental programs (welfare/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, unemployment and food stamps), expressed on a per capita basis.
Per capita income from governmental programs is one measure of a region's overall poverty. It takes into account not just the relative frequency of poor individuals, but also the average level of poverty experienced.
In 2018, Berks County received $3,185 in public assistance income per resident. This was less than Pennsylvania as a whole, at $3,471, but more than the nation, at $2,659. Berks received more public assistance per resident in 2018 than any neighboring county except Lehigh, which was similar, at $3,217.
Between 2001 and 2018, public assistance per resident in Berks County increased 94% (after inflation), compared to 82% statewide and 53% nationally. The increase in Berks County was less than in neighboring Chester (106%) and Montgomery counties (99%), but more than Lancaster (90%) Lebanon (78%), Lehigh (75%) and Schuylkill (84%) counties.
Figures are in constant 2018 dollars. This data is from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Eligibility requirements for many public assistance programs vary from state to state. Families are eligible for temporary assistance benefits for up to 60 months, although most receive assistance for shorter periods.
There may be additional research available on this topic. Click on Reports and Resources to learn more.
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $1,734 | $1,861 | $1,937 | $2,039 | $2,093 | $2,010 | $2,080 | $2,101 | $2,345 | $2,488 | $2,450 | $2,436 | $2,472 | $2,579 | $2,709 | $2,734 | $2,701 | $2,659 |
| Pennsylvania | $1,909 | $1,989 | $2,091 | $2,245 | $2,411 | $2,241 | $2,302 | $2,301 | $2,511 | $2,747 | $2,757 | $2,729 | $2,772 | $2,875 | $3,058 | $3,368 | $3,176 | $3,471 |
| Berks County | $1,639 | $1,730 | $1,792 | $1,972 | $2,194 | $2,148 | $2,013 | $2,052 | $2,290 | $2,520 | $2,558 | $2,575 | $2,616 | $2,675 | $2,856 | $3,124 | $2,938 | $3,185 |
| Berks County Regions | ||||||||||||||||||
| Central | ||||||||||||||||||
| Northeast | ||||||||||||||||||
| South | ||||||||||||||||||
| Southeast | ||||||||||||||||||
| West | ||||||||||||||||||
| Reading city | ||||||||||||||||||
| Berks County Peers | ||||||||||||||||||
| Chester County | $838 | $872 | $924 | $1,007 | $1,112 | $1,057 | $1,103 | $1,072 | $1,231 | $1,405 | $1,414 | $1,386 | $1,394 | $1,466 | $1,548 | $1,675 | $1,565 | $1,725 |
| Lancaster County | $1,258 | $1,361 | $1,420 | $1,564 | $1,731 | $1,612 | $1,587 | $1,627 | $1,813 | $2,032 | $2,040 | $2,023 | $2,067 | $2,110 | $2,205 | $2,341 | $2,192 | $2,386 |
| Lebanon County | $1,521 | $1,633 | $1,632 | $1,847 | $1,996 | $1,794 | $1,736 | $1,803 | $1,981 | $2,161 | $2,176 | $2,151 | $2,243 | $2,271 | $2,417 | $2,670 | $2,493 | $2,705 |
| Lehigh County | $1,840 | $1,961 | $2,014 | $2,134 | $2,357 | $2,162 | $2,214 | $2,226 | $2,361 | $2,568 | $2,530 | $2,518 | $2,563 | $2,670 | $2,848 | $3,150 | $2,948 | $3,217 |
| Montgomery County | $1,120 | $1,178 | $1,260 | $1,376 | $1,445 | $1,316 | $1,390 | $1,386 | $1,572 | $1,761 | $1,744 | $1,741 | $1,738 | $1,891 | $2,025 | $2,157 | $2,009 | $2,225 |
| Schuylkill County | $1,684 | $1,789 | $1,868 | $2,079 | $2,173 | $2,033 | $2,069 | $2,101 | $2,221 | $2,349 | $2,431 | $2,350 | $2,363 | $2,577 | $2,728 | $2,971 | $2,829 | $3,101 |
