Bechtelsville, 2018
Bechtelsville’s story
174 years in pictures
Census counts: 381 in 1900, 884 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2018 and 6 maps from 1902 on.
- 1852Bechtelsville is settled
BechtelsvillePA
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
888
2025 Census estimate · +1.4% since 2020
Typical home
$336K
+3.4% in a year
Household income
$90K
median
Median age
40.5
years
Jobs based here
243
A commuter town
Is Bechtelsville a good place to live?
13% of residents are 65 or older in Bechtelsville, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 18%. Bechtelsville has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Bechtelsville stand out
Where Bechtelsville beats most towns.
Small town
888 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Washington TownshipColebrookdale TownshipBechtelsville
Nearby attractions
All 253 attractions →USS New Jersey and 161 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bechtelsville. Close and well known come first.
Big draw40 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey
Big draw33 mi MuseumLynnewood Hall
Big draw39 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year
Big draw37 mi MuseumEastern State Penitentiary
15 mi Theme parkDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
38 mi MuseumAcademy of Natural Sciences of Drexel UniversitySources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
USS New Jersey: Camera Operator: PH3 BRYANT, Public domain · Lynnewood Hall: Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Independence Hall: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Eastern State Penitentiary: Davidt8, Public domain · Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom: Coasterman1234 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University: See below, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Bechtelsville: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bechtelsville, and how to reach them.
PowerMet-EdEIAHIFLD · EIA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offWaste Management - Gilbertsville Facility, 3 miOpenStreetMap
Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBerks County Board of ElectionsBerks County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code1950519505 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bechtelsville.
Work & commute
Most of Bechtelsville’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.5 jobs for each of them
1.3% of working residents work locally in Bechtelsville. Since 2013, Bechtelsville has lost 24 jobs, to 243 in 2023. The town’s income of the median household stands at $90,000, close to Pennsylvania’s towns ($81,000) and above U.S. towns ($80,000). The median commute is under 16 miles.
1%work in town
| Bechtelsville | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $90,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Bechtelsville1%
Bally6%
Colebrookdale Township4%
Douglass Township3%
Boyertown3%
16 mi
median commute distance
243
jobs based in Bechtelsville
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Bechtelsville, expect mild winters and pleasant summers
Expect July afternoons of 86° and January nights of 21°, with about 4 inches of snow a winter.
4″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–41°
Spring40–62°
Summer62–84°
Fall44–65°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 20
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
Bechtelsville’s typical home value is about $336K
Values rose 3.4% in the 12 months to September 2026. Among households in Bechtelsville, 71% own their home. For Bechtelsville, the rent at the middle of the market is $1,191 a month.
$336KZillow home value
| Bechtelsville | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 71% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,191 a month | $1,115 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Bechtelsville$336K
Pennsylvania$287K
+3.4%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
How healthy Bechtelsville is
In Bechtelsville, 31% of adults have high blood pressure, and 10% have diabetes. On the CDC’s 26 measures, Bechtelsville is ahead of Pennsylvania on 1 and behind on 1. Also worth knowing: for adults here, the share who sleep under 7 hours is 41%.
| Bechtelsville | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 34% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 78% | 79% | 79% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
1 better24 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Bechtelsville | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.6% | 14.5% |
| More smokers | 18.4% | 15.8% |
Pottstown Hospital
8.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Bechtelsville is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level
Since 2004, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bechtelsville. Compared with 57% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in the town is lower. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Bechtelsville once, in 2011. FEMA puts 70% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 7% to hurricanes.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesCold waves
7
paid flood claims since 2004
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
In Bechtelsville, 3.2% of the land is conserved
There are 0.3 miles of trail across 1 park or preserve. Bechtelsville’s density of trails is 0.6 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves here: one, of 8 acres.
3.2%conserved
| Bechtelsville | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3.2% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
3.2%
conserved · 11 of 337 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bechtelsville Community Park | 0.1 mi | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bechtelsville
18pages on Bechtelsville
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Bechtelsville
Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaUniversity or college · Public · Kutztown12.8 mi$11,314 in-state tuitionAlbright CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Reading14.7 mi$29,082 tuition
About 3 of every 100 Bechtelsville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Bechtelsville for work
Where Bechtelsville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
243jobs based in Bechtelsville
1%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Bechtelsville
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Bechtelsville is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 884 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1869
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 404 ft
- ZIP code
- 19505
- Area code
- 610
Questions about Bechtelsville
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bechtelsville, PA a good place to live?
Bechtelsville has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.