The annual per capita spending by local governments, adjusted for inflation.
Government provides critical services to communities, but the cost to taxpayers can be burdensome and can hinder efforts to attract and retain business.
Local governments in Berks County spent $1,138 per resident in 2017, up 17% from 2000, but down from $1,569 in 2008.
Local government spending across Pennsylvania was higher than Berks, at $1,583 per resident in 2017, an increase of 15% from 2000. Among neighboring counties, Lehigh ($1,270) and Montgomery ($1,304) counties had more spending per capita than Berks in 2017. Chester, Lancaster, Lebanon, and Schuylkill counties all had lower spending per resident than Berks. The City of Reading, at $1,846 per resident, had significantly higher local government spending than the county-wide figure in Berks County.
For additional detail as to how the Berks County regions are defined and which boroughs and townships are included in each, see the About Us page.
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Figures are in constant 2018 dollars.
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $1,382 | $1,363 | $1,475 | $1,473 | $1,477 | $1,497 | $2,109 | $1,520 | $2,603 | $1,631 | $1,848 | $1,705 | $1,695 | $1,664 | $1,652 | $1,588 | $1,591 | $1,583 |
| Berks County | $971 | $966 | $1,068 | $1,099 | $1,106 | $1,172 | $1,396 | $1,297 | $1,569 | $1,351 | $1,191 | $1,176 | $1,239 | $1,129 | $1,213 | $1,297 | $1,138 | $1,138 |
| Berks County Regions | ||||||||||||||||||
| Central | $1,249 | $1,318 | $1,414 | $1,476 | $1,475 | $1,649 | $2,142 | $1,554 | $2,301 | $1,927 | $1,725 | $1,872 | $1,892 | $1,715 | $2,098 | $2,275 | $1,658 | $1,670 |
| Northeast | $713 | $735 | $790 | $919 | $743 | $821 | $950 | $911 | $963 | $875 | $700 | $736 | $694 | $743 | $713 | $716 | $741 | $720 |
| South | $1,089 | $992 | $1,344 | $1,273 | $1,169 | $1,331 | $1,307 | $1,921 | $1,547 | $1,557 | $1,419 | $1,135 | $1,412 | $1,165 | $1,081 | $1,210 | $1,296 | $1,181 |
| Southeast | $881 | $951 | $770 | $875 | $1,341 | $913 | $952 | $862 | $1,104 | $1,070 | $808 | $879 | $702 | $829 | $815 | $796 | $786 | $915 |
| West | $585 | $509 | $536 | $515 | $529 | $632 | $756 | $658 | $744 | $710 | $597 | $573 | $732 | $648 | $634 | $615 | $597 | $684 |
| Reading city | $1,429 | $1,525 | $1,650 | $1,650 | $1,673 | $1,933 | $2,582 | $1,809 | $2,702 | $2,200 | $2,007 | $2,239 | $2,138 | $2,010 | $2,502 | $2,718 | $1,948 | $1,846 |
| Berks County Peers | ||||||||||||||||||
| Chester County | $898 | $840 | $1,019 | $975 | $1,120 | $1,134 | $1,089 | $1,208 | $1,262 | $1,147 | $912 | $867 | $1,036 | $943 | $971 | $996 | $1,052 | $1,037 |
| Lancaster County | $793 | $654 | $840 | $861 | $773 | $819 | $1,601 | $971 | $464 | $1,192 | $1,780 | $1,256 | $1,654 | $722 | $1,765 | $940 | $1,212 | $972 |
| Lebanon County | $615 | $443 | $460 | $540 | $529 | $557 | $869 | $634 | $708 | $730 | $489 | $595 | $928 | $970 | $580 | $678 | $685 | $631 |
| Lehigh County | $1,269 | $1,203 | $1,120 | $1,151 | $1,172 | $1,117 | $1,322 | $1,255 | $1,612 | $1,334 | $407 | $1,056 | $1,503 | $823 | $1,412 | $1,267 | $1,186 | $1,270 |
| Montgomery County | $1,215 | $1,094 | $1,152 | $1,123 | $1,194 | $1,229 | $1,224 | $1,298 | $1,411 | $1,330 | $1,222 | $1,262 | $1,220 | $1,203 | $1,234 | $1,353 | $1,329 | $1,304 |
| Schuylkill County | $685 | $670 | $626 | $649 | $661 | $672 | $789 | $729 | $700 | $734 | $886 | $759 | $700 | $740 | $694 | $821 | $756 | $727 |
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $16,010,418,863 | $16,250,020,073 | $17,642,530,398 | $18,001,079,779 | $17,897,096,356 | $18,077,713,615 | $13,245,779,022 | $18,581,640,461 | $14,746,977,444 | $20,463,829,518 | $15,814,547,429 | $15,655,959,885 | $16,702,089,818 | $17,328,371,394 | $17,934,940,815 | $19,913,935,608 | $19,956,432,483 | $19,819,856,277 |
