Berkshire
Massachusetts

What stands out

Against every county in America, Berkshire County is unusual in three ways: the uninsured rate is among the lowest in America (3.2%), the restaurant count per person is in the top 5% of American counties (1.6 per 1,000), and the overdose death rate is in the top 8% of American counties (37 per 100,000). Within Massachusetts it ranks 8th of 14 counties for the uninsured rate, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. 128,763 people live here with you. The population shrank 0.6% last year, and more Americans moved out than in (net -195).

Massachusetts has a flat 5% income tax plus a 4% surtax on income above about $1 million, an estate tax that begins at $2 million, and some of the highest home prices in the country inside Route 128. It does not tax Social Security. Health insurance coverage is the highest of any state, a legacy of the 2006 reform that preceded the federal law.

Money

The typical household here brings in $69,744 a year, higher than 73% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $62,257. Unemployment runs 4.4%, higher than 79% of American counties. 11% of workers work from home; for the rest the average commute is 19 minutes each way.

Massachusetts takes 5.0% of that median income in state income tax, about $3,487 a year.

Home

The median home costs $392K, pricier than 85% of American counties, about 2.9 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $1,078 a month. Property tax is 1.40% of home value, roughly $3,726 a year on that median home, higher than 82% of American counties. 70% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.1 per 1,000 residents, lower than 89% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 37 people per 100,000 in 2024, one of the harder-hit counties in the country.

A child born here can expect to live 77.3 years, longer than 68% of American counties. There are 599 active physicians in the county, about 46.5 per 10,000 people. Medicare rates the local hospitals 4.5 of 5 stars. 3.2% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 3.13 where 3.0 is national grade level, higher than 57% of American counties. 93% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Democratic by 39 points. 70% of eligible voters turned out. Under Massachusetts law you need local approval to carry a concealed handgun, abortion is protected by state law, and marijuana is legal for adults.

Weather and risk

The year averages 46°F, highs near 56 and lows near 36, colder than 87% of American counties. About 43 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 59 out of 100, riskier than 60% of American counties; the county has had 23 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 227 Mbps down, faster than 63% of American counties. There are 4 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 1.6 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people, 3 breweries, 16 museums, 1 National Park Service site.