Median household income, in 2019 dollars. Half of incomes are below the median and half are above.
Median household income is a gauge of the overall economic health of the region and the financial resources of its residents.
In 2015-19, the median household income in Berks County was $63,700, higher than the state, at $61,700, and the U.S., at $62,800. The county's median income declined 7% since 2000 (after inflation), a larger drop than both the state and national levels, which experienced 0% and 2% declines over the same period, respectively. Median income was lowest in the Central region of the county, at $40,500. The Central region also experienced the largest decline since 2000, at 14%. All other parts of the county had much higher median incomes, ranging from $68,600 in the western part of the county to $78,300 in the Southeast. In the City of Reading, the median income in 2015-19 was $32,200, a 21% decline since 2000.
Median household income in 2015-19 was significantly higher than Berks in Chester ($100,200) and Montgomery ($91,500) counties. Income was similar to Berks in Lancaster ($66,100), Lehigh ($63,900) and Lebanon ($60,300). Only Schuylkill's median income was significantly lower than Berks', at $52,300, an increase of 5% since 2000. All the neighboring counties except Schuylkill had smaller decreases in median household income than Berks, ranging from 0% to 5%.
For additional detail as to how the Berks County regions are defined and which boroughs and townships are included in each, see the About Us page.
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Figures are in constant 2019 dollars. The multiyear figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined 5 years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. Data for this indicator are released annually in December.
2000 | 2010-14 | 2015-19 | |
---|---|---|---|
United States | $64,442 | $57,757 | $62,843 |
Pennsylvania | $61,545 | $57,360 | $61,744 |
Berks County | $68,616 | $60,258 | $63,728 |
Berks County Regions | |||
Central | $47,303 | $36,852 | $40,465 |
Northeast | $77,080 | $69,434 | $73,900 |
South | $79,940 | $70,977 | $75,909 |
Southeast | $80,434 | $74,453 | $78,292 |
West | $75,395 | $66,074 | $68,621 |
Reading city | $40,970 | $29,014 | $32,176 |
Berks County Peers | |||
Chester County | $100,199 | $92,974 | $100,214 |
Lancaster County | $69,833 | $61,685 | $66,056 |
Lebanon County | $62,668 | $60,663 | $60,281 |
Lehigh County | $66,675 | $60,131 | $63,897 |
Montgomery County | $93,345 | $86,314 | $91,546 |
Schuylkill County | $50,178 | $48,618 | $52,280 |
INDICATORS | TREND | BERKS COUNTY |
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Median Household Income | ![]() |
Median Household Income by Household Type | Not Applicable |
Living Wage | Not Applicable |
People Living in Poverty | ![]() |
Working Poor | ![]() |
People Receiving Federal Food Assistance | ![]() |
People Receiving Supplemental Security Income | ![]() |