The annual per capita spending for public education in a county, adjusted for inflation.
Free public education was long ago embraced as a cornerstone of a fair society. Schools must prepare the next generation to become productive members of society and compete in the global economy. Yet the cost of public education has been rising more rapidly than many other goods and services and can become a burden to taxpayers, particularly those on fixed incomes or whose incomes are not keeping pace with tax increases
Schools in Berks County spent $2,915 per resident in 2019, up 44% from $2,024 in 2001. Berk's spent more per resident than Pennsylvania in 2019, and has spent more than the state each year since 2001.
Compared to neighboring counties, Berks spent more per resident than Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, and Schuylkill in 2019, but less than Chester and Montgomery. At $3,215, Chester County had the highest school spending per resident, while Schuylkill County (at $2,089) spent the least.
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 2019 dollars.
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $1,864 | $1,932 | $1,985 | $2,074 | $2,114 | $2,170 | $2,207 | $2,234 | $2,297 | $2,342 | $2,348 | $2,284 | $2,334 | $2,348 | $2,467 | $2,516 | $2,653 | $2,568 | $2,630 |
| Berks County | $2,024 | $2,054 | $2,111 | $2,178 | $2,270 | $2,340 | $2,471 | $2,457 | $2,577 | $2,667 | $2,621 | $2,632 | $2,698 | $2,605 | $2,864 | $2,766 | $2,912 | $2,857 | $2,915 |
| Berks County Regions | |||||||||||||||||||
| Central | |||||||||||||||||||
| Northeast | |||||||||||||||||||
| South | |||||||||||||||||||
| Southeast | |||||||||||||||||||
| West | |||||||||||||||||||
| Reading city | |||||||||||||||||||
| Berks County Peers | |||||||||||||||||||
| Chester County | $2,180 | $2,263 | $2,360 | $2,505 | $2,574 | $2,664 | $2,758 | $2,808 | $2,941 | $3,000 | $2,984 | $2,995 | $3,104 | $3,059 | $3,290 | $3,291 | $3,109 | $3,134 | $3,215 |
| Lancaster County | $1,685 | $1,707 | $1,754 | $1,791 | $1,798 | $1,826 | $1,922 | $1,956 | $2,028 | $2,019 | $1,986 | $1,948 | $1,991 | $2,013 | $2,103 | $2,116 | $2,198 | $2,203 | $2,238 |
| Lebanon County | $1,651 | $1,731 | $1,707 | $1,746 | $1,791 | $1,820 | $1,924 | $2,016 | $2,036 | $2,111 | $1,965 | $1,949 | $2,052 | $2,051 | $2,042 | $2,126 | $2,188 | $2,247 | $2,221 |
| Lehigh County | $1,742 | $1,792 | $1,829 | $1,901 | $1,964 | $2,005 | $2,073 | $2,085 | $2,185 | $2,234 | $2,263 | $2,232 | $2,250 | $2,321 | $2,396 | $2,512 | $2,595 | $2,630 | $2,734 |
| Montgomery County | $2,061 | $2,148 | $2,241 | $2,367 | $2,422 | $2,541 | $2,577 | $2,605 | $2,662 | $2,673 | $2,643 | $2,620 | $2,648 | $2,689 | $2,802 | $2,841 | $3,092 | $3,049 | $3,074 |
| Schuylkill County | $1,567 | $1,638 | $1,838 | $1,683 | $1,899 | $1,804 | $1,733 | $1,761 | $1,886 | $2,030 | $1,873 | $2,072 | $1,882 | $2,042 | $2,343 | $2,271 | $2,132 | $2,221 | $2,089 |
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $22,925,343,784 | $23,826,534,128 | $24,563,279,087 | $25,740,533,802 | $26,321,620,082 | $27,145,912,921 | $27,731,575,572 | $28,181,661,563 | $29,093,396,612 | $29,752,478,652 | $29,931,244,847 | $29,161,417,243 | $29,821,976,185 | $30,027,970,192 | $31,534,640,901 | $32,155,718,825 | $33,929,444,133 | $32,869,295,843 | $33,670,156,109 |
