METRO AREA
Reading Metro
Reading, PA · 1 counties · 440,072 residents (2025 est.) · 856.403 sq mi
Time machine
VIEWING
COMPARE TO
The short version
Reading has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $79,777. Population has grown 16% since 2000. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $257,300. It ranks in the top 5% of US metro areas for household income.
At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.9
US median: 38.9
Less educated
28% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 35%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
PEP 2025 EST:440,072 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024433K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.5%(23,694)
5 to 96.2%(26,661)
10 to 146.3%(27,140)
15 to 197.2%(31,083)
20 to 246.4%(27,824)
25 to 3412.4%(53,872)
35 to 4412.2%(53,025)
45 to 5412.1%(52,457)
55 to 6413.7%(59,159)
65 to 7410.5%(45,284)
75 to 845.2%(22,406)
85 and over2.4%(10,410)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$79,777
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $44,714 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
53.0%
+20.8 ptssince 2009
from 32.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade17.8%
Information12%
Finance & insurance6.6%
Wholesale trade6.4%
Professional, scientific, technical5.6%
Other services5.5%
Public administration3.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2%
Construction1.9%
Education & health services1%
Arts, entertainment, food1%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$257,300
+35%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $104,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.2
+7%since 2009
from 3.0 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
37
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Reading on RentDataNow
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic84.8%(317,025)
Black3.3%(12,478)
Hispanic / Latino9.7%(36,357)
Asian1%(3,713)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic66.6%(288,465)
Black4%(17,109)
Hispanic / Latino24.8%(107,531)
Asian1.3%(5,418)
Other3.3%(14,492)
61
+44%since 2009
from 43 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
54
−1%since 2020
from 54 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican10.5%(45,598)
Dominican7%(30,304)
Mexican3.9%(16,889)
South American1.2%(5,276)
Central American1%(4,419)
Colombian0.6%(2,430)
Guatemalan0.4%(1,638)
Salvadoran0.4%(1,526)
Spaniard0.3%(1,456)
Peruvian0.3%(1,143)
Cuban0.2%(1,025)
Ecuadorian0.2%(914)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.1%(600)
Honduran0.1%(515)
Venezuelan0.1%(392)
Argentine0%(161)
Chilean0%(150)
Panamanian0%(92)
Uruguayan0%(79)
Costa Rican0%(48)
Paraguayan0%(7)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.3%(1,452)
Vietnamese0.2%(1,039)
Chinese0.2%(930)
Filipino0.2%(741)
Korean0.1%(490)
Pakistani0.1%(380)
Laotian0%(140)
Japanese0%(123)
Nepalese0%(105)
Sri Lankan0%(67)
Kazakh0%(49)
Cambodian0%(29)
Ancestry
German27.9%(120,786)
Irish10.1%(43,526)
Italian8.2%(35,528)
English6.3%(27,356)
Polish4.6%(19,825)
American3.7%(16,003)
Dutch1.3%(5,702)
French1.2%(5,264)
Scottish1%(4,444)
Welsh1%(4,312)
Swiss0.7%(3,013)
West Indian0.7%(2,994)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Hungarian0.7%(2,987)
Subsaharan African0.6%(2,494)
Ukrainian0.6%(2,445)
Slovak0.5%(2,257)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(2,060)
Greek0.5%(1,993)
Russian0.4%(1,873)
Swedish0.4%(1,768)
Norwegian0.3%(1,386)
Lithuanian0.3%(1,346)
Romanian0.3%(1,312)
Arab0.3%(1,217)
Haitian0.3%(1,189)
Jamaican0.2%(960)
French Canadian0.2%(913)
Nigerian0.2%(865)
Austrian0.2%(833)
British0.2%(760)
Czech0.2%(664)
Canadian0.1%(464)
Portuguese0.1%(445)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.1%(437)
Danish0.1%(430)
Lebanese0.1%(396)
Turkish0.1%(385)
Egyptian0.1%(369)
Belgian0.1%(307)
Syrian0.1%(303)
Guyanese0.1%(283)
Brazilian0.1%(222)
Bulgarian0%(176)
Slovene0%(143)
Finnish0%(122)
Croatian0%(119)
Moroccan0%(105)
Latvian0%(92)
Armenian0%(76)
Ghanaian0%(64)
Kenyan0%(58)
Serbian0%(41)
Barbadian0%(35)
Palestinian0%(31)
Somali0%(27)
Iranian0%(19)
Israeli0%(12)
Jordanian0%(10)
Australian0%(10)
Ethiopian0%(9)
Macedonian0%(2)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
88.4%
+10.4 ptssince 2000
from 78.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Section 08
People & community
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36.7%(64,170)
Married50.8%(88,966)
Widowed2.9%(5,031)
Divorced9.6%(16,792)
Women 15+
Never married31.3%(56,489)
Married48%(86,711)
Widowed9.3%(16,718)
Divorced11.4%(20,643)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
In this metro
Largest cities
ReadingCENTRAL95,832Wyomissing11,285Blandon7,357Shillington5,542Pennside5,407Whitfield5,226Birdsboro5,161Lorane4,601West Reading4,590Sinking Spring4,584Reiffton4,575Hamburg4,551Amity Gardens4,499Laureldale4,352Boyertown4,333Kutztown4,255Kutztown University4,182Fleetwood4,094Jacksonwald3,894Riverview Park3,619West Wyomissing3,289Mount Penn3,269Kenhorst3,028Womelsdorf2,986Mohnton2,939Hyde Park2,846Wernersville2,831Robesonia2,181Temple2,135Topton2,062
The 30 most populous of 87 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.
What's inside
1 component county
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Reading
Head to head
Compare Reading side by side
READING VS
Salem
Income$78,938−1%
Home value$424,224+65%
Population445,814+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
READING VS
Savannah
Income$77,692−3%
Home value$302,959+18%
Population438,314same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
READING VS
Wilmington
Income$76,547−4%
Home value$362,172+41%
Population492,772+12%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
READING VS
York
Income$84,829+6%
Home value$248,600−3%
Population473,197+8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Reading, PA?
Reading, PA has about 433,015 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Reading, PA?
The typical household in Reading, PA earns about $79,777 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Reading, PA expensive?
In Reading, PA, the median home is worth about $257,300, and the typical rent is about $1,181 a month.
How educated are people in Reading, PA?
About 27.7% of adults age 25 and over in Reading, PA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Reading, PA?
About 12.2% of people in Reading, PA live below the federal poverty line.
Has Reading, PA grown since 1990?
Yes, Reading, PA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 96,492 residents, a change of about 29 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here
DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024