Berlin Rensselaer NY, 2009
Berlin’s story
261 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,986 in 1820, 1,808 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 5 maps from 1888 on.
- 1765Berlin is settled
BerlinNY
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,695
2025 Census estimate · −0.4% since 2020
Median home value
$215K
Census ACS
Household income
$80K
median
Median age
41.3
years
Jobs based here
393
A commuter town
Is Berlin a good place to live?
Berlin’s best subject grade is an A for the outdoors; its weakest is a C− for schools. Berlin’s average trip to work is 33 minutes, above both the New York town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 72% of U.S. towns. 42% of the land in Berlin is conserved, above both the New York town median (5.2%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Berlin State Forest, at 5,122 acres with 9.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Berlin has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Berlin stand out
Where Berlin beats most towns.
How Berlin grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Berlin is from typical.
SchoolsC−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.9 of 20; 4.2% of households have no car; 1.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →HealthNorth Adams Regional Hospital Corporation 13.7 miles awayB+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $215K, 2.4 years of the Albany metro’s $88K median household incomeB+Open →Jobs & income$80K median household income; 393 jobs based hereBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsAOpen →History1 notable person born hereA−Open →Civic life1.7 library visits per resident; 5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 114 attractions →Mount Greylock and 58 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Berlin. Close and well known come first.
11 mi MountainMount Greylock
9 mi MuseumClark Art Institute
22 mi TheatreTanglewood
26 mi MuseumNorman Rockwell Museum
19 mi Stadium & arenaMVP Arena
20 mi MuseumUSS SlaterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Greylock: Jstergis, CC BY 3.0 · Clark Art Institute: Daderot, Public domain · Tanglewood: Daderot., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Norman Rockwell Museum: User:Rmrfstar, CC BY 2.5 · MVP Arena: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Slater: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0
,_Tanglewood,_Lenox,_Massachusetts.JPG){kind=link}
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Berlin: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Berlin, and how to reach them.
PowerNew York State Elec & Gas22.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBerlin Water District # 2No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Berlin’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn New York you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before and received 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereRensselaer County Board of ElectionsRensselaer County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes12022, 12138, 12153, 1204012022 50% · 12138 41% · 12153 7% · 12040 2%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Berlin.
OutdoorsA
Nearly a third of Berlin is conserved land
61 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. The trail density in Berlin is 1.0 miles per square mile.
41.6%conserved
41.6%
conserved · 15,857 of 38,104 acres
61 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cowee State Forest | 17.5 mi | 3,640 |
| 2. Capital District Wildlife Management Area | 10.3 mi | 3,166 |
| 3. Berlin State Forest | 9.2 mi | 5,122 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC−
Berlin’s public schools trail 80% of New York districts
Its public schools are run by the Berlin Central School District. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Berlin Middle School/High School, with 323 students.
20%of NY districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 256 | C+ |
| Berlin Middle School/High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 323 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most of Berlin’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Berlin for work: only 14% work in town. 6.6% of residents live below the poverty line in Berlin. The top destinations are Albany (12%), Colonie (7%) and Bennington (6%).
14%work in town
| Berlin | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 10% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.6% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Berlin14%
Albany12%
Colonie7%
Bennington6%
New York5%
19 mi
median commute distance
393
jobs based in Berlin
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 28% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
On CDC estimates, Berlin is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns
Berlin beats the New York average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 40% of Berlin adults sleep under 7 hours.
71%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Berlin | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 35% |
32 measures vs. New York
5 better24 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Berlin | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.3% | 17.2% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.4% | 7.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 7.7% |
North Adams Regional Hospital Corporation
13.7 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in Berlin, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 69% of U.S. communities.
69risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoes
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Berlin has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Berlin has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Berlin’s July high is 79°F.
53″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–33°
Spring33–54°
Summer55–77°
Fall39–58°
Oct 11
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B+
A home in Berlin sells for about $275K at the median
$275Kmedian sale price
2
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Berlin
19pages on Berlin
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Berlin
Williams CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Williamstown, MA9.3 mi$68,560 tuitionMassachusetts College of Liberal ArtsUniversity or college · Public · North Adams, MA13.9 mi$12,436 in-state tuitionBerkshire Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Pittsfield, MA14.1 mi$6,164 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Berlin residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New York.
Get outside
61 miles of trails in Berlin
41.6% of the town is conserved land, across 9 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Berlin
Town in New York, United States
Berlin ( BURR-lin) is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 1,808 at the 2020 census. The town is named after Berlin in Germany, although natives pronounce the name differently, with the accent on the first syllable. The town of Berlin is located on the eastern border of the county and is often pronounced with an emphasis on the first half of the name.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 60 sq mi
- Elevation
- 961 ft
- ZIP code
- 12022
- Area code
- 518
Berlin’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Berlin.
PetersburghSand LakeStephentownPoestenkillGraftonBerlin
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin | — | — | B+ | — | C− | B+ |
| Petersburgh | — | — | A− | — | C | B+ |
| Sand Lake | #80 | A | B− | — | A− | A |
| Stephentown | #284 | B | A | — | C | A− |
| Poestenkill | #197 | A− | C+ | — | B+ | A |
| Grafton | — | — | A− | — | C+ | A− |
Berlin, Petersburgh and Grafton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Berlin, Petersburgh, Sand Lake, Stephentown, Poestenkill and Grafton report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Berlin with a neighbor →
Questions about Berlin
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Berlin, NY expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $215,000, 59% below the New York typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.