HomePennsylvaniaBerks County
Berks County, Pennsylvania: commercial real estate data.
Berks County, Pennsylvania has a population of 433,015 across 857 square miles, up 2.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $26.58 bn in 2024, 8,521 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 376 7(a) approvals worth $186.8 m.
128 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Berks County
How many people live in Berks County
- Population433,015
- Households163,236
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$79,777
- Median age39.9
- Median gross rent$1,181 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$257,300
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher27.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over296,613
- Population under 1895,140
- Share under 1822.0 percent
- Population 65 and over78,100
- Share 65 and over18.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64259,775
- Civilian labor force224,734
- Unemployment rate5.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.5 percent
- Rank by population among Pennsylvania counties9th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents166th
Berks County is the 9th largest of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.0 percent against 18.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Berks County
Is Berks County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.39 percent
- Census 2020 base population428,850
- Births, 20244,528
- Deaths, 20244,133
- Natural change, 2024395
- Net domestic migration, 2024-115
- Net international migration, 20243,558
- Total net migration, 20243,443
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,424
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1041st
The county has grown 2.39 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Berks County
Where people moving to Berks County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving7,935
- People arriving, from those returns13,629
- Adjusted gross income arriving$494.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$62,310
- Largest single originBerks County Non-migrants (174,220 households)
- Largest single destination (174,220 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berks County Non-migrants | 174,220 | 341,498 | $14.04 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,708 | 2,975 | $124.0 m |
| Montgomery County | 1,125 | 1,888 | $65.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 882 | 1,549 | $55.1 m |
| Lancaster County | 652 | 1,111 | $37.2 m |
| Lehigh County | 568 | 964 | $31.6 m |
| Chester County | 494 | 831 | $34.4 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 417 | 732 | $38.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Berks 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.
Berks County
What the Berks County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$26.58 bn
- County GDP, 2023$25.40 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.7 percent
- GDP change over five years28.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Pennsylvania counties11th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents212th
- GDP per resident$61,384
Output grew 4.7 percent in the latest year and 28.4 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.
Berks County
Who employs people in Berks County
- Covered employment, annual average173,692
- Establishments reporting8,917
- Average annual pay$63,608
- Average weekly wage$1,223
- Sector 31-33, employment31,477
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$77,957
- Sector 62, employment29,387
- Sector 62, average annual pay$67,565
- Sector 44-45, employment18,583
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,694
- Sector 72, employment12,602
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,041
- Sector 48-49, employment10,444
- Sector 56, employment8,718
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 31,477 | 508 | $77,957 |
| Sector 62 | 29,387 | 1,122 | $67,565 |
| Sector 44-45 | 18,583 | 1,094 | $35,694 |
| Sector 72 | 12,602 | 770 | $22,041 |
| Sector 48-49 | 10,444 | 312 | $55,987 |
| Sector 56 | 8,718 | 512 | $41,709 |
| Sector 23 | 7,460 | 884 | $78,831 |
| Sector 54 | 6,209 | 736 | $88,499 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 31,477 jobs, 18.1 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.
Berks County
What businesses operate in Berks County
- Establishments, all industries8,521
- Employment at those establishments172,167
- Annual payroll$9.90 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.7
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.
Berks County
What is being built in Berks County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024397
- Declared construction value permitted$79.7 m
- Single family units authorised214
- Multifamily units authorised183
- Multifamily share of units46.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$200,733
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.4
Multifamily is 46.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Berks County
How much SBA lending happens in Berks County
- 7(a) approvals recorded376
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$186.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$496,858
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,440,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3,624
- Jobs per approval9.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active55
- Distinct industries receiving approvals157
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms58
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter304
- Franchise loans39
- Franchise share of approvals10.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countPlumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (19)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (82)
- 504 approvals recorded97
- 504 gross approval dollars$80.4 m
- Average 504 approval$828,794
- Median 504 approval$482,000
- Distinct CDCs active7
- 504 jobs per approval12.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.5
- Most active CDCSouth Eastern Economic Development Company of Pennsylvania (65)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals79.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$267.2 m
The average approval of $496,858 sits well above the median of $150,000, 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 15.4 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.
Berks County
Do SBA loans in Berks County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded68
- Paid in full64
- Charged off4
- Charge off rate on resolved loans5.9 percent
- Status: Paid in full64
- Status: Cancelled38
- Status: Exempt from disclosure251
- Status: Charged off4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed19
Of the 68 loans that have reached a final outcome, 5.9 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.
Berks County
Which parts of Berks County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending35
- READING, approvals157
- BIRDSBORO, approvals20
- Wyomissing, approvals20
- Kutztown, approvals16
- HAMBURG, approvals15
- Temple, approvals14
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| READING | 157 | $83,842,700 |
| BIRDSBORO | 20 | $10,002,500 |
| Wyomissing | 20 | $13,187,300 |
| Kutztown | 16 | $8,757,400 |
| HAMBURG | 15 | $2,632,000 |
| Temple | 14 | $10,621,000 |
| BOYERTOWN | 13 | $4,216,500 |
| Douglassville | 12 | $5,179,300 |
READING accounts for 157 approvals against 20 in BIRDSBORO. 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.
Berks County
How big is Berks County
- Land area857 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Pennsylvania counties19th of 67
- Width, east to west47.9 mi
- Height, north to south37.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land505
- Establishments per square mile9.94
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.
Berks County
What hazards affect Berks County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book73
- Of those, participating in the NFIP73
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
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.
- 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 Berks 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 Berks County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population433,015
- Households163,236
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$79,777
- Median age39.9
Common questions
Berks County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Berks County, Pennsylvania?
433,015, in 163,236 households, ranking 9th of 67 Pennsylvania counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Berks County growing?
The population has grown 2.39 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 4,528 births against 4,133 deaths, with net migration of 3,443. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Berks County?
$79,777. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $257,300, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,181 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Berks County?
8,521 establishments, employing 172,167 people with an annual payroll of $9.90 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 Berks County?
Average annual pay is $63,608, or $1,223 a week, across 173,692 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Berks County?
376 7(a) approvals totalling $186.8 m since FY2020, across 55 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 97 504 approvals worth $80.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Berks County get paid back?
Of the 68 loans that have reached a final outcome, 64 were paid in full and 4 charged off, a charge off rate of 5.9 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Berks County?
397 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $79.7 m. Multifamily was 46.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Berks County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Berks County come from?
The largest single origin is Berks County Non-migrants, with 174,220 households. Arriving households report an average income of $62,310 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 Berks 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 Berks 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.