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 494,117,890,627 | 535,335,278,505 | 561,798,688,734 | 597,168,071,556 | 618,566,672,084 | 599,856,757,659 | 626,686,008,787 | 638,816,403,938 | 719,457,248,181 | 768,087,596,934 | 763,495,265,903 | 764,547,832,387 | 781,279,865,224 | 821,042,755,550 | 869,042,300,143 | 883,218,001,275 | 878,211,697,173 | 869,928,000,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 23,482,111,593 | 24,529,944,923 | 25,874,976,908 | 27,856,097,097 | 30,018,741,248 | 28,039,685,038 | 28,926,244,597 | 29,026,896,441 | 31,810,128,061 | 34,889,149,011 | 35,136,962,373 | 34,842,532,825 | 35,415,858,267 | 36,763,814,539 | 39,104,885,259 | 43,053,606,989 | 40,626,355,873 | 44,455,183,000 |
| Berks County | 618,515,816 | 659,808,418 | 691,559,596 | 770,742,961 | 868,483,067 | 863,192,768 | 815,692,645 | 836,556,037 | 938,714,858 | 1,037,101,528 | 1,056,213,607 | 1,064,625,258 | 1,082,932,285 | 1,109,086,677 | 1,185,913,426 | 1,298,944,903 | 1,226,868,522 | 1,338,254,000 |
| Berks County Regions | ||||||||||||||||||
| Central | ||||||||||||||||||
| Northeast | ||||||||||||||||||
| South | ||||||||||||||||||
| Southeast | ||||||||||||||||||
| West | ||||||||||||||||||
| Reading city | ||||||||||||||||||
| Berks County Peers | ||||||||||||||||||
| Chester County | 369,633,474 | 390,681,455 | 420,598,766 | 466,234,847 | 523,011,008 | 506,245,912 | 536,263,413 | 526,897,486 | 611,167,450 | 701,124,886 | 712,059,072 | 701,372,429 | 709,521,149 | 751,919,809 | 797,334,675 | 865,695,429 | 812,215,180 | 900,697,000 |
| Lancaster County | 598,147,933 | 653,351,381 | 688,811,066 | 766,341,609 | 856,591,165 | 807,284,094 | 803,885,861 | 832,818,059 | 936,393,836 | 1,055,258,351 | 1,068,520,070 | 1,065,717,865 | 1,095,343,357 | 1,125,393,952 | 1,181,221,135 | 1,259,631,063 | 1,186,066,707 | 1,296,727,000 |
| Lebanon County | 184,018,469 | 198,786,295 | 200,977,036 | 230,267,379 | 251,861,735 | 230,203,837 | 226,058,307 | 237,226,913 | 263,389,808 | 288,652,826 | 292,654,710 | 291,476,567 | 304,548,768 | 310,114,005 | 332,306,213 | 369,732,765 | 347,988,899 | 382,221,000 |
| Lehigh County | 579,314,200 | 622,206,576 | 647,546,270 | 696,042,284 | 780,785,908 | 728,190,371 | 754,728,271 | 767,432,014 | 819,749,293 | 897,807,481 | 894,274,882 | 893,220,565 | 910,990,330 | 955,137,050 | 1,024,578,686 | 1,140,694,563 | 1,077,072,009 | 1,184,221,000 |
| Montgomery County | 850,662,891 | 902,278,119 | 973,480,427 | 1,068,543,367 | 1,125,891,529 | 1,028,741,535 | 1,091,331,208 | 1,093,810,583 | 1,250,497,340 | 1,408,579,958 | 1,404,375,780 | 1,407,790,096 | 1,412,665,375 | 1,542,571,252 | 1,655,348,130 | 1,769,114,399 | 1,656,918,967 | 1,843,491,000 |
| Schuylkill County | 251,176,476 | 266,022,672 | 276,082,594 | 305,785,582 | 319,439,476 | 300,959,711 | 306,986,064 | 311,899,006 | 329,510,270 | 348,285,787 | 358,617,756 | 345,665,037 | 346,561,442 | 374,610,158 | 393,224,427 | 426,417,470 | 403,670,484 | 440,588,000 |
| INDICATORS | TREND | BERKS COUNTY |
|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate |  Decreasing |
| Change in Labor Force | Decreasing |
| Employment to Population ratio | Decreasing |
| Change in Jobs by Sector | Not Applicable |
| Sector Share of Total Jobs | Not Applicable |
| Average Salary by Sector | Not Applicable |
| Change in Average Salary by Sector | Not Applicable |
| People Entering/Leaving County/Region for Work | Not Applicable |
| Public Assistance |  Maintaining |
| Spending for Local Governments | Maintaining |
| Spending for Counties | Maintaining |
| Spending for School Districts | Maintaining |
Increasing
Children & Youth
Demographics
Economy
Education
Financial Self-Sufficiency
Health
Housing
Living
Public Safety
Transportation