The Town FilesPenn State Berks, Pennsylvania
Community in Berks County · population 668 (2020 Census)
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 87°
- Snow a year
- 27 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 11
- Median age
- 19.5
Penn State Berks is a community of 668 people in Berks County, Pennsylvania. It ranks better for young professionals than 97% of Pennsylvania towns, more of a college town than 96% of Pennsylvania towns, more vibrant than 95% of Pennsylvania towns.
How Penn State Berks ranks
Percentile among Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.
Homes and cost of living
| Housing | Penn State Berks | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | — | $214,250 |
| Median rent | — | $996 |
| Median household income | — | $75,278 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 2.8× |
| Homeownership | — | 81.5% |
| Median year built | — | 1971 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | — | — |
Who lives in Penn State Berks
| People | Penn State Berks | Typical Pennsylvania town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 19.5 | 44.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 0.0% | 21.1% |
| Under 18 | 2.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 0.0% | 23.8% |
| Below the poverty line | — | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 0.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 5.2% | — |
| Work from home | 16.4% | 10.6% |
| Average commute | 9.2 min | 25.9 min |
| Homes with broadband | — | 89.0% |
Weather in Penn State Berks
July highs average 86.5°F and January lows 23.0°F. About 45.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 27.2 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 24 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 107 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Penn State Berks since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 31, 1998 about 9.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 4, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 50 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on May 22, 2014.
Severe weather in Berks County since 1996
Berks County has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 30, 2020 | Biological | DR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3441: Covid-19 |
| March 23, 2016 | Snowstorm | DR-4267: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| October 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3356: Hurricane Sandy |
| September 12, 2011 | Flood | DR-4030: Tropical Storm Lee |
Jobs and pay in Berks County
Berks County had 173,692 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $63,608 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Penn State Berks itself the ACS puts it at 4.4%.
Towns near Penn State Berks
- Colony Park, PA0.9 mi · 1,269 people · home $358,300
- Spring Ridge, PA0.9 mi · 1,050 people · home $345,400
- Greenfields, PA1.1 mi · 1,238 people · home $268,500
- Wyomissing, PA1.9 mi · 11,114 people · home $339,900
- Whitfield, PA2.4 mi · 4,911 people · home $311,700
- Fox Chase, PA2.4 mi · 1,600 people · home $285,200
- West Lawn, PA2.4 mi · 1,762 people · home $192,600
- West Reading, PA2.4 mi · 4,553 people · home $173,100
Penn State Berks questions
Is Penn State Berks, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Penn State Berks scores better for retirees than 87% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 15%. 0.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 19.5).
What is the weather like in Penn State Berks?
July highs average 86.5°F and January lows 23.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 45.2 inches of precipitation a year and 27.2 inches of snow.
Does Penn State Berks get tornadoes?
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Penn State Berks since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 31, 1998. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)