Reading is home to 95,242 people in Pennsylvania. 11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. 41% of homes are owner-occupied. The median age is 31.9, younger than the US median of 38.9. 28.7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Households here earn about 43% less than in Pennsylvania as a whole.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $44,091, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 31.9
US median: 38.9
Less educated
11% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 48%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Reading
What changed most since 1990
Hispanic share18.0% → 70.8%(+52.8 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
White share71.8% → 18.5%(−53.3 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Homes owned by their occupants55.9% → 40.6%(−15.3 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
Reading's population equals 22% of Berks County's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 7.9% of the county's. Its number of households without a car equals 55% of the county's.
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)25.6%(543)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.1%(449)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era24.3%(517)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.9%(82)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 2,124 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
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
78,380
$53,070
$89,523
8.5%
55.5
2000
81,207
$48,635
$81,974
8.6%
77.1
2010
88,082
$40,563
$94,226
9.8%
71.1
2020
95,112
$43,324
$96,357
10.1%
60.1
2024
95,242
$44,091
$121,300
11.4%
57.3
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.