| Berks County | $764,183,985 | $783,262,244 | $814,526,859 | $851,203,112 | $898,955,343 | $940,130,510 | $1,001,150,290 | $1,001,658,677 | $1,056,476,347 | $1,097,620,893 | $1,082,323,134 | $1,088,207,600 | $1,116,636,139 | $1,079,850,121 | $1,188,780,018 | $1,150,052,341 | $1,215,992,868 | $1,201,335,521 | $1,227,524,469 |
| Berks County Regions | |||||||||||||||||||
| Central | |||||||||||||||||||
| Northeast | |||||||||||||||||||
| South | |||||||||||||||||||
| Southeast | |||||||||||||||||||
| West | |||||||||||||||||||
| Reading city | |||||||||||||||||||
| Berks County Peers | |||||||||||||||||||
| Chester County | $961,482,328 | $1,013,345,844 | $1,073,976,599 | $1,159,465,769 | $1,211,132,257 | $1,276,228,048 | $1,340,959,487 | $1,379,971,124 | $1,459,612,082 | $1,497,524,404 | $1,502,286,233 | $1,515,888,416 | $1,580,350,238 | $1,568,516,990 | $1,694,383,035 | $1,700,653,708 | $1,613,257,622 | $1,636,354,081 | $1,688,075,559 |
| Lancaster County | $800,990,778 | $819,403,339 | $850,837,037 | $877,543,496 | $889,477,500 | $914,590,475 | $973,856,222 | $1,001,636,261 | $1,047,372,866 | $1,048,544,917 | $1,040,710,309 | $1,026,481,445 | $1,055,002,754 | $1,073,426,781 | $1,126,590,805 | $1,138,895,285 | $1,189,762,497 | $1,198,337,740 | $1,221,488,065 |
| Lebanon County | $199,688,884 | $210,625,522 | $210,272,322 | $217,673,365 | $225,964,346 | $233,480,315 | $250,467,296 | $265,246,169 | $270,768,728 | $281,990,367 | $264,358,007 | $264,122,006 | $278,662,891 | $279,985,795 | $280,754,044 | $294,476,164 | $305,355,543 | $317,570,009 | $314,891,685 |
| Lehigh County | $548,493,020 | $568,631,536 | $588,180,277 | $619,871,657 | $650,645,370 | $675,317,480 | $706,482,282 | $718,728,357 | $758,857,618 | $781,259,229 | $799,878,111 | $791,751,033 | $799,526,736 | $830,024,331 | $861,824,818 | $910,028,436 | $948,782,445 | $968,813,195 | $1,009,579,558 |
| Montgomery County | $1,565,169,566 | $1,645,352,226 | $1,731,371,108 | $1,838,119,993 | $1,887,753,537 | $1,986,160,798 | $2,023,408,562 | $2,056,151,959 | $2,117,601,052 | $2,137,715,060 | $2,128,517,735 | $2,118,600,709 | $2,151,652,490 | $2,193,567,161 | $2,289,611,057 | $2,329,208,069 | $2,548,725,082 | $2,521,692,483 | $2,554,122,638 |
| Schuylkill County | $233,692,450 | $243,620,960 | $271,641,648 | $247,517,302 | $279,156,814 | $267,053,222 | $257,189,172 | $261,399,471 | $279,744,079 | $301,033,822 | $276,269,851 | $304,880,084 | $275,964,970 | $296,907,090 | $337,669,874 | $325,937,775 | $303,952,200 | $314,990,540 | $295,265,242 |
| INDICATORS | TREND | BERKS COUNTY |
|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate |  Decreasing |
| Change in Labor Force | Decreasing |
| Employment to Population ratio | Decreasing |
| Change in Jobs by Sector | Not Applicable |
| Sector Share of Total Jobs | Not Applicable |
| Average Salary by Sector | Not Applicable |
| Change in Average Salary by Sector | Not Applicable |
| People Entering/Leaving County/Region for Work | Not Applicable |
| Public Assistance |  Maintaining |
| Spending for Local Governments | Maintaining |
| Spending for Counties | Maintaining |
| Spending for School Districts | Maintaining |
Increasing
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