Bern Township, Pennsylvania
{{short description|Township in Pennsylvania, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Bern Township, Pennsylvania
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| settlement_type = Township
| image_skyline = WERTZ'S COVERED BRIDGE.jpg
| imagesize = 250px
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Wertz's Covered Bridge
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| image_seal = Seal of Bern Township, Pennsylvania.png
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| image_map = Berks County Pennsylvania Incorporated areas Bern Township Highlighted.svg
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| pushpin_map = USA Pennsylvania#USA
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| pushpin_label = Bern Township
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| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Bern Township in Pennsylvania
| coordinates = {{coord|40|23|54|N|75|59|30|W|display=inline,title}}
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| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = Pennsylvania
| subdivision_type2 = County
| subdivision_name2 = Berks
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| established_title = Founded
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| named_for = Bern, Switzerland
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| leader_title = Mayor
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| unit_pref = Imperial
| area_total_km2 = 52.17
| area_total_sq_mi = 20.14
| area_land_km2 = 50.12
| area_land_sq_mi = 19.35
| area_water_km2 = 2.05
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.79
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| elevation_ft = 577
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| population_as_of = 2020
| population_total = 6609 {{decrease}}
| pop_est_as_of = 2021
| population_est = 6600
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| population_density_km2 = 138.76
| population_density_sq_mi = 359.38
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| timezone1 = EST
| utc_offset1 = -5
| timezone1_DST = EDT
| utc_offset1_DST = -4
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| area_code = 610
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| blank_name = FIPS code
| blank_info = 42-011-05816
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| blank2_name_sec2 = Wikimedia Commons
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| website = {{URL|https://www.berntownship.org/}}
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Bern Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population is 6,609. The township is in Schuylkill Valley School District.
History
The township was so named by Swiss settlers after Bern, Switzerland.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DgAuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DJoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5795%2C3041054 |title=Some peculiar post office names in Berks |work=Reading Eagle |date=November 27, 1910 |access-date=December 2, 2015 |pages=11}} The Rieser Mill, Rieser-Shoemaker Farm, Spannuth Mill, and Wertz's Covered Bridge are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.{{NRISref|version=2010a}}
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of {{convert|20.0|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|19.1|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.8|sqmi|km2}} (4.06%) is water.
Adjacent townships
- Penn – west
- Centre – north
- Ontelaunee – northeast
- Muhlenberg – east
- Spring – south
- Lower Heidelberg – southwest
Adjacent city and boroughs
- Reading – south
- Wyomissing – south
- Leesport – north
Demographics
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1980= 5897
|1990= 5748
|2000= 6758
|2010= 6797
|2020= 6609
|estyear=2021
|estimate=6600
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html |title=Census of Population and Housing |publisher=Census.gov |access-date=June 4, 2016}}
}}
At the 2010 census,http://pasdc.hbg.psu.edu/sdc/pasdc_files/census2010/Berks%20County/Bern%20Township,%20Berks%20County.pdf Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 there were 6,797 people, 2,080 households, and 1,560 families in the township. The population density was {{convert|355.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,168 housing units at an average density of {{convert|113.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the township was 91.0% White, 5.8% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 1.5% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.3% of the population.
There were 2,080 households, 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 19.1% of households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.84. Bern Township is the location of the Berks County Prison System, which held 1545 prisoners, 22.7% of the township's population.
The age distribution was 16.0% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% 65 or older. The township hosts three of the county's 12 nursing homes for seniors.{{cite web |url=http://www.berksleisure.com/index.htm |title=Leisure Living Leesport, PA - Berks Leisure Living |access-date=February 3, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120820022542/http://www.berksleisure.com/index.htm |archive-date=August 20, 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://www.co.berks.pa.us/Dept/Heim/Pages/default.aspx |title=Home |access-date=February 3, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111225112022/http://www.co.berks.pa.us/Dept/Heim/Pages/default.aspx |archive-date=December 25, 2011}}{{cite web |publisher=Berks County Area Agency on Aging |url=http://www.co.berks.pa.us/Dept/Aging/Documents/Nursing%20Homes.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102001656/http://www.co.berks.pa.us/Dept/Aging/Documents/Nursing%20Homes.pdf |archive-date=Nov 2, 2013 |title=Nursing Homes Guide |date=September 13, 2013}} The median age was 45.3 years. For every 100 females there were 122.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.8 males.
The median household income was $61,222 and the median family income was $68,636. Males had a median income of $46,731 versus $26,694 for females. The per capita income for the township was $25,969. About 1.2% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
As of 2019, there were {{convert|73.74|mi}} of public roads in Bern Township, of which {{convert|17.99|mi}} were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and {{convert|55.75|mi}} were maintained by the township.{{cite web |url=https://gis.penndot.gov/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/Type5/06204.pdf |title=Bern Township map |publisher=PennDOT |access-date=March 14, 2023}}
U.S. Route 222 is the most prominent highway serving Bern Township. It follows a southwest-northeast alignment across the southeastern part of the township. Pennsylvania Route 183 is the other numbered highway serving the township, following Bernville Road along a northwest-southeast alignment across the southern and western portions of the township.
Reading Regional Airport is located in the southeastern portion of the township.
Recreation
The Youth Recreational Facility and a portion of the Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 280 are located in the township.https://viewer.nationalmap.gov/advanced-viewer/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329155652/http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |date=March 29, 2012 }} The National Map, retrieved October 31, 2018[https://www.pgc.pa.gov/HuntTrap/StateGameLands/Documents/SGL%20Maps/SGL__280.pdf Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 280], retrieved October 31, 2018
References
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External links
- [https://www.berntownship.org/ Official website]
- {{Commons category-inline}}
{{Berks County, Pennsylvania}}
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