Living in Reading
Reading is in the United States; its population was 95,242 in July 2026. In July 2026, 60.4% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing. There were 1,011 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026. The city had 19 schools in 2026. Median household income was US$44,091 a year in July 2026.
Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Reading?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
Median gross rent was US$1,067 per month, while the median home value was US$121,300 in July 2026. Owner occupation was 40.6%, and the vacancy rate was 7.96% in July 2026.
Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 30.47 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Reading (Wayback Machine capture 20251212184449)32Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 46.43 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Reading (Wayback Machine capture 20251212184449)32Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 957.8 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Reading (Wayback Machine capture 20251212184449)32Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 42.38 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Reading (Wayback Machine capture 20251212184449)32Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 185.8 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo - Cost of Living in Reading (Wayback Machine capture 20251212184449)32Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Median gross rent | $1,067/month | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Households spending over 30% of income on rent | 60.36 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Housing vacancy rate (legacy series) | 7.96 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 1,001 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2020 | ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent)4Official |
| Median monthly rent | 937.9 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables27Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Recorded property crimes | 1,271 offenses/year | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)13Official |
Is Reading a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Worked out from these numbers
How international is the population?
25.3% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 24,235 of 95,832 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.
Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.Work and income
Reading 13.7%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | 44,091 USD/year | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households with cable, fibre or DSL broadband | 65.85 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.45 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households with internet but no subscription | 2.64 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households without internet | 10.76 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households with satellite internet | 5.82 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Median gross salary | 2,228 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)26Community estimate · Supplemental context |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 3,653 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | www.bls.gov25Official |
| Unemployment rate | 13.72 % | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables27Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
What does a salary buy in Reading?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentUtilitiesInternetMobileLeft over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08. | €2,862 |
| Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) · 2020-12-31 | − €1,001 |
| Public transport passnot published for this city | — |
| Utilities, 85 m²€186 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Reading (Wayback Machine capture 20251212184449) · 2025-12-31 | − €186 |
| Internet€46 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Reading (Wayback Machine capture 20251212184449) · 2025-12-31 | − €46 |
| Mobile plan€42 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Reading (Wayback Machine capture 20251212184449) · 2025-12-31 | − €42 |
| Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish | €1,586 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Reading. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
American Job Centers — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Reading. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Family and education
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental health provider ratio | 24 ratio | 30 Jun 2026 | HRSA mental health provider ratio15Official |
| Primary care doctors per 100,000 residents | 1,011 per 100,000 people | 30 Jun 2026 | HRSA mental health provider ratio15Official |
| Preventable hospitalizations | 3,496 per 100,000 people | 30 Jun 2026 | HRSA mental health provider ratio15Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Reading when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideSafety
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 1,772 offences per 100,000country median 1,586 | 31 Dec 2024 | FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting14Official |
| Recorded violent crimes | 256 offenses/year | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)13Official |
Mobility and administration
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average commute time | 24.05 minutes | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Workers commuting by bicycle | 0.05 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Workers commuting by public transport | 3.37 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Workers walking to work | 4.73 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Nearest airport | RDG | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports21Official |
| Distance to nearest airport | 6 km | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports21Official |
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Reading. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course
U.S. Department of Education
For adult learners, adult English-language learners.
USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
For immigrants, future citizens.
Climate and air quality
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Reading 7.1
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 7.13 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 202431Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 2.89 · Feb 4.28 · Mar 9.33 · Apr 16.5 · May 22.06 · Jun 26.89 · Jul 29.61 · Aug 28.56 · Sep 24.89 · Oct 18.06 · Nov 11.44 · Dec 5.56 °C | 1991–2020 | NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00360785 (BLUE MARSH LAKE)19Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan -6.94 · Feb -6.22 · Mar -1.89 · Apr 3.56 · May 9.33 · Jun 14.61 · Jul 17.39 · Aug 16.39 · Sep 12.06 · Oct 5.61 · Nov 0.278 · Dec -3.83 °C | 1991–2020 | NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00360785 (BLUE MARSH LAKE)19Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average temperature by month | Jan -0.667 · Feb 0.611 · Mar 5.28 · Apr 11.39 · May 16.94 · Jun 22 · Jul 24.5 · Aug 23.5 · Sep 19.39 · Oct 12.89 · Nov 7 · Dec 2.06 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information18Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 87.63 · Feb 69.34 · Mar 93.98 · Apr 94.49 · May 103.6 · Jun 126 · Jul 130.8 · Aug 125 · Sep 129.3 · Oct 113.5 · Nov 84.33 · Dec 98.81 mm | 1991–2020 | NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00363632 (HAMBURG)20Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM2.5, highest monitored reading | 212.6 µg/m³ | 1 Jul 2026 | EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county |
| PM2.5, annual mean | 9.07 µg/m³ | 1 Jul 2026 | EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county |
| PM2.5 monitoring sites | 3 monitors | 1 Jul 2026 | EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean11Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county |
| Annual precipitation | 980 mm | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals17Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
| Maximum July temperature | 25.01 °C | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals17Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
| Average annual temperature | 12.99 °C | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals17Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
| Minimum January temperature | 4.32 °C | 30 Jun 2026 | NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals17Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation |
Similar climate. In United States: Springfield ±0.3 °C. Elsewhere: Chatham-Kent (Canada) ±2.0 °C, Markham (Canada) ±2.1 °C, Mississauga (Canada) ±2.1 °C, Richmond Hill (Canada) ±2.1 °C, Vaughan (Canada) ±2.1 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month
Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.
