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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, 76% 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 increased by 26% in real terms since 2011, which is a larger increase than that experienced by neighboring counties, the state or the nation. The level of giving (an average of $4,293) is still lower than the average for the state of Pennsylvania or for the country as a whole. When considered in terms of residents’ income, Berks County residents contributed 1.6% of their income, a similar rate to the state and the country. However, while that rate has been fairly constant for Pennsylvania and the U.S., this share represents a slight increase from the 1.4% of income donated in 2011.
Tourism can bring important economic activity to an area, providing jobs as well as the potential for regional pride. Over $923 million was spent on travel and tourism in Berks County in 2017, good for $2,213 per county resident. Tourism spending increased by only 6% from 2005 to 2017, while the state as whole experienced a 13% increase.
Access to the Internet is crucial for households to communicate and search for jobs. In 2014-18, 81% 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 (both 88%) 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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