Living in Reading
In Reading (Massachusetts), unemployment is 3.3% (2024).
At the end of 2020, Reading had a population of 25,518. Reading registered an unemployment rate of 3.3% at the end of 2024. Reading was home to 2,434 foreign residents at the end of 2024.
Lower unemployment than 74% of American cities that publish it and less recorded crime than 89% of American cities that publish it.
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
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 60.38 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Verizon 300 Mbps home internet16Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 21.57 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Visible unlimited mobile plan17Official · national market |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 1,861 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)5Official |
| Median monthly rent | 1,839 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2020 | ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records4Official |
| Recorded property crimes | 139 offenses/year | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)9Official |
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?
9.5% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 2,434 of 25,518 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.
Work and income
Reading 3.3%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross salary | 6,701 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2020 | 2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables1Official |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3 %country median 4.6% | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)7Official |
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.
RentInternetMobileLeft 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. | €4,901 |
| 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 | − €1,861 |
| Internet€60 · official · Verizon 300 Mbps home internet · 2026-09-30 | − €60 |
| Mobile plan€22 · official · Visible unlimited mobile plan · 2026-09-30 | − €22 |
| Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities | — |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | €2,959 |
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.
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians per 100,000 residents | 576.1 per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2023 | Area Health Resources Files (AHRF), County 2024-2025 release6Official · county |
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 | 572.1 offences per 100,000country median 1,586 | 31 Dec 2024 | FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting10Official |
| Recorded violent crimes | 8 offenses/year | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)9Official |
Mobility and administration
Reading was 17 km from its nearest major airport.
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
At the end of 2024, annual PM2.5 reached 7.3 µg/m³. Monthly mean temperatures were −2.5°C in January and 23.1°C in July. Reading's monthly precipitation totalled 73.6 mm in January and 89.3 mm in July.
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 7.3
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 7.26 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData15Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 2.7 · Feb 4.1 · Mar 8.6 · Apr 15.5 · May 21.3 · Jun 26.4 · Jul 29.5 · Aug 28.7 · Sep 24.3 · Oct 17.6 · Nov 11.3 · Dec 5.6 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI18Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan -7.7 · Feb -7 · Mar -2.7 · Apr 2.8 · May 8.2 · Jun 13.4 · Jul 16.7 · Aug 15.7 · Sep 11 · Oct 4.9 · Nov 0.2 · Dec -4.4 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI19Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average temperature by month | Jan -2.5 · Feb -1.5 · Mar 3 · Apr 9.2 · May 14.8 · Jun 19.9 · Jul 23.1 · Aug 22.2 · Sep 17.6 · Oct 11.2 · Nov 5.8 · Dec 0.6 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI20Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 73.6 · Feb 68.3 · Mar 97.7 · Apr 97.4 · May 85.3 · Jun 94.4 · Jul 89.3 · Aug 88 · Sep 90 · Oct 107.7 · Nov 94.4 · Dec 95.4 mm | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI21Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM2.5, highest monitored reading | 833.8 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | US EPA Air Quality System (AQS)15Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM2.5, annual mean | 8.84 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | US EPA Air Quality System (AQS)15Official · nearest-station reading |
| Annual precipitation | 1,082 mm | 31 Dec 1991 | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)21Official · nearest-station reading |
| Maximum July temperature | 29.5 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)18Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average annual temperature | 10.3 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)20Official · nearest-station reading |
| Minimum January temperature | -7.7 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)19Official · nearest-station reading |
Similar climate. In United States: Springfield ±0.5 °C. Elsewhere: Chatham-Kent (Canada) ±1.5 °C, Cottbus (Germany) ±2.3 °C, Markham (Canada) ±2.3 °C, Mississauga (Canada) ±2.3 °C, Richmond Hill (Canada) ±2.3 °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
Reading's total area was 25.8 km² at the end of 2025. Population density was 991.3 people per km² at the end of 2024.
By nationality
National passport90.5%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 25.84 km² | 31 Dec 2025 | U.S. Census Bureau (TIGERweb ArcGIS REST service)12Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 9.5 % | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)7Official |
| Foreign residents | 2,434 people | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)7Official |
| Population density | 991.3 people/km² | 31 Dec 2024 | Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)7Official |
| Population | 25,518 people | 31 Dec 2020 | U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb Census 202014Official |
| Population covered by crime statistics | 26,103 people | 31 Dec 2025 | FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)9Official |
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.
Winchester as a Reading alternative in the same region
9 km away, better on 4 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.
- Foreign residents: 20.1% Winchester vs 9.5% Reading+112%
- Median gross pay, city: €8,398 Winchester vs €6,701 Reading+25%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 400 Winchester vs 572 Reading−30%
- Unemployment: 3.8% Winchester vs 3.3% Reading+14%
- Annual PM2.5: 6.1 µg/m³ Winchester vs 7.3 µg/m³ Reading−16%
- Residents: 22,970 Winchester vs 25,518 Reading−10%
North Bethesda as a Reading alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 638 km, better on 2 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Foreign residents: 34.1% North Bethesda vs 9.5% Reading+259%
- Residents: 50,094 North Bethesda vs 25,518 Reading+96%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 3,458 (2025) North Bethesda vs 572 (2024) Readingno percentage
- Median gross pay, city: €6,119 North Bethesda vs €6,701 Reading−9%
- Annual PM2.5: 5.9 µg/m³ North Bethesda vs 7.3 µg/m³ Reading−19%
- Unemployment: 3.6% North Bethesda vs 3.3% Reading+10%
Cities near Reading
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 1,809 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 6,248 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Rent
- 2,472 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 6,541 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Rent
- 1,880 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 5,677 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Rent
- 2,087 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 5,189 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Rent
- 2,212 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 6,067 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Rent
- 2,106 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 8,398 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.
Reading in rankings
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
What is the unemployment rate in Reading?
The unemployment rate is 3.3 %. Source: Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS).
Is the air quality good in Reading?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.26 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. Source: U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData.
How safe is Reading?
Police recorded 572.1 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 25,518 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb Census 2020.
How many foreign residents live in Reading?
2,434 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS).
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?
Wakefield, Lynnfield, Stoneham, North Reading, Wilmington 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 (Massachusetts), United States: population, rent [ImmigrationDB compilation; version ec4fc334452204024250487e84b11905]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/reading/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_reading-massachusetts-united-states-population-rent_12865d363584,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Reading (Massachusetts), United States: population, rent},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {ec4fc334452204024250487e84b11905},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/reading/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Reading (Massachusetts), United States: population, rent](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/reading/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version ec4fc334452204024250487e84b11905; 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 B25031 (Median Gross Rent by Bedrooms) 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
- Area Health Resources Files (AHRF), County 2024-2025 release data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-10-04
- Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
- download.geonames.org recorded crime data download.geonames.org · checked 2026-08-28
- 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
Show 19 more sources
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
- U.S. Census Bureau (TIGERweb ArcGIS REST service) tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey api.census.gov · checked 2026-08-07
- U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb Census 2020 tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-08-05
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
- Verizon 300 Mbps home internet verizon.com · checked 2026-09-15
- Visible unlimited mobile plan visible.com · checked 2026-09-15
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
- 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
- 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
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
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