HomeMassachusettsBerkshire County
Berkshire County, Massachusetts: commercial real estate data.
Berkshire County, Massachusetts has a population of 129,430 across 927 square miles, down 0.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $9.17 bn in 2024, 3,749 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 155 7(a) approvals worth $50.0 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Berkshire County
How many people live in Berkshire County
- Population129,430
- Households57,585
- Average household size2.25
- Median household income$76,013
- Median age47.3
- Median gross rent$1,097 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$305,400
- Home value to household income4.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher40.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree18.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over96,087
- Population under 1820,662
- Share under 1816.0 percent
- Population 65 and over32,417
- Share 65 and over25.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6476,351
- Civilian labor force67,495
- Unemployment rate5.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.1 percent
- Rank by population among Massachusetts counties11th of 14
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents510th
Berkshire County is the 11th largest of 14 Massachusetts counties by population. A median home costs 4.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.0 percent against 16.0 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Berkshire County
Is Berkshire County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.23 percent
- Census 2020 base population129,028
- Births, 2024814
- Deaths, 20241,682
- Natural change, 2024-868
- Net domestic migration, 2024196
- Net international migration, 2024538
- Total net migration, 2024734
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024861
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1925th
The county has lost 0.23 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Berkshire County
Where people moving to Berkshire County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,194
- People arriving, from those returns3,384
- Adjusted gross income arriving$269.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$122,669
- Largest single originBerkshire County Non-migrants (53,605 households)
- Largest single destination (53,605 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire County Non-migrants | 53,605 | 95,305 | $4.85 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,134 | 1,752 | $126.6 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 440 | 674 | $56.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 385 | 614 | $36.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 208 | 310 | $23.7 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 101 | 154 | $10.1 m |
| Hampden County | 100 | 157 | $4.9 m |
| Middlesex County | 95 | 158 | $13.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Berkshire County Non-migrants, 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.
Berkshire County
What the Berkshire County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$9.17 bn
- County GDP, 2023$8.79 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.2 percent
- GDP change over five years25.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Massachusetts counties11th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents475th
- GDP per resident$70,812
Output grew 4.2 percent in the latest year and 25.9 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.
Berkshire County
Who employs people in Berkshire County
- Covered employment, annual average57,946
- Establishments reporting5,475
- Average annual pay$62,257
- Average weekly wage$1,197
- Sector 62, employment12,092
- Sector 62, average annual pay$65,619
- Sector 44-45, employment7,212
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$40,300
- Sector 72, employment6,560
- Sector 72, average annual pay$31,285
- Sector 31-33, employment3,298
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$75,896
- Sector 61, employment3,001
- Sector 23, employment2,871
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 12,092 | 1,456 | $65,619 |
| Sector 44-45 | 7,212 | 548 | $40,300 |
| Sector 72 | 6,560 | 444 | $31,285 |
| Sector 31-33 | 3,298 | 139 | $75,896 |
| Sector 61 | 3,001 | 92 | $68,029 |
| Sector 23 | 2,871 | 522 | $72,941 |
| Sector 54 | 2,757 | 503 | $108,012 |
| Sector 56 | 2,244 | 290 | $57,697 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 12,092 jobs, 20.9 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Berkshire County
What businesses operate in Berkshire County
- Establishments, all industries3,749
- Employment at those establishments50,051
- Annual payroll$2.86 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents29.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Berkshire County
What is being built in Berkshire County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024127
- Declared construction value permitted$67.5 m
- Single family units authorised108
- Multifamily units authorised19
- Multifamily share of units15.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$531,802
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.2
Multifamily is 15.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Berkshire County
How much SBA lending happens in Berkshire County
- 7(a) approvals recorded155
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$50.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$322,743
- Median 7(a) approval$93,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$876,400
- Largest single approval$4,600,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,279
- Jobs per approval8.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active31
- Distinct industries receiving approvals83
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms23
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter130
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals0.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (9)
- Most active lenderLee Bank (24)
- 504 approvals recorded111
- 504 gross approval dollars$80.1 m
- Average 504 approval$721,604
- Median 504 approval$339,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval5.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved8.1
- Most active CDCGranite State Economic Development Corporation (50)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals58.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$130.1 m
The average approval of $322,743 sits well above the median of $93,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 14.8 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.
Berkshire County
Do SBA loans in Berkshire County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded29
- Paid in full28
- Charged off1
- Charge off rate on resolved loans3.4 percent
- Status: Cancelled24
- Status: Exempt from disclosure100
- Status: Paid in full28
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Of the 29 loans that have reached a final outcome, 3.4 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.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Berkshire County
Which parts of Berkshire County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending25
- PITTSFIELD, approvals39
- GREAT BARRINGTON, approvals19
- LEE, approvals16
- WILLIAMSTOWN, approvals12
- NORTH ADAMS, approvals10
- LENOX, approvals10
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| PITTSFIELD | 39 | $9,159,000 |
| GREAT BARRINGTON | 19 | $7,761,100 |
| LEE | 16 | $10,552,600 |
| WILLIAMSTOWN | 12 | $3,196,500 |
| NORTH ADAMS | 10 | $1,370,700 |
| LENOX | 10 | $7,870,100 |
| Dalton | 9 | $1,712,500 |
| ADAMS | 6 | $2,393,800 |
PITTSFIELD accounts for 39 approvals against 19 in GREAT BARRINGTON. 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.
Berkshire County
How big is Berkshire County
- Land area927 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Massachusetts counties2nd of 14
- Width, east to west28.6 mi
- Height, north to south48.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land140
- Establishments per square mile4.04
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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Berkshire 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 Berkshire County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population129,430
- Households57,585
- Average household size2.25
- Median household income$76,013
- Median age47.3
Common questions
Berkshire County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Berkshire County, Massachusetts?
129,430, in 57,585 households, ranking 11th of 14 Massachusetts counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Berkshire County growing?
The population has fallen 0.23 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 814 births against 1,682 deaths, with net migration of 734. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Berkshire County?
$76,013. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $305,400, which is 4.0 times income, and median gross rent is $1,097 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Berkshire County?
3,749 establishments, employing 50,051 people with an annual payroll of $2.86 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Berkshire County?
Average annual pay is $62,257, or $1,197 a week, across 57,946 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Berkshire County?
155 7(a) approvals totalling $50.0 m since FY2020, across 31 lenders, with a median approval of $93,000, plus 111 504 approvals worth $80.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Berkshire County get paid back?
Of the 29 loans that have reached a final outcome, 28 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge off rate of 3.4 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Berkshire County?
127 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $67.5 m. Multifamily was 15.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Berkshire County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 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 Berkshire County come from?
The largest single origin is Berkshire County Non-migrants, with 53,605 households. Arriving households report an average income of $122,669 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Berkshire 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 Berkshire County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.