CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Reading

Massachusetts · 22,539 residents · 9.98 sq mi

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The short version

With 22,539 people, Reading is a city in Massachusetts. Median home value sits at $206,500. 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 20% nationally. 81% of homes are owner-occupied. Households take in $52,783 a year at the median, 75% more than the country as a whole. Households here earn about 43% more than in Massachusetts as a whole.

At a glance

Wealthier

above the US median

US median: $30,130

Older

median age 36.1

US median: 33.0

More educated

37% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

Stable housing

home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

22,539

−5%vs 2000

vs 23,708 in 2000

1990 – 2024

Median age

36.1

−8%vs 2000

vs 39.1 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

9.98 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202426K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 56.7%(1,506)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 96.2%(1,406)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 146.3%(1,429)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 196.3%(1,419)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 246.9%(1,556)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3415.5%(3,500)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4417.5%(3,944)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 5411.6%(2,609)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 6410.2%(2,288)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 747.2%(1,628)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 844.2%(943)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.4%(311)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$52,783

−10%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $77,059 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$21,074

−36%vs 2000

vs $32,888 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

2.1%

−0.5 ptsvs 2000

vs 2.6% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$206,500

+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $268,000 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$706

+26%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $739 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

81.4%

−1.1 ptsvs 2000

vs 82.5% in 2000

18.6% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic95.8%(22,721)

Black0.3%(81)

Hispanic / Latino0.8%(200)

Asian2.2%(521)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic98.3%(22,161)

Black0.3%(71)

Hispanic / Latino0.7%(151)

Asian0.9%(195)

Other0.5%(112)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

South American1.1%(278)

Puerto Rican0.7%(180)

Colombian0.7%(178)

Cuban0.5%(137)

Central American0.3%(86)

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)

Subsaharan African0.3%(84)

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)

West Indian0%(11)

Haitian0%(11)

Cape Verdean0%(8)

Slovak0%(7)

Croatian0%(6)

RANKED:Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population · Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest French Canadian population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

36.7%

−11.1 ptsvs 2000

vs 47.8% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

91.9%

−2.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 94.5% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

13.7%

−6.0 ptsvs 2000

vs 19.7% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

22.3 min

+18%vs 2000

vs 18.9 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

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.

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