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Belleman's Union Church
Pennsylvania›Berks County

Centre TownshipBerks County, PA

A town of 4,264.

8 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Jack · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo of Centre Township

Centre Township, PA · Photo: Jack · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source ↗

Is Centre Township a good place to live?

Centre Township grades B overall, 521st of 1032 graded towns in Pennsylvania, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. The median household earns $95K and its public schools beat 79% of Pennsylvania towns on state tests and graduation. It also does better than most on health: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 66% of the country. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $289K for a typical one and 3.6 times the Reading metro’s $80K median household income. 36% of the land in Centre Township is conserved, against 8.2% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. On walkability, just 147 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns do worse. Bellman's Union Church is on the National Register of Historic Places.

A commuter town

98% of working residents leave Centre Township for work

Where Centre Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

8% → Reading Reading 8% 6% → Muhlenberg Township Muhlenberg Township 6% 4% → Bern Township Bern Township 4% 4% → Wyomissing Wyomissing 4% 4% → Spring Township Spring Township 4% 4% → Ontelaunee Township Ontelaunee Township 4% Centre Township · 2% stay
254jobs based in Centre Township
2%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

How Centre Township grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Centre Township is from typical.

How grading works
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

How TownRatings grades towns →

Bellman's Union Church
Bellman's Union Church · National Register of Historic Places
Centre Township’s story

Centre Township in pictures

Census counts: 2,329 in 1980, 4,140 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1862 and 7 maps from 1902 on.

1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.

Explore the history →
Getting set up

Moving to Centre Township: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Centre Township, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →
PowerMet-EdEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterAqua Pa Hillcrest Estates IINo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Centre Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsSchuylkill Valley School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereBerks County Board of ElectionsBerks County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes19541, 19533, 19506, 1952619541 80% · 19533 14% · 19506 3% · 19526 2%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 Centre Township.

Centre Township keeps more of its land conserved than most of Pennsylvania and sends most of its workers to Reading and beyond.

OutdoorsC

Centre Township has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation

Its 4,978 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 95% of Pennsylvania towns.

1.5 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. At 0.1 miles per square mile, Centre Township’s trail density is where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 0.5 and U.S. towns at 0.4.

#733for trails in PA
36.2%
conserved · 4,978 of 13,747 acres
1.5 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Mohrsville Playground—5

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Work & commuteJobs & income grade A

Most working residents commute out of Centre Township

Centre Township has 254 jobs for its 2,087 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.

Most working residents leave Centre Township for work: only 2% work in town. 3.1% of Centre Township residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Centre Township grew to 254 in 2023, 42 more than in 2013.

2%work in town
Centre TownshipPennsylvania townsU.S. towns
Below the poverty line3.1%7.6%9.6%
Working residents who work in town1.9%6.3%8%
Median household income$95,000$81,000$80,000
Work from home14%12%11%

Where working residents work

In Centre Township2%
Reading8%
Muhlenberg Township6%
Bern Township4%
Wyomissing4%
12 mi
median commute distance
254
jobs based in Centre Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 11% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

HealthB+

Centre Township’s grade for health is a B+

19% of adults binge drink in Centre Township. Centre Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 40% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Centre Township.

66%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
Centre TownshipPennsylvania townsU.S. towns
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)19%18%16%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)40%38%36%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)17%16%14%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)16%16%17%
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
1 better25 too close to call0 worse
What stands outCentre TownshipPA
More adults getting cholesterol checked87.5%85.3%
Penn State Health St. Joseph
6.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
63rd
percentile among PA towns

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Climate

Four seasons and pleasant summers in Centre Township

Centre Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 21° and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.

21″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter23–41°
Spring39–62°
Summer61–84°
Fall43–65°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 16
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B

Centre Township faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Centre Township.

37risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
37Low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingHurricanesCold waves
11
paid flood claims since 1979

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Who lives here

More middle-aged adults than Pennsylvania overall

Adults 35 to 64 are 43% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (22% statewide). Centre Township has grown 2.6% since 2020, to 4,264 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 35% across Pennsylvania.

43.9median age · PA 40.9
Centre TownshipPennsylvania townsU.S. towns
Median age43.9 years43.2 years40.5 years
Under 1821%20%22%
Aged 65 or older19%21%18%
Centre TownshipPennsylvaniaUnited States

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma10%
High school37%
Some college15%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate10%

Women and men · all residents

51% women, 49% men

That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.8 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women. Among residents 75 and older, 73% are men (PA 41%).

Ages and education in Centre Township
Centre TownshipPAU.S.
Under 108.6%10.8%11.6%
10 to 1712.2%9.7%10.3%
18 to 246.1%9%9.1%
25 to 3411.4%13%13.7%
35 to 4412.6%12.6%13.2%
45 to 5414.7%11.9%12.2%
55 to 6415.6%13.6%12.7%
65 to 7411%11.4%10.2%
75 and older7.8%8.1%7%
No diploma9.7%7.9%10.4%
High school37.1%32.9%26%
Some college14.7%15.1%19.1%
Associate’s9.7%8.9%8.8%
Bachelor’s19.1%20.9%21.6%
Graduate9.7%14.3%14.1%

Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,300, single groups can be off by several points

Nearby attractions

Hersheypark and 53 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Centre Township. Close and well known come first.

All 212 attractions →
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Hersheypark: Michael Gray, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom: Coasterman1234 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Roadside America: Mark Fleisher, President and CEO of Aim Advertising in Lewisburg, PA,, Public domain · Dutch Wonderland: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Centre Township

19pages on Centre Township
After high school

Colleges nearby

6 within 15 miles of the center of Centre Township

About Centre Township

Township in Pennsylvania, US

Centre Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,140 at the 2020 census. It is in Schuylkill Valley School District.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
22 sq mi
Elevation
371 ft

Centre Township’s neighbors

8 towns share a border with Centre Township.

Explore the map →
How the neighbors grade
TownPA rankOverallCostSafetySchoolsHealth
Centre Township#521BC—A−B+
Perry Township#627BB−—C+B
Shoemakersville——A−—C+B−
Ontelaunee Township#531BC—A−B
Penn Township——C—B+B
Leesport——A−—A−B−
Bern Township#401B+C−B+A−B+
Upper Bern Township——B—C+B

Shoemakersville, Penn Township, Leesport and Upper Bern Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Centre Township, Perry Township, Shoemakersville, Ontelaunee Township, Penn Township, Leesport and Upper Bern Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Centre Township with a neighbor →

Questions about Centre Township

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Centre Township, PA a good place to live?

By most measures, yes. Centre Township grades B overall, better than 65% of U.S. towns and #521 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades B+ for health and A− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.

Is Centre Township, PA expensive?

Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.