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 $1,088 per resident in 2016, up 17% from 2000, but down from $1,500 in 2008.
Local government spending across Pennsylvania was higher than Berks, at $1,521 per resident in 2016, an increase of 15% from 2000. Among neighboring counties, Lancaster ($1,159), Lehigh ($1,134) and Montgomery ($1,271) counties had more spending per capita than Berks 2016. Chester, Lebanon, and Schuylkill counties all had lower spending per resident than Berks. The City of Reading, at $1,862 per resident, had nearly double the 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.
There may be additional research available on this topic. Click on Reports and Resources to learn more.
Figures are in constant 2016 dollars.
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $1,350 | $1,330 | $1,440 | $1,439 | $1,442 | $1,461 | $2,059 | $1,484 | $2,541 | $1,592 | $1,804 | $1,664 | $1,655 | $1,624 | $1,612 | $1,550 | $1,553 |
| Berks County | $948 | $943 | $1,042 | $1,073 | $1,080 | $1,144 | $1,363 | $1,266 | $1,532 | $1,319 | $1,163 | $1,148 | $1,210 | $1,102 | $1,185 | $1,266 | $1,111 |
| Berks County Regions | |||||||||||||||||
| Central | $1,219 | $1,287 | $1,380 | $1,441 | $1,440 | $1,610 | $2,091 | $1,517 | $2,246 | $1,881 | $1,684 | $1,827 | $1,847 | $1,674 | $2,048 | $2,220 | $1,619 |
| Northeast | $696 | $717 | $771 | $898 | $726 | $802 | $928 | $889 | $940 | $854 | $684 | $718 | $677 | $725 | $696 | $699 | $723 |
| South | $1,063 | $969 | $1,312 | $1,243 | $1,142 | $1,299 | $1,276 | $1,875 | $1,510 | $1,520 | $1,385 | $1,108 | $1,378 | $1,138 | $1,055 | $1,181 | $1,265 |
| Southeast | $860 | $928 | $752 | $854 | $1,309 | $891 | $929 | $841 | $1,078 | $1,045 | $789 | $858 | $686 | $809 | $796 | $777 | $767 |
| West | $571 | $497 | $523 | $503 | $517 | $617 | $738 | $642 | $726 | $693 | $582 | $560 | $714 | $633 | $619 | $601 | $583 |
| Reading city | $1,395 | $1,489 | $1,611 | $1,611 | $1,633 | $1,887 | $2,520 | $1,766 | $2,637 | $2,147 | $1,959 | $2,185 | $2,087 | $1,963 | $2,443 | $2,653 | $1,902 |
| Berks County Peers | |||||||||||||||||
| Chester County | $877 | $820 | $994 | $952 | $1,093 | $1,107 | $1,063 | $1,179 | $1,232 | $1,120 | $890 | $846 | $1,011 | $920 | $948 | $972 | $1,027 |
| Lancaster County | $774 | $639 | $820 | $841 | $755 | $799 | $1,563 | $948 | $453 | $1,163 | $1,738 | $1,226 | $1,615 | $704 | $1,723 | $918 | $1,183 |
| Lebanon County | $600 | $432 | $449 | $527 | $517 | $544 | $848 | $619 | $691 | $712 | $477 | $581 | $906 | $947 | $566 | $662 | $669 |
| Lehigh County | $1,239 | $1,175 | $1,093 | $1,124 | $1,144 | $1,090 | $1,290 | $1,225 | $1,574 | $1,302 | $397 | $1,031 | $1,467 | $803 | $1,378 | $1,237 | $1,158 |
| Montgomery County | $1,186 | $1,068 | $1,124 | $1,097 | $1,165 | $1,199 | $1,195 | $1,267 | $1,377 | $1,298 | $1,192 | $1,232 | $1,191 | $1,174 | $1,204 | $1,321 | $1,298 |
| Schuylkill County | $668 | $654 | $612 | $634 | $645 | $656 | $770 | $712 | $683 | $717 | $865 | $741 | $683 | $722 | $677 | $801 | $738 |
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $15,628,691,640 | $15,864,950,737 | $17,224,952,887 | $17,575,776,302 | $17,473,407,338 | $17,649,684,706 | $12,929,967,520 | $18,138,609,078 | $14,395,373,729 | $19,975,922,183 | $15,437,490,256 | $15,282,683,824 | $16,303,871,482 | $16,915,220,986 | $17,507,328,320 | $19,439,139,077 | $19,480,622,724 |
