Health Profile of Berks County, Pennsylvania
Berks County Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
-
B
Berks County Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Berks County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.5 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 7.3% | 5.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 17.1% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Berks County is about the same as in Pennsylvania, at 78.5 years. The uninsured rate is 7.3%, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 5.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 17.1% of residents, higher than the Pennsylvania average of 15.7%.
Population by Age
Older residents
159,438 residents in Berks County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 10,712 3,465 men · 7,247 women
- 75–84 21,959 9,566 men · 12,394 women
- 65–74 40,607 19,258 men · 21,349 women
- 50–64 86,160 43,451 men · 42,709 women
Younger residents
91,211 residents in Berks County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 28,799 14,843 boys · 13,956 girls
- 7–12 27,439 14,167 boys · 13,272 girls
- 3–7 20,505 10,549 boys · 9,956 girls
- 0–3 14,467 7,435 boys · 7,032 girls
About 23,204 residents in Berks County (5.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.5 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Berks County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.4% | 11.0% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.5% | 7.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.7% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 38.4% | 34.5% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Berks County are about the same as in Pennsylvania.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Berks County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 19.8% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.5% | 18.3% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 27.7% | 25.3% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Berks County are about the same as in Pennsylvania.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 669,280 cigarettes a day, 20.1 million a month, or 244.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 7.4 million minutes a day and 2.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Berks County is 78.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.18 lifetimes a day, or 65 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Berks County | Pennsylvania Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.69 | 6.88 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Berks County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Berks County, PA Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Berks County, PA is typical in size for this group, 432,828 residents against a local median of 378,708, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Berks County, PA sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is obesity, 8% above the local median at 38.4% against 35.6%. Berks County, PA has the 6th lowest obesity of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berks County, PA | 432,828 | 78.5 yrs #5/6 | 7.3% #4/6 | 38.4% #6/6 |
| Lehigh County, PA | 378,708 | 79.4 yrs | 6.4% | 35.6% |
| Schuylkill County, PA | 143,391 | 76.3 yrs | 6.9% | 36.7% |
| Chester County, PA | 543,223 | 80.8 yrs | 4.4% | 30.6% |
| Lancaster County, PA | 557,898 | 79.8 yrs | 11.2% | 34.2% |
| Lebanon County, PA | 144,187 | 78.9 yrs | 9.0% | 36.3% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Berks County, Pennsylvania has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than Pennsylvania, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
How healthy is Berks County, Pennsylvania?
Berks County, Pennsylvania has a Map AI Health Index grade of B, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a B grade means residents are somewhat healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Berks County, Pennsylvania one of the healthiest counties in Pennsylvania?
Berks County ranks 42nd healthiest out of 67 counties in Pennsylvania by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
What is the life expectancy in Berks County, Pennsylvania?
People in Berks County, Pennsylvania can expect to live 78.5 years on average, about the same as the Pennsylvania average of 78.4.
What percentage of Berks County, Pennsylvania residents are uninsured?
7.3% of residents in Berks County, Pennsylvania have no health insurance, about 1 in 14 people, 1.6 points above the Pennsylvania rate of 5.6%.
How common is obesity in Berks County, Pennsylvania?
38.4% of adults in Berks County, Pennsylvania are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 3.9 points above the Pennsylvania rate of 34.5%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Berks County, Pennsylvania go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 669,280 cigarettes a day, 20.1 million a month, or 244.3 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 7.4 million minutes a day and 2.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Berks County is 78.5 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.18 lifetimes a day, or 65 lifetimes a year.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →