METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS
Reading Metro
Reading, PA · 1 counties · 336,523 residents · 856.403 sq mi
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The short version
Reading has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $32,048. Population has declined 10% since 2000. Median home value is $80,900.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Older
median age 35.5
US median: 33.0
Less educated
15% 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
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024433K
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.7%(22,398)
5 to 96.7%(22,535)
10 to 146.2%(20,929)
15 to 196.7%(22,452)
20 to 247%(23,455)
25 to 3416%(54,000)
35 to 4414.7%(49,501)
45 to 5410.4%(34,934)
55 to 6410%(33,661)
65 to 748.9%(29,998)
75 to 845.2%(17,622)
85 and over1.5%(5,038)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$32,048
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $44,714 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Section 03
Housing
$80,900
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $104,400 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic93.7%(315,186)
Black2.9%(9,844)
Hispanic / Latino4.8%(16,290)
Asian0.7%(2,490)
Other2.7%(9,003)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.
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
70.0%
−8.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 78.0% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
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 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
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Reading, PA?
Reading, PA has about 336,523 residents according to the 1990 Census.
What is the median household income in Reading, PA?
The typical household in Reading, PA earns about $32,048 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 $80,900, and the typical rent is about $413 a month.
How educated are people in Reading, PA?
About 15.1% 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 8.0% of people in Reading, PA live below the federal poverty line.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024