| Berks County | $318,695,746 | $345,075,881 | $386,801,355 | $398,044,075 | $400,700,512 | $424,503,782 | $455,294,315 | $460,204,160 | $444,616,162 | $479,473,611 | $470,036,413 | $460,312,477 | $497,694,062 | $450,074,164 | $487,339,859 | $518,618,296 | $457,120,499 |
| Berks County Regions | |||||||||||||||||
| Central | $126,474,411 | $139,932,764 | $150,082,311 | $156,727,578 | $156,621,909 | $175,068,250 | $227,383,356 | $165,024,985 | $235,880,690 | $204,627,460 | $200,750,398 | $217,784,045 | $220,177,810 | $194,305,849 | $244,112,108 | $264,680,182 | $192,979,608 |
| Northeast | $35,864,850 | $42,674,376 | $45,901,979 | $53,415,381 | $43,184,974 | $47,717,716 | $43,157,779 | $52,931,956 | $44,112,472 | $50,817,287 | $44,225,086 | $46,455,555 | $43,793,385 | $46,908,766 | $45,021,565 | $45,190,228 | $46,775,702 |
| South | $86,344,835 | $90,252,481 | $122,257,275 | $115,775,073 | $106,364,554 | $121,076,538 | $105,934,708 | $163,417,138 | $102,895,493 | $132,474,292 | $147,629,461 | $121,401,188 | $151,038,575 | $124,687,432 | $115,678,872 | $129,412,662 | $138,655,231 |
| Southeast | $36,536,326 | $40,901,549 | $35,743,582 | $40,591,130 | $62,203,299 | $42,375,621 | $39,464,256 | $39,974,869 | $32,907,351 | $49,649,670 | $42,602,084 | $41,972,189 | $37,033,703 | $43,724,552 | $42,973,770 | $41,972,971 | $41,438,139 |
| West | $30,330,494 | $27,993,247 | $31,655,098 | $30,412,638 | $31,242,341 | $37,306,953 | $39,354,217 | $38,855,213 | $28,820,157 | $41,904,902 | $34,829,384 | $32,699,501 | $45,650,590 | $40,447,565 | $39,553,543 | $37,362,252 | $37,271,818 |
| Reading city | $109,312,629 | $120,906,391 | $130,799,132 | $130,825,301 | $132,630,979 | $153,208,589 | $204,637,744 | $143,404,424 | $214,153,756 | $174,358,334 | $172,528,733 | $192,484,432 | $183,860,691 | $172,861,328 | $215,145,813 | $233,664,504 | $167,509,456 |
| Berks County Peers | |||||||||||||||||
| Chester County | $329,006,132 | $327,340,682 | $431,114,266 | $412,787,289 | $465,696,900 | $479,773,361 | $263,504,458 | $511,202,744 | $105,509,207 | $479,786,540 | $419,279,996 | $231,410,422 | $490,585,337 | $458,404,830 | $473,082,631 | $483,843,742 | $511,114,579 |
| Lancaster County | $327,333,396 | $260,688,317 | $377,617,076 | $395,609,025 | $355,157,343 | $376,155,414 | $191,698,758 | $446,142,512 | $12,700,014 | $547,610,650 | $57,594,631 | $59,955,192 | $153,969,301 | $59,980,519 | $265,335,872 | $476,736,904 | $613,119,608 |
| Lebanon County | $68,267,493 | $41,424,468 | $43,007,504 | $63,357,614 | $62,164,578 | $65,413,149 | $2,689,332 | $74,418,538 | $3,122,930 | $85,671,202 | $6,411,009 | $6,778,334 | $37,726,407 | $33,988,423 | $32,903,952 | $88,390,064 | $89,341,631 |
| Lehigh County | $316,369,694 | $344,203,038 | $320,259,975 | $329,371,948 | $335,373,571 | $319,419,808 | $43,687,693 | $359,040,377 | $186,580,030 | $388,491,578 | $863,263 | $23,669,246 | $218,122,550 | $70,402,123 | $238,110,599 | $384,738,147 | $360,095,533 |
| Montgomery County | $753,896,421 | $803,464,739 | $825,877,959 | $807,384,499 | $856,020,247 | $888,853,815 | $227,489,897 | $953,197,654 | $478,785,721 | $976,625,231 | $789,729,987 | $983,355,848 | $953,845,200 | $920,165,171 | $966,088,061 | $1,059,696,905 | $1,040,916,902 |
| Schuylkill County | $93,215,135 | $94,263,922 | $89,859,985 | $94,705,506 | $96,363,756 | $97,076,852 | $49,714,264 | $106,886,834 | $56,949,906 | $107,640,832 | $107,255,525 | $103,259,739 | $99,416,638 | $106,390,912 | $99,013,185 | $109,191,304 | $98,494,899 |
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