Population and city profile
Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 24,235 is not 16% of the population. Each row names its source.
By nationality
National passport74.7%Foreign residents25.3%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign-resident share | 15.98 % | 31 Dec 2020 | Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)9Official |
| Foreign residents | 24,235 people | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables27Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Population density | 3,759 people/km² | 31 Dec 2025 | Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau10Official |
| Population | 95,832 people | 31 Dec 2025 | U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program24Official |
| Population covered by crime statistics | 99,299 people | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)13Official |
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | 121,300 USD | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Owner-occupied homes | 40.63 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Labour force participation rate | 62.57 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Residents born abroad | 25.45 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Naturalized citizens, share of residents | 9.47 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Non-citizens, share of residents | 15.98 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Flu vaccination coverage | 63.12 % | 30 Jun 2026 | CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage7Official |
| Mammography screening coverage | 72.2 % | 30 Jun 2026 | CDC mammography screening rate8Official |
| Residents without health insurance | 14.67 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher | 11.36 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Crime reporting agencies | 1 agencies | 30 Jun 2026 | FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics12Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · agency service area |
| Households with a vehicle available | 76.65 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS median gross rent5Official |
| Public transport agencies in the National Transit Database | 0 agencies | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Workers aged 16 and over | 37,305 workers | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Workers mainly working from home | 6.43 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
| Households using cellular data plans | 80.26 % | 4 Jul 2026 | ACS total population6Official |
Alternatives for people set on Reading
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
Bethlehem as a Reading alternative in the same region
56 km away, better on 4 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.
- Unemployment: 6.6% Bethlehem vs 13.7% Reading−52%
- Median gross pay, city: €2,862 Bethlehem vs €2,228 Reading+28%
- Foreign residents: 5.5% Bethlehem vs 16.0% Reading−66%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,575 Bethlehem vs 1,772 Reading−11%
- Residents: 79,644 Bethlehem vs 95,832 Reading−17%
- Nearest airport: 7.0 km Bethlehem vs 6.0 km Reading+17%
- Annual PM2.5: 6.7 µg/m³ Bethlehem vs 7.1 µg/m³ Reading−5%
San Marcos as a Reading alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 3726 km, better on 4 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 3.
- Median gross pay, city: €3,637 San Marcos vs €2,228 Reading+63%
- Unemployment: 4.6% San Marcos vs 13.7% Reading−66%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 882 San Marcos vs 1,772 Reading−50%
- Nearest airport: 11.0 km San Marcos vs 6.0 km Reading+83%
- Median gross pay, region: €4,337 San Marcos vs €3,653 Reading+19%
- Foreign residents: 9.5% San Marcos vs 16.0% Reading−40%
- Annual PM2.5: 7.7 µg/m³ San Marcos vs 7.1 µg/m³ Reading+9%
Cities near Reading
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 1,645 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 4,496 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Rent
- 1,281 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 3,727 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Rent
- 1,233 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 4,231 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Rent
- 1,059 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 3,181 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Rent
- 1,022 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 3,253 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
Alternative cities in United States
Other cities in United States to compare with Reading, nearest in population first.
How does Reading compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Reading's.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
What is the typical salary around Reading?
The median gross salary is 3,653 EUR/month. Source: www.bls.gov.
What is the unemployment rate in Reading?
The unemployment rate is 13.72 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.
Is the air quality good in Reading?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.13 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.
How safe is Reading?
Police recorded 1,772 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.
How many people live in Reading?
The published population is 95,832 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.
How many foreign residents live in Reading?
24,235 residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.
Is Reading a good place to live?
Reading may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
Which cities are near Reading?
Wyomissing, Shillington, Blandon, Birdsboro, Kutztown are near Reading. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Reading (Pennsylvania), United States: population, rent [ImmigrationDB compilation; version b8adc9386d1b8d3e64f160e39dca8ede]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/reading-pa/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_reading-pennsylvania-united-states-population-rent_931975560baf,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Reading (Pennsylvania), United States: population, rent},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {b8adc9386d1b8d3e64f160e39dca8ede},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/reading-pa/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Reading (Pennsylvania), United States: population, rent](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/reading-pa/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version b8adc9386d1b8d3e64f160e39dca8ede; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- 2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables api.census.gov · checked 2026-10-04
- ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B20002 (Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months (in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars) by Sex for the Population 16 Years and Over with Earnings) www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
- ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-18
- ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
- ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
- ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
- CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
- Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
Show 22 more sources
- EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
- FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
- FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
- HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00360785 (BLUE MARSH LAKE) NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
- NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 — station USC00363632 (HAMBURG) NOAA U.S. Monthly Climate Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
- TIGERweb ACS2023 — Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas (CBSA, January 1 2023) TIGERweb ACS2023 · tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb Places (layer 4 incorporated places, layer 5 CDPs; identical query) tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-09-11
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- www.bls.gov bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
- Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
- Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
- Numbeo - Cost of Living in Reading (Wayback Machine capture 20251212184449) numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-31
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.