Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Birdsboro grades A− overall, 380th among Pennsylvania's 1032 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It reports less crime per resident than 86% of U.S. towns and 6% of its land is conserved. It also does better than most on incomes: the median household earns $86K. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $336K for a typical one and 4.2 times the Reading metro’s $80K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 95% of U.S. towns, with 1 place on the National Register. 18% of residents live below the poverty line in Birdsboro, above both the Pennsylvania town median (7.6%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 152 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns score higher on history. Birdsboro is more walkable than 74% of U.S. towns.
Where Birdsboro beats most towns.
St. Michael's Protestant Episcopal Church, Parish House and Rectory
Census counts: 1,705 in 1880, 5,106 in 2020. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 8 maps from 1894 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Birdsboro is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Birdsboro. Close and well known come first.
Big draw38 mi MuseumLynnewood Hall
Big draw39 mi MuseumEastern State Penitentiary
40 mi MuseumAcademy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
39 mi MuseumPhiladelphia Museum of Art437K visitors a year
26 mi Theme parkDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
39 mi Stadium & arenaFranklin FieldLynnewood Hall: Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Eastern State Penitentiary: Davidt8, Public domain · Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University: See below, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Philadelphia Museum of Art: Unknown, Public domain · Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom: Coasterman1234 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Franklin Field: NASA World Wind, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Birdsboro, 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 Birdsboro.
Birdsboro is safe by national standards but not by Pennsylvania’s; it also scores below Robeson Township and its other neighbors on health and has many renters stretched by housing costs.
1.2 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The trail density in Birdsboro is 0.9 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Birdsboro Waters, at 20 acres.
| Birdsboro | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.4% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Birdsboro Waters | 0.2 mi | 20 |
| 2. Rustic Park | 0.2 mi | 6 |
| 3. Mainbird Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
At 6.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 71% of Pennsylvania’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 31 to 10 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Birdsboro’s property crime rate is 1.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Birdsboro | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 5.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Jobs based here grew from 588 in 2013 to 970.
Most working residents leave Birdsboro for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Birdsboro has added 382 jobs, to 970 in 2023. The top destinations are Reading (5%), Exeter Township (4%) and Amity Township (4%).
| Birdsboro | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.5% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $86,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Birdsboro has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 22° and about 26 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
65.4% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.2% across Pennsylvania.
The typical Birdsboro home is worth about $336,000, up 4.1% in a year, 17% above the Pennsylvania typical home. 68% of Birdsboro households own their home.
| Birdsboro | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 68% | 78% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,146 a month | $1,114 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
People 65 and older are 15% of residents (20% statewide). 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Pennsylvania.
| Birdsboro | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 21% | 18% |
| Median age | 38.5 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 20% | 20% | 22% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.3 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Birdsboro | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.2% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.1% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.6% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.1% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.1% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.7% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.7% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.2% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.3% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.2% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 43.7% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.2% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.6% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.8% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.5% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
All 3 graded neighbors score healthier than its B, from Robeson Township (B+) to Union Township (B+).
Birdsboro beats the Pennsylvania average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 42% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Birdsboro.
| Birdsboro | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 24% | 23% |
| What stands out | Birdsboro | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 3.3% | 3.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities. Since 1987, 18 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Birdsboro.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
4 within 15 miles of the center of Birdsboro
About 3 of every 100 Birdsboro residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Where Birdsboro’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Birdsboro is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located along the Schuylkill River 8 miles (13 km) southeast of Reading. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 5,106. Birdsboro's economy had historically been rooted in large foundries and machine shops, none of which remain in operation today.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Birdsboro.
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birdsboro | #380 | A− | C+ | A | B | B |
| Exeter Township | #591 | B | C− | B | A− | B+ |
| Robeson Township | #277 | A− | C | A | A− | B+ |
| Union Township | #639 | B | C− | — | B | B+ |
Union Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Birdsboro with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Birdsboro grades A− overall, better than 76% of U.S. towns and #380 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades B for health, A for safety and B for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
2 notable people were born here, including Colin McCarthy and Sean Barbabella.
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