| Berks County, Pennsylvania | ||
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Reading skyline
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Location in the state of Pennsylvania |
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Pennsylvania's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | March 11, 1752 | |
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| Seat | Reading | |
| Largest city | Reading | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
866 sq mi (2,243 km²) 859 sq mi (2,225 km²) 7 sq mi (18 km²), 0.78% |
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| Population - (2010) - Density |
411,442 479/sq mi (184.9/km²) |
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| Website | www.co.berks.pa.us | |
Berks County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 411,442. The county seat is Reading.[1] Berks County is part of the Reading, PA, metropolitan statistical area and as of 2005, is also considered part of the Philadelphia combined statistical area.
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Reading developed during the 1740s when the inhabitants of northern Lancaster County sent several petitions requesting that a separate county be established. With the help of German immigrant Conrad Weiser, the county was formed on March 11, 1752 from parts of Chester County, Lancaster County, and Philadelphia County.
It was named after the English county in which William Penn's family home lay - Berkshire, which is often abbreviated to Berks. Berks County began much larger than it is today. The northwestern parts of the county went to the founding of Northumberland County in 1772 and Schuylkill County in 1811, when it reached its current size. In 2005, Berks County was added to the Delaware Valley Planning Area due to a fast-growing population and close proximity to the other communities.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 866 square miles (2,242.9 km2). 859 square miles (2,224.8 km2) is land and 7 square miles (18.1 km2) (0.78%) is water. Most of the county is drained by the Schuylkill River, but an area in the northeast is drained by the Lehigh River via the Little Lehigh Creek and areas are drained by the Susquehanna River via the Swatara Creek in the northwest and the Conestoga River (which starts in Berks County between Morgantown and Elverson) in the extreme south.
| Schuylkill County | Lehigh County | |||
| Lebanon County | Montgomery County | |||
| Berks County, Pennsylvania | ||||
| Lancaster County | Chester County |
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 30,189 |
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| 1800 | 32,407 | 7.3% | |
| 1810 | 43,146 | 33.1% | |
| 1820 | 46,275 | 7.3% | |
| 1830 | 53,152 | 14.9% | |
| 1840 | 64,569 | 21.5% | |
| 1850 | 77,129 | 19.5% | |
| 1860 | 93,818 | 21.6% | |
| 1870 | 106,701 | 13.7% | |
| 1880 | 122,597 | 14.9% | |
| 1890 | 137,327 | 12.0% | |
| 1900 | 159,615 | 16.2% | |
| 1910 | 183,222 | 14.8% | |
| 1920 | 200,854 | 9.6% | |
| 1930 | 231,717 | 15.4% | |
| 1940 | 241,884 | 4.4% | |
| 1950 | 255,740 | 5.7% | |
| 1960 | 275,414 | 7.7% | |
| 1970 | 296,382 | 7.6% | |
| 1980 | 312,509 | 5.4% | |
| 1990 | 336,523 | 7.7% | |
| 2000 | 373,638 | 11.0% | |
| 2010 | 411,442 | 10.1% | |
| [2][3] | |||
As of the census 2010, the county was 76.9% White non-Hispanic, 4.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.3% Asian, and 2.5% were two or more races. 16.4% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[1] As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile (168/km²). There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile (68/km²). The racial makeup of the county in 2004 was 82.5% White, 4.6% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 6.3% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race made up 11.8%. 35.1% were of German, 8.6% Italian, 7.1% Irish, and 5.4% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000. 87.6% spoke English, 8.1% Spanish and 1.0% Pennsylvania Dutch as their first language. Historically there was a large Pennsylvania Dutch (from Pennsylvania Deutsch or German) population. It is known as part of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Berks County also has large and growing Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Mexican communities.
According to Muninetguide the median household income for Berks County, as of 2010, is $54,105
There were 141,570 households out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.50% were married couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.40% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.60% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.
As of January 2010, there are 248,949 registered voters in Berks County.[5]
The first time since 1964 that a Democrat carried Berks in a Presidential election occurred in November 2008, with Barack Obama receiving 53.9% of the vote to John McCain's 44.7%. The other three statewide winners (Rob McCord for Treasurer, Jack Wagner for Auditor General, and Tom Corbett for Attorney General) also carried it.[6] While Republicans have controlled the commissioner majority most of the time and continue to control most county row offices, Democrats have become more competitive in Berks in recent years.
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Berks County:
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.
The Reading Public Museum is an art, science, and history museum.
There are two Pennsylvania state parks in Berks County.
There are two Pennsylvania Historic Sites in Berks County.
The Old Morlatton Village in Douglassville is maintained by the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County. The village is composed of four historic structures: White Horse Inn, George Douglass Mansion, Bridge keeper's House, and the Mouns Jones House, constructed in 1716, which is the oldest recorded building in the county. [3]
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