Reading, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Reading, PA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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F
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Reading | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 94,871 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 9411.2 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.06% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.4 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 33,021 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Reading grew by 18.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 94,871 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Reading is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.6% of residents. That is 5.5 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 24,308 25.6% +5.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 20,560 21.7% +0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 16,795 17.7% -2.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,912 11.5% -7.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Pennsylvania, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 52.3% of the people living in Reading and men 47.7%.
- Women 52.3% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 47.7% Pennsylvania 49.2%
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Economy
Reading has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Reading | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,237 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.29% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 13.7% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Reading is about 43% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Reading | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $144,216 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,067 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 40.6% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Reading is about 11.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,067 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Reading spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 175 hours, about 7.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Reading | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.0 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.0 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 175 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,425 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.4% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,707 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,010 | 1,152 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Reading is 21 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Pennsylvania.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Reading has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Reading | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.6% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.77 | 2.39 | 2.53 |
Health
Reading has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Reading | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 26.7% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.7% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Reading, Pennsylvania.
What is the population of Reading, Pennsylvania?
About 94,871 people live in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 33,021 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 33.4, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Reading, Pennsylvania mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Reading, Pennsylvania has 9,411 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 109 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Reading, Pennsylvania an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($144,216 against $44,237), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,067 a month takes about 29% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Reading, Pennsylvania?
Unemployment in Reading, Pennsylvania is 13.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Reading, Pennsylvania?
10.6% of adults in Reading, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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