CensusEasy
CensusEasy
CITY

Reading

Massachusetts · 25,612 residents · 9.98 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Boston metro area
Compare
The short version

Reading is home to 25,612 people in Massachusetts. 66% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $809,000. Households take in $165,912 a year at the median, 102% more than the country as a whole. That is roughly 60% ahead of the Massachusetts median. That puts it in the top 1% of US cities for household income.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $165,912, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 43.7
US median: 38.9
More educated
66% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 66%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Reading

What changed most since 1990

  • Adults with a bachelor's degree36.7% → 66.3% (+29.6 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts

Among the 128 cities and towns in the Boston metro

  • 28th in household income$165,912
  • 30th in share with a bachelor's degree66.3%
  • 30th in home value$809,000
  • 74th in diversity score35.2
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
25,612
+8%since 2000
from 23,708 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Population density
2,567 / sq mi
+8%since 2000
from 2,377 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
43.7
+12%since 2000
from 39.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
9.98 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
22K23K24K25K26K19902000201020202024Reading
202426K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.8%(1,498)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.4%(1,627)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.6%(1,687)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.9%(1,510)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 244.2%(1,088)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 349.9%(2,531)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.9%(3,297)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.3%(3,396)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.4%(3,689)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.6%(2,982)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.4%(1,637)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.6%(670)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$165,912
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $77,059 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$74,991
+128%since 2000
from $32,888 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
78.0%
+14.6 ptssince 2009
from 63.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
3.2%
+0.5 ptssince 2000
from 2.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.417
+4%since 2010
from 0.402 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade11.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services11.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration8.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Information6.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade4.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Arts, entertainment, food3.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Finance & insurance2.4%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$809,000
+66%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $268,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,991
+48%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $739 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
82.4%
Unchangedsince 2000
from 82.5% in 2000
17.6% rent
Vacancy rate
2.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.60 people
−4%since 2009
from 2.71 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
22.4%
−11.3 ptssince 2009
from 33.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
27.6%
−11.2 ptssince 2009
from 38.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.9
+4%since 2009
from 4.7 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
70
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic95.8%(22,721)
Black0.3%(81)
Hispanic / Latino0.8%(200)
Asian2.2%(521)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic84.3%(21,585)
Black0.5%(122)
Hispanic / Latino5.6%(1,431)
Asian6.3%(1,611)
Other3.4%(863)
Diversity Score
35
+217%since 2009
from 11 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican0.7%(180)
Colombian0.7%(178)
Cuban0.5%(137)
Ecuadorian0.3%(78)
Mexican0.3%(71)
Guatemalan0.2%(42)
Spaniard0.2%(40)
Argentine0.1%(22)
Dominican0.1%(16)
Salvadoran0.1%(16)
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data
Costa Rican0.1%(14)
Nicaraguan0.1%(14)
Asian origin
Chinese4%(1,014)
Asian Indian1.3%(322)
Korean0.4%(100)
Filipino0.2%(58)
Pakistani0.2%(43)
Sri Lankan0.2%(43)
Japanese0.1%(31)
Ancestry
Irish31.1%(7,958)
Italian21%(5,377)
English15.2%(3,901)
German8.7%(2,241)
French Canadian4.5%(1,141)
Scottish4.4%(1,118)
Polish3.7%(940)
American3.4%(874)
French2.5%(642)
Portuguese2.4%(616)
Swedish1.9%(480)
Greek1.8%(472)
+ 31 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.9%(241)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(230)
Arab0.7%(175)
Brazilian0.7%(172)
Dutch0.6%(156)
Canadian0.6%(142)
Lithuanian0.5%(135)
Norwegian0.5%(125)
British0.4%(109)
Lebanese0.3%(80)
Syrian0.3%(77)
Iranian0.3%(77)
Welsh0.3%(76)
Swiss0.3%(72)
Austrian0.3%(70)
Armenian0.3%(66)
Finnish0.2%(64)
Serbian0.2%(58)
Hungarian0.2%(51)
Australian0.1%(36)
Czech0.1%(32)
Ukrainian0.1%(32)
Danish0.1%(24)
Romanian0.1%(22)
Egyptian0.1%(18)
Haitian0%(11)
Slovak0%(7)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
66.3%
+18.5 ptssince 2000
from 47.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
96.2%
+1.7 ptssince 2000
from 94.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
32.9%
+13.2 ptssince 2000
from 19.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
30.9 min
+63%since 2000
from 18.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
56.9%
−24.1 ptssince 2009
from 81.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.0%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 5.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
4.5%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
30.2%
+25.9 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.1%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
3.9%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 5.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.3%
−2.0 ptssince 2011
from 5.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
67.2%
−5.1 ptssince 2011
from 72.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
82.7%
−3.4 ptssince 2020
from 86.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
16.8%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 14.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
67.0%
+12.8 ptssince 2009
from 54.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
Female
51.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 51.9% in 2009
Foreign born
9.5%
+4.3 ptssince 2009
from 5.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.5%
−4.2 ptssince 2009
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
8.4%
+1.6 ptssince 2012
from 6.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
1.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2013
from 1.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
95.3%
+4.6 ptssince 2017
from 90.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.7%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 95.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
91.5%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 93.9% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
87.4%
−3.3 ptssince 2016
from 90.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
2.0%
+1.3 ptssince 2016
from 0.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married25.8%(2,546)
Married65.1%(6,425)
Widowed3.1%(301)
Divorced6%(593)
Women 15+
Never married25.1%(2,744)
Married57%(6,238)
Widowed10.2%(1,113)
Divorced7.7%(840)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
1.9%
+0.5 ptssince 2013
from 1.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
77.3%
−1.8 ptssince 2020
from 79.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.0%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 13.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.8%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 19.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
7.4%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 8.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 1.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
89.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 89.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
25.1%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 25.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)10.6%(94)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)19.8%(176)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38%(337)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.6%(67)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.7%(24)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 887 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Reading, decade by decade

Reading population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199022,539$126,683$495,61436.7%5.3
200023,708$140,375$488,20447.8%10.1
201024,747$142,606$655,41355.1%17.9
202025,518$159,401$719,95163.4%29.4
202425,612$165,912$809,00066.3%35.2

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Reading

Keystone
Pop 25,858
Palmetto Bay
Pop 24,886
Nocatee
Pop 27,442
Fish Hawk
Pop 26,186
Places similar to Reading
Head to head

Compare Reading to nearby cities

READING VS
Wakefield
Income$134,306−19%
Home value$723,500−11%
Population27,793+9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
READING VS
Lynnfield
Income$175,265+6%
Home value$917,600+13%
Population13,064−49%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
READING VS
Wilmington
Income$168,152+1%
Home value$680,500−16%
Population23,336−9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
READING VS
Woburn
Income$111,185−33%
Home value$673,500−17%
Population43,962+72%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Reading, Massachusetts?

Reading, Massachusetts has about 25,612 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Reading, Massachusetts?

The typical household in Reading, Massachusetts earns about $165,912 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Reading, Massachusetts expensive?

In Reading, Massachusetts, the median home is worth about $809,000, and the typical rent is about $1,991 a month.

How educated are people in Reading, Massachusetts?

About 66.3% of adults age 25 and over in Reading, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Reading, Massachusetts?

About 3.2% of people in Reading, Massachusetts live below the federal poverty line.

Has Reading, Massachusetts grown since 1990?

Yes, Reading, Massachusetts has grown since 1990. The population has added about 3,073 residents, a change of about 14 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

Up the hierarchy
Massachusetts

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →