PSUBerks Dorms 01, 2002
Penn State Berks’s story
99 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2002.
- 1927Penn State Berks is settled
Penn State BerksPA
Settled in 1927, this town now has 872 residents.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: BerksCountyUpdate · CC BY-SA 4.0
Is Penn State Berks a good place to live?
Penn State Berks’ average trip to work is 9 minutes, against 26 minutes in Pennsylvania’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Of the 1,036 Pennsylvania towns we compare, none has a lower age of the median resident than Penn State Berks. Penn State Berks has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
872 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Spring RidgeSpring TownshipPenn State Berks
Nearby attractions
All 218 attractions →Hersheypark and 61 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Penn State Berks. Close and well known come first.
36 mi Theme parkHersheypark3.0M visitors a year
28 mi Theme parkDorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
37 mi GardenLongwood Gardens3 mi Stadium & arenaSovereign Center
26 mi Theme parkDutch Wonderland
17 mi MuseumEphrata CloisterSources: 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 · Longwood Gardens: P. Hughes, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dutch Wonderland: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ephrata Cloister: 1549bcp at English Wikipedia, Public domain
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Getting set up
Moving to Penn State Berks: who provides what
Penn State Berks is unincorporated, so Berks County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPPL Electric Utilities18.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPaw Penn DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesBerks CountyBerks County provides services here
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 code1961019610 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 Penn State Berks.
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: very low risk in Penn State Berks, mostly inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 52% come from inland flooding and 16% from hurricanes. Penn State Berks’ risk rating from FEMA stands at 7 of 100. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 93% of U.S. communities.
7risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
With 0.6 jobs for every working resident, most of Penn State Berks’ workers commute out
The top destinations are Reading (14%), Spring Township (7%) and West Reading (6%). Jobs based in Penn State Berks grew to 168 in 2023, 150 more than in 2013. For half of commuters, work is under 8 miles away.
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Penn State Berks0%
Reading14%
Spring Township7%
West Reading6%
Wyomissing5%
8 mi
median commute distance
168
jobs based in Penn State Berks
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Penn State Berks brings four seasons and pleasant summers
The peak summer temperature in the town is 86°F.
27″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–41°
Spring40–63°
Summer62–84°
Fall44–66°
Oct 29
typical first frost
Apr 14
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A smaller share of adults smoke cigarettes in Penn State Berks than in most of Pennsylvania or the rest of the country
Of the 1,036 Pennsylvania towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Penn State Berks. Penn State Berks: 9.7% of adults get no exercise outside work. Against the Pennsylvania average, Penn State Berks comes out ahead on 14 CDC measures out of 23, and behind on 5.
| Penn State Berks | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 6.2% | 19% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 3.7% | 17% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 0.9% | 11% | 12% |
23 measures vs. Pennsylvania
14 better4 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Penn State Berks | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 0.5% | 7.4% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 0.9% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 17.1% | 79.2% |
Penn State Health St. Joseph
1.1 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Penn State Berks
14pages on Penn State Berks
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of Penn State Berks
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State BerksUniversity or college · Public · Reading0.2 mi$15,972 in-state tuitionReading Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Reading2.8 mi$6,480 in-state tuitionAlbright CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Reading3.5 mi$29,082 tuition
College town 99 of every 100 Penn State Berks residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Penn State Berks for work
Where Penn State Berks’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
168jobs based in Penn State Berks
0%of working residents work in town
8 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Penn State Berks
Public university in Spring Township, Pennsylvania, USA
Penn State Berks is a commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University located in Spring Township in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1927
- ZIP code
- 19610
Questions about Penn State Berks
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Penn State Berks, PA a good place to live?
Penn State Berks has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.