| Berks County | $326,479,817 | $353,504,280 | $396,248,889 | $407,766,210 | $410,487,531 | $434,872,190 | $466,414,775 | $471,444,542 | $455,475,810 | $491,184,644 | $481,516,945 | $471,555,504 | $509,850,126 | $461,067,123 | $499,243,023 | $531,285,430 | $468,285,562 | $468,163,655 |
| Berks County Regions | ||||||||||||||||||
| Central | $129,563,520 | $143,350,590 | $153,748,037 | $160,555,613 | $160,447,363 | $179,344,252 | $232,937,143 | $169,055,682 | $241,642,021 | $209,625,438 | $205,653,680 | $223,103,370 | $225,555,602 | $199,051,725 | $250,074,491 | $271,144,935 | $197,693,090 | $199,075,410 |
| Northeast | $36,740,840 | $43,716,688 | $47,023,125 | $54,720,039 | $44,239,757 | $48,883,211 | $44,211,898 | $54,224,807 | $45,189,909 | $52,058,487 | $45,305,274 | $47,590,221 | $44,863,028 | $48,054,502 | $46,121,207 | $46,293,989 | $47,918,188 | $46,550,707 |
| South | $88,453,788 | $92,456,877 | $125,243,381 | $118,602,853 | $108,962,484 | $124,033,805 | $108,522,139 | $167,408,564 | $105,408,692 | $135,709,946 | $151,235,277 | $124,366,384 | $154,727,658 | $127,732,895 | $118,504,302 | $132,573,537 | $142,041,854 | $129,400,102 |
| Southeast | $37,428,717 | $41,900,560 | $36,616,611 | $41,582,559 | $63,722,601 | $43,410,636 | $40,428,161 | $40,951,246 | $33,711,106 | $50,862,352 | $43,642,631 | $42,997,350 | $37,938,242 | $44,792,514 | $44,023,395 | $42,998,151 | $42,450,256 | $49,430,221 |
| West | $31,071,309 | $28,676,975 | $32,428,266 | $31,155,460 | $32,005,428 | $38,218,167 | $40,315,434 | $39,804,243 | $29,524,083 | $42,928,420 | $35,680,084 | $33,498,179 | $46,765,595 | $41,435,488 | $40,519,629 | $38,274,817 | $38,182,174 | $43,707,215 |
| Reading city | $111,982,565 | $123,859,502 | $133,993,871 | $134,020,679 | $135,870,460 | $156,950,673 | $209,635,974 | $146,907,044 | $219,384,412 | $178,616,996 | $176,742,708 | $197,185,820 | $188,351,446 | $177,083,426 | $220,400,701 | $239,371,707 | $171,600,837 | $162,592,941 |
| Berks County Peers | ||||||||||||||||||
| Chester County | $337,042,032 | $335,335,903 | $441,644,133 | $422,869,524 | $477,071,440 | $491,491,716 | $269,940,495 | $523,688,754 | $108,086,245 | $491,505,217 | $429,520,814 | $237,062,569 | $502,567,772 | $469,601,263 | $484,637,566 | $495,661,515 | $523,598,436 | $517,515,080 |
| Lancaster County | $335,328,439 | $267,055,570 | $386,840,287 | $405,271,685 | $363,831,980 | $385,342,924 | $196,380,956 | $457,039,441 | $13,010,209 | $560,985,915 | $59,001,367 | $61,419,584 | $157,729,966 | $61,445,529 | $271,816,640 | $488,381,094 | $628,094,914 | $503,890,323 |
| Lebanon County | $69,934,911 | $42,436,251 | $44,057,953 | $64,905,110 | $63,682,934 | $67,010,850 | $2,755,019 | $76,236,194 | $3,199,207 | $87,763,702 | $6,567,597 | $6,943,893 | $38,647,866 | $34,818,582 | $33,707,624 | $90,548,971 | $91,523,780 | $84,301,478 |
| Lehigh County | $324,096,951 | $352,610,118 | $328,082,251 | $337,416,783 | $343,564,994 | $327,221,564 | $44,754,755 | $367,809,856 | $191,137,205 | $397,980,396 | $884,348 | $24,247,362 | $223,450,143 | $72,121,679 | $243,926,396 | $394,135,288 | $368,890,784 | $394,932,303 |
| Montgomery County | $772,310,169 | $823,089,181 | $846,049,839 | $827,104,681 | $876,928,346 | $910,563,867 | $233,046,286 | $976,479,289 | $490,479,953 | $1,000,479,079 | $809,018,961 | $1,007,374,090 | $977,142,651 | $942,639,995 | $989,684,541 | $1,085,579,760 | $1,066,341,059 | $1,046,130,182 |
| Schuylkill County | $95,491,893 | $96,566,296 | $92,054,795 | $97,018,667 | $98,717,418 | $99,447,932 | $50,928,524 | $109,497,520 | $58,340,894 | $110,269,935 | $109,875,217 | $105,781,835 | $101,844,867 | $108,989,486 | $101,431,559 | $111,858,277 | $100,900,614 | $98,707,071 |
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