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METRO AREA · 2010 ACS

Reading Metro

Reading, PA · 1 counties · 411,442 residents · 856 sq mi
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The short version

Reading is a metro area of 411,442 people. 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. 72% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 6%. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $170,400. Headcount has barely moved since 2000.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $52,703
Mid-age
median age 39.1
US median: 37.2
Less educated
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 29%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
411,442
+10%since 2000
from 373,638 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
480 / sq mi
+10%since 2000
from 436 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
39.1
+5%since 2000
from 37.4 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
856 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
327K356K385K414K443K19902000201020202024Reading
2024433K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 56.1%(25,288)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 96.6%(26,960)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 146.8%(27,828)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 197.7%(31,785)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.6%(27,355)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3411.2%(46,157)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4413.1%(53,903)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5415.2%(62,706)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6412.1%(49,902)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 747.2%(29,576)
US avg: 7%
75 to 845.1%(20,789)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over2.2%(9,193)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$53,470
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $44,714 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$25,518
+20%since 2000
from $21,232 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
32.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 32.2% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
12.4%
+3.0 ptssince 2000
from 9.4% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.421
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Retail trade18.4%
US avg: 10.9%
Information11.8%
US avg: 11.5%
Wholesale trade6.1%
US avg: 7.2%
Other services5.8%
US avg: 7%
Finance & insurance4.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration4.3%
US avg: 4.9%
Transportation & warehousing3.7%
US avg: 3.1%
Professional, scientific, technical3.6%
US avg: 4.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 2.4%
Construction1.6%
US avg: 1.4%
Education & health services1.1%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$170,400
+29%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $104,400 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$743
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $545 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
71.7%
−2.3 ptssince 2000
from 74.0% in 2000
28.3% rent
Vacancy rate
6.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 6.3% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.56 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.57 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
28.5%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 27.8% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
45.9%
+2.3 ptssince 2009
from 43.6% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
3.2
+5%since 2009
from 3.0 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic84.8%(317,025)
Black3.3%(12,478)
Hispanic / Latino9.7%(36,357)
Asian1%(3,713)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic76.9%(316,406)
Black4%(16,517)
Hispanic / Latino16.4%(67,355)
Asian1.3%(5,244)
Other1.4%(5,953)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican8.2%(33,491)
Mexican2.5%(10,206)
Dominican2.3%(9,415)
South American0.8%(3,313)
Central American0.4%(1,548)
Ecuadorian0.3%(1,259)
Colombian0.3%(1,115)
Cuban0.2%(925)
Salvadoran0.2%(835)
Spaniard0.1%(423)
Peruvian0.1%(409)
Guatemalan0.1%(266)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(245)
Panamanian0%(192)
Honduran0%(143)
Uruguayan0%(116)
Chilean0%(58)
Ancestry
German36.7%(149,593)
Irish12.8%(52,307)
Italian10.1%(41,255)
English6.4%(26,110)
Polish6.3%(25,823)
American4.6%(18,889)
Dutch3.3%(13,547)
French1.8%(7,467)
Welsh1.5%(6,071)
Scottish1.2%(4,804)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(4,456)
Slovak1%(4,149)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
West Indian0.8%(3,316)
Hungarian0.8%(3,287)
Russian0.8%(3,064)
Swiss0.7%(3,038)
Ukrainian0.7%(3,003)
Greek0.7%(2,833)
Swedish0.6%(2,589)
Lithuanian0.5%(1,954)
Austrian0.4%(1,777)
Haitian0.4%(1,624)
British0.4%(1,434)
French Canadian0.3%(1,380)
Norwegian0.3%(1,210)
Czech0.3%(1,191)
Romanian0.2%(998)
Jamaican0.2%(919)
Canadian0.2%(624)
Arab0.1%(605)
Danish0.1%(438)
Portuguese0.1%(382)
Croatian0.1%(347)
Finnish0.1%(251)
Syrian0%(192)
Latvian0%(178)
Lebanese0%(160)
Slovene0%(146)
Belgian0%(139)
Guyanese0%(110)
Brazilian0%(103)
Ethiopian0%(96)
Serbian0%(88)
Barbadian0%(85)
Egyptian0%(75)
Nigerian0%(66)
Kenyan0%(64)
Turkish0%(46)
Iranian0%(35)
Bulgarian0%(26)
Moroccan0%(21)
Armenian0%(17)
Ghanaian0%(17)
Jordanian0%(13)
Israeli0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
21.7%
+3.2 ptssince 2000
from 18.5% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
83.1%
+5.1 ptssince 2000
from 78.0% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
7.3%
+0.8 ptssince 2000
from 6.5% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.6 min
+57%since 2000
from 15.0 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
80.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 80.2% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
9.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 9.4% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
1.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
3.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.7% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
3.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
8.6%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 8.0% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
10.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
31.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 30.7% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Female
50.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Foreign born
6.5%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
10.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 10.6% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
7.3%
−3.0 ptssince 2013
from 10.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
56.6%
−2.2 ptssince 2020
from 58.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.7%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 14.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
19.2%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 18.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
22.1%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 20.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
68.2%
−3.0 ptssince 2020
from 71.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
38.7%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 36.9% 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)19.1%(3,610)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.9%(3,953)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era35.7%(6,757)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.6%(1,055)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.2%(230)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 18,922 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
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

Berks CountyCENTRAL440,072
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Reading

Salem
Pop 445,814
Savannah
Pop 438,314
Wilmington
Pop 492,772
York
Pop 473,197
Places similar to Reading
Head to head

Compare Reading side by side

READING VS
Salem
Income$78,938+48%
Home value$424,224+149%
Population445,814+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
READING VS
Savannah
Income$77,692+45%
Home value$302,959+78%
Population438,314same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
READING VS
Wilmington
Income$76,547+43%
Home value$362,172+113%
Population492,772+12%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
READING VS
York
Income$84,829+59%
Home value$248,600+46%
Population473,197+8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Reading, PA?

Reading, PA has about 411,442 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Reading, PA?

The typical household in Reading, PA earns about $53,470 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 $170,400, and the typical rent is about $743 a month.

How educated are people in Reading, PA?

About 21.7% 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 12.4% 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 74,919 residents, a change of about 22 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →