County outline
Where Berkshire County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 97.9% of Berkshire County’s measured area and water for 2.1%. Its combined area converts to 2,451.3 square kilometers or approximately 605,730 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 926.874 | 2,400.593 | 593,199.4 |
| Water | 19.579 | 50.709 | 12,530.6 |
| Total | 946.453 | 2,451.302 | 605,729.9 |
How Berkshire County compares
By original Census land area, Berkshire County ranks #2 of 14 in Massachusetts and #781 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.716 times the Massachusetts county-equivalent median of 540.2 square miles. It accounts for 11.9% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Massachusetts ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Berkshire County
The Census Bureau estimates that 128,224 people lived in Berkshire County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #519 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #11 of 14 in Massachusetts. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 129,026, the population has declined by 802 (−0.6%), compared with +1.7% for Massachusetts as a whole.
With 926.9 square miles of land, that is 138 people per square mile (53 per km²), placing Berkshire County #812 nationally for density and #13 in Massachusetts. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Massachusetts median is 673. Put another way, there are about 4.6 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 129,816 | 130,225 | 129,592 | 129,026 | 129,049 | 128,224 |
| Change | — | +409 | −633 | −566 | +23 | −825 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Berkshire County
Berkshire County is divided into 32 cities and towns. In Massachusetts, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is Pittsfield city, with 42,909 residents (33.5% of the county). The largest by land is Sandisfield town, at 51.8 mi², or 5.6% of the county’s land. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Williamstown town grew fastest since then (+22.2%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsfield cityCounty seat | 42,909 | −2.4% | 40.5 | 4.4% |
| North Adams city | 12,368 | −4.4% | 20.3 | 2.2% |
| Williamstown town | 9,186 | +22.2% | 46.7 | 5% |
| Adams town | 7,934 | −2.8% | 22.9 | 2.5% |
| Great Barrington town | 7,239 | +1% | 44.8 | 4.8% |
| Dalton town | 6,157 | −2.8% | 21.8 | 2.3% |
| Lee town | 5,673 | −1.9% | 26.1 | 2.8% |
| Lenox town | 5,059 | −0.6% | 21.2 | 2.3% |
| Sheffield town | 3,314 | −0.3% | 47.4 | 5.1% |
| Cheshire town | 3,180 | −2.3% | 26.8 | 2.9% |
| Lanesborough town | 2,999 | −1.7% | 28.9 | 3.1% |
| Stockbridge town | 1,982 | −0.9% | 22.7 | 2.5% |
| Becket town | 1,922 | −0.9% | 46.1 | 5% |
| Hinsdale town | 1,880 | −1.3% | 20.7 | 2.2% |
| Clarksburg town | 1,625 | −1.5% | 12.7 | 1.4% |
Show the other 17 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otis town | 1,610 | −1.5% | 35.6 |
| New Marlborough town | 1,500 | −2.2% | 46.9 |
| Richmond town | 1,400 | −0.9% | 18.7 |
| Egremont town | 1,369 | +0.2% | 18.7 |
| West Stockbridge town | 1,319 | −1.6% | 18.5 |
| Monterey town | 1,093 | −0.5% | 26.4 |
| Sandisfield town | 983 | −0.4% | 51.8 |
| Windsor town | 817 | −1% | 35 |
| Peru town | 791 | −2.5% | 25.9 |
| Hancock town | 748 | −0.5% | 35.7 |
| Florida town | 700 | −2.8% | 24.4 |
| Savoy town | 655 | +1.1% | 35.9 |
| Washington town | 502 | +1.6% | 38 |
| Alford town | 488 | −1.6% | 11.5 |
| Tyringham town | 422 | −1.4% | 18.6 |
| New Ashford town | 246 | 0% | 13.5 |
| Mount Washington town | 154 | −3.1% | 22.3 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Berkshire County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Berkshire County is a central county of the Pittsfield, MA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Berkshire County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the metro area has the same 926.9 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #289 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #327 by population.
ZIP codes
36 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Berkshire County; 33 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
010080102601029010700120101220012220122301224012250122601229012300123501236012370123801240012420124401245012470125301254012550125601257012580125901260012620126401266012670127001343
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Berkshire County
Berkshire County shares a land border with 8 county equivalents, including 5 in New York, Connecticut, and Vermont. It has more land than every one of them. The largest neighbor is Dutchess County (795.6 mi²) and the smallest is Hampshire County (527.2 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Berkshire County forms a block of 6,313.9 mi² of land, of which it holds 14.7%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Berkshire | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dutchess CountyNew York | 795.6 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Northwest Hills Planning RegionConnecticut | 786.6 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Franklin County | 699.2 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Bennington CountyVermont | 674.2 | 1.4× smaller | Compare |
| Rensselaer CountyNew York | 652.5 | 1.4× smaller | Compare |
| Columbia CountyNew York | 634.7 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
| Hampden County | 617 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
| Hampshire County | 527.2 | 1.8× smaller | Compare |
How big is Berkshire County compared with U.S. states?
Berkshire County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.1 times as much. Massachusetts’s county land could hold about 8.4 areas the size of Berkshire County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 30.4 miles (49 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Berkshire County?
Berkshire County has more land than 2,441 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Berkshire County at #854 nationally by total area, 73 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 2.1%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.9 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Berkshire County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #780 | Donley County, Texas | 927 | Compare |
| #781 | Berkshire County, Massachusetts | 926.9 | This county |
| #782 | Eastland County, Texas | 926.5 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 42.371493, -73.217928. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 2,400,592,126 m²; AWATER: 50,709,123 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Berkshire County?
Berkshire County, Massachusetts has 926.9 square miles (2,400.6 km²) of land and 19.6 square miles of water, for a total area of 946.5 square miles. It ranks #781 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Berkshire County the largest county in Massachusetts?
No. Berkshire County ranks #2 of 14 in Massachusetts by land area. The largest is Worcester County, with 1,510.7 square miles of land.
What counties border Berkshire County?
Berkshire County shares a land border with Columbia County, New York, Northwest Hills Planning Region, Connecticut, Hampden County, Rensselaer County, New York, Hampshire County, Franklin County, Bennington County, Vermont, and Dutchess County, New York.
What is the population of Berkshire County?
The Census Bureau estimates Berkshire County had 128,224 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #519 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 138 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Berkshire County?
The county seat of Berkshire County is Pittsfield.
What cities and towns are in Berkshire County?
Berkshire County has 32 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Pittsfield city, North Adams city, Williamstown town, Adams town, and Great Barrington town.
Is Berkshire County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Pittsfield, MA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Berkshire County?
36 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Berkshire County, and 33 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Berkshire County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.1 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Berkshire County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 593,199 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 605,730 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.