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CENSUS DATA Spatial Distribution of Population The population of Berks County is concentrated in Reading, the boroughs, and residential developments located across the county. As would be expected most of the population lives near major roads. Between 1990 and 2000 the total population of the county grew from 336,523 to 373,638 persons or about 11.0%. Some areas grew while others declined. The Berks County Planning Commission has estimated that the county has grown by over 27,500 persons between 2000 and 2006, an increase of 7.3% since the last census. Spatial Distribution of Children Based on the U.S. Bureau of the Census statistics for 2000, the most recent census, there were 91,909 children living in Berks County. Those less than five years of age accounted for 23,032 of the children, while the remaining 68,877 were between the ages of five and seventeen. Respectively, these two children age-groups represented 6.1% and 18.3% of the total Berks County population of 373,638 for the census year. The Berks County Planning Commission estimates mentioned earlier are not broken down by age groups. However, for the period between the 1999-2000 and the 2006-2007 school years, resources of the Pennsylvania Department of Education show that the majority of school districts within Berks County experienced significant growth in the number of children attending public schools. Table 1. Berks County School Enrollments
This was especially true for those districts in southern Berks County. While the Pennsylvania Dept. of Education statistics do not account for all children within the county, their numbers do reflect that population growth is occurring within the count. Please see the enrollment map and change in enrollment map. Air Monitoring Sites There are two air monitoring stations within Berks County. One is located at the Reading Airport, north and west of the city of Reading. The second station is located on the campus of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. Both sites have major highways located near them. The other types of land use in the vicinity of the two monitoring sites are shown in Reading Land Use map, the Kutztown Land Use map, and the following table. Table 2. Land Use in Acres within 5 Kilometers of Monitoring Sites
The Pennsylvania Institute for Children’s Environmental Health maintains a web site with current conditions on several measures of air quality. Current data are available for the two monitoring sites within Berks County, as well as data from monitoring sites in southeastern Pennsylvania and national air quality data. In addition to the emissions from vehicular traffic within the county, there are a number of sites that generate nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter that affect air quality. Table 3 lists the amount of these pollutants that are produced within Berks County on an annual basis (Sources: PICEH and AAQS). The volumetric emissions site image shows Table 3 data graphically. Table 3. Tons of Emission per Year for Berks County Sites
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