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Quality of life in a community is made up of many components – including physical assets such as the environment and technology, and a community’s residents and their level of involvement.
Berks County residents’ engagement in their community and political process is increasing. Of voting-age residents, 77% of voting-age Berks residents were registered to vote and 44% voted in the 2018 election. While both voter registration and participation have increased in Berks County since 2000, they are both below state levels. When comparing to neighboring counties, Chester and Montgomery both had higher voter registration and voter participation than Berks County, while in contrast Schuylkill County had lower voter registration and participation.
Another measure of residents’ engagement in their community is the level of charitable giving, which shows residents’ willingness to invest in programs and organizations that serve their community. The average charitable donation in Berks County is lower than the average for the state of Pennsylvania or for the country as a whole, but higher than most neighboring counties. When considered in terms of residents’ income, Berks County residents contributed 1.0% of their income, a similar rate to the state and the country.
Tourism can bring important economic activity to an area, providing jobs as well as the potential for regional pride. Over $948 million was spent on travel and tourism in Berks County in 2018, good for $2,253 per county resident. Tourism spending increased by only 6% from 2005 to 2018, while the state as whole experienced a 14% increase.
Access to the Internet is crucial for households to communicate and search for jobs. In 2015-19, 83% of households in Berks County had access to the Internet, similar to Pennsylvania and the U.S. When compared to neighboring counties, Berks had a similar share of households with internet access, though Chester and Montgomery (89% and 90% respectively) counties had higher rates of access.
Beyond jobs and community engagement, environmental factors can affect community life. In 2018, there were 658 pounds per square mile of toxic chemical releases in Berks County. This was higher than the state and nation. A "release" of a chemical means that it is emitted to the air or water, or placed in some type of land disposal. For more information regarding the toxic release inventory data view the Factors to Consider When Using TRI Data.
| INDICATORS | TREND | BERKS COUNTY |
|---|---|
| Tourism Spending |  Maintaining |
| Voter Registration Rate |  Decreasing |
| Voter Participation Rate | Decreasing |
| Average Charitable Giving | Maintaining |
| Contributions as a Percentage of Income | Maintaining |
| Households With Internet Access | Not Applicable |
| Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Establishments | Maintaining |
| Toxic Chemical Releases | Decreasing |
Increasing
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