Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,956, settled in 1784.
Berlin’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living, an A for safety, and an A− for schools; its weakest is a C for health. On hazard risk, just 9 of Pennsylvania’s 1,751 towns do better. Berlin is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 79% of U.S. towns. On cost of living, just 61 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns do better. Berlin’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, against 0.4 in Pennsylvania’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. On civic life, just 120 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns do better. Berlin has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Berlin beats most towns.
Where Berlin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Berlin is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 294 in 1800, 2,003 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1905 and 5 maps from 1923 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Berlin, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Berlin.
Berlin’s FEMA risk score is 1 of 100, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 30 of 100 and U.S. towns at 44 of 100.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by Berlin Brothersvalley SD. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin Brothersvalley El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 290 | B |
| Berlin Brothersvalley SHSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 248 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
The property crime rate in Berlin is 2.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Berlin | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.1 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Most working residents leave Berlin for work: only 11% work in town. Berlin’s average trip to work is 19 minutes. Jobs based in Berlin fell to 524 in 2023, 200 fewer than in 2013.
| Berlin | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.2% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Berlin home is worth about $192,000, up 7.5% in a year, 33% below the Pennsylvania typical home.
| Berlin | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $725 a month | $1,115 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 78% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
40% of adults have high blood pressure in Berlin. Berlin beats the Pennsylvania average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 13% of adults have diabetes in Berlin.
| Berlin | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 34% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 19% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | Berlin | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.7% | 14.5% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 83.3% | 79.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 11% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Berlin has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 79°, January nights drop to 17° and about 96 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Berlin. Close and well known come first.
Big draw8 mi National MemorialFlight 93 National Memorial286K visitors a year
Big draw27 mi MuseumFallingwater
15 mi MountainMount Davis
34 mi National BattlefieldFort Necessity National Battlefield226K visitors a year
31 mi DamSouth Fork Dam
37 mi LakeDeep Creek LakeFlight 93 National Memorial: James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fallingwater: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Mount Davis: Wikiuser100, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Necessity National Battlefield: Wilson44691, CC0 · South Fork Dam: Ernest Walter Histed, Public domain · Deep Creek Lake: Gohens84, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Berlin; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Berlin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Berlin is a borough located approximately 75 miles southeast of Pittsburgh in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,004 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town's major celebration each fall concerns the Whiskey Rebellion in the 1790s, although in recent years residents also commemorate the termination of Flight 93 in nearby Shanksville in 2001. The Berlin Fife and Drum Corps is one of the oldest such bands in North America. Snyder of Berlin potato chips are made in town, which also hosts Center Rock, Inc., a drilling-equipment manufacturer. Farming and coal mining have long been important in the area.…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
2 notable people were born here, including Frank Nicholson and Mike Naymick.
