Berea is a home rule-class city in Madison County, Kentucky, in the United States. The town is best known for its art festivals, historic restaurants and buildings, and as the home to Berea College, a private liberal arts college. The population was 13,561 at the 2010 census. It is one of the fastest-growing towns in Kentucky, having increased by 27.4% since 2000. The name appears to come from the King James Bible, being a province in Asia Minor mentioned in Acts 17:11, where its Jewish citizens were more receptive to the message of the Apostles, but also searched the Scriptures each day to check them, in obedience to Isaiah 8:20. Berea is a principal city of the Richmond−Berea Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Madison and Rockcastle counties. It was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1890.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The city is located along Interstate 75, which runs to the west of downtown, with access from exits 76 and 77. Via I-75, Lexington is 40 mi north, and Knoxville, Tennessee is 134 mi south. U.S. Route 25 is the main highway through the center of town, leading north 14 mi to Richmond, the Madison County seat, and south 17 mi to Mount Vernon. Kentucky Route 21 also runs through the city as well, leading east 6 mi to Bighill and northwest 10 mi to Paint Lick. Berea is located on the border of the Cumberland Plateau. The area has a mountainous appearance, but most outcroppings in the area have a max elevation of 2500 ft.
Climate
Berea has a humid subtropical climate, with hot summers and relatively cold winters. Summers tend to be humid and sunny, with occasional storms, while winters are generally cold with many milder periods.
Demographics
At the 2010 census, there were 13,561 people, 5,119 households and 3,382 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,458.2 per square mile. There were 5,633 housing units at an average density of 612.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 90.7% White, 4.00% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.2 percent Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.7% of the population. There were 5,119 households of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 47.1% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.92. The age distribution was 22.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 21, 53.2% from 21 to 62, 2.8% from 62 to 65, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. The population was 53.4% female and 46.6% male. The median household income was $38,333 and the median family income was $45,541. Males had a median income of $28,304 compared $12,163 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,003. About 27.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.6% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.
Due to the high number of arts and crafts produced, Berea is a tourist attraction. It hosts several crafts festivals throughout the year. Berea also hosts a Spoonbread Festival in mid-September, which features a cornmeal bread traditionally served with a wooden spoon.
Notable people
Sue Draheim, fiddler, lived in Berea in her later years until her death in 2013.
