Reading, PA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

Add Comparison
2024 Population
433,015
US Senator
John Fetterman
Democratic Party
US Senator
Dave McCormick
Republican Party
2024 Poverty Rate
12.2%
4.59% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$79,777
2.69% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$257,300
7.34% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
212,537
0.482% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Reading, PA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

95.3% of the residents in Reading, PA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Reading, PA are Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (1,736 degrees awarded in 2023), Alvernia University (696 degrees), and Reading Area Community College (496 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Reading, PA was $257,300, and the homeownership rate was 71.3%.

Most people in Reading, PA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Reading, PA was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: The Pagoda, Reading, PA
Photo by Jack
United StatesPennsylvania

Population & Diversity

Reading, PA is home to a population of 433k people, from which 95.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 9.69% of Reading, PA residents were born outside of the country (41.9k people).

In 2024, there were 7.88 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (288k people) in Reading, PA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 36.6k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 35.9k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.3%
2024 Citizenship
96%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.3% of Reading, PA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Reading, PA was 96%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Reading, PA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Reading, PA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    288k ± 831
  2. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    36.6k ± 2.52k
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    35.9k ± 2.58k
24.8%
Hispanic Population
108k people

In 2024, there were 7.88 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (288k people) in Reading, PA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 36.6k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 35.9k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

24.8% of the people in Reading, PA are hispanic (108k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Reading, PA as a share of the total population.

View Data
Save Image

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Pennsylvania.
Most Common Origin
  1. India
    99,504 ± 7,715 people
  2. Dominican Republic
    93,569 ± 7,483 people
  3. China
    70,789 ± 6,514 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Pennsylvania was India, the natal country of 99,504 Pennsylvania residents, followed by Dominican Republic with 93,569 and China with 70,789.

View Data
Save Image

Foreign-Born Population

9.69%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
41.9k people
8.7%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
37.4k people

As of 2024, 9.69% of Reading, PA residents (41.9k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Reading, PA was 8.7%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Reading, PA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    6,572 ± 455
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    3,610 ± 442
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    2,953 ± 383

Reading, PA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.82 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Reading, PA.

View Data
Save Image

Economy

The economy of Reading, PA employs 213k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Reading, PA were Manufacturing (37,728 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (32,752 people), and Retail Trade (25,451 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($108,797), Utilities ($96,833), and Public Administration ($74,220).

Employment

Occupations

213k
2024 Value
± 3,699
0.482%
1 Year growth
± 2.42%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Reading, PA grew at a rate of 0.482%, from 212k employees to 213k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Reading, PA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (23,419 people), Production Occupations (20,973 people), and Management Occupations (19,987 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Reading, PA.

View Data
Save Image

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Pennsylvania (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

View Data
Save Image

Industries

Employment by Industries

213k
2024 Value
± 3,699
0.482%
1 Year growth
± 2.42%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Reading, PA grew at a rate of 0.482%, from 212k employees to 213k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Reading, PA, are Manufacturing (37,728 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (32,752 people), and Retail Trade (25,451 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Reading, PA, though some of these residents may live in Reading, PA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

View Data
Save Image

Median Earnings by Industry

$55,949
Median earning men ± $1,196
$40,949
Median earning women ± $783

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($80,662), Information ($78,116), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($74,167).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,501), Public Administration ($58,904), and Manufacturing ($48,146).

View Data
Save Image

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.
Y-Axis
2.78%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 6.03M people employed in Pennsylvania. This represents a 2.78% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 18.1%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Pennsylvania.

View Data
Save Image

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 679
    Other Services (except Public Administration)
  2. 544
    Construction
  3. 432
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

View Data
Save Image

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $1.97M
    Manufacturing
  2. $1.87M
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  3. $676k
    Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

View Data
Save Image

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Pennsylvania went to Donald J. Trump with 50.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Jill Stein (0.491%).

John Fetterman and Dave McCormick are the senators currently representing the state of Pennsylvania. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Pennsylvania is currently represented by 17 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Reading, PA. Showing the available data for Pennsylvania.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (50.4%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (48.7%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Jill Stein (0.491%)
    Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Pennsylvania went to Donald J. Trump with 50.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Jill Stein (0.491%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Pennsylvania for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

View Data
Save Image

Senator Elections

US Senators from Pennsylvania

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.
John Fetterman
Senator from Pennsylvania3
Assumed office on January 3, 2023
Dave McCormick
Senator from Pennsylvania1
Assumed office on January 3, 2025

John Fetterman and Dave McCormick are the senators currently representing Pennsylvania.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Pennsylvania over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

View Data
Save Image

Education

In 2023, universities in Reading, PA awarded 4,212 degrees. The student population of Reading, PA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 7,693 male students and 11,578 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Reading, PA are White (2,692 and 64.2%), Hispanic or Latino (736 and 17.5%), Black or African American (391 and 9.32%), and Two or More Races (155 and 3.7%).

The largest universities in Reading, PA by number of degrees awarded are Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (1,736 and 41.2%), Alvernia University (696 and 16.5%), and Reading Area Community College (496 and 11.8%).

The most popular majors in Reading, PA are General Business Administration & Management (433 and 10.3%), General Psychology (198 and 4.7%), and Social Work (158 and 3.75%).

The median tuition costs in Reading, PA are $34,310 for private four year colleges, and $11,552 and $19,166 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Reading, PA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 86.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 13.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 19,271 (39.9% men and 60.1% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

View Data
Save Image

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 19,271 students enrolled in Reading, PA, 39.9% men and 60.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 11,299 records, of which 59.8% were women and 40.2% men.

View Data
Save Image

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Business Administration & Management
    314 degrees awarded
  2. General Psychology
    177 degrees awarded
  3. Early Childhood Education & Teaching
    100 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Reading, PA was General Business Administration & Management with 314 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Reading, PA according to their major.

View Data
Save Image

Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
    1,736 degrees awarded
  2. Alvernia University
    696 degrees awarded
  3. Reading Area Community College
    496 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Kutztown University of Pennsylvania with 1,736 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,592 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Reading, PA, which is 0.608 times less than the 2,620 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 2,692 degrees mean that there were 3.66 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 736 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($34,310) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($2,628) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,800) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

View Data
Save Image

Housing & Living

The median property value in Reading, PA was $257,300 in 2024, which is 0.773 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $239,700 to $257,300, a 7.34% increase. The homeownership rate in Reading, PA is 71.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Reading, PA have an average commute time of 25.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Reading, PA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$257,300
Median Property Value 2024
±$3,633
$116,334
Median Property Taxes
±$2,201

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Reading, PA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Reading, PA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Rent vs Own

71.3%
Homeownership
2024
60.9%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 71.3% of the housing units in Reading, PA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 71%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Reading, PA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$79,777
Median Household Income
± $1,206
163k
Number of Households
± 3,058

In 2024, the median household income of the 163k households in Reading, PA grew to $79,777 from the previous year's value of $77,684.

The following chart displays the households in Reading, PA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

View Data
Save Image

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Reading, PA is from Pennsylvania.
0.463
2023 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania
0.466
2022 Wage GINI in Pennsylvania

In 2023, the income inequality in Pennsylvania was 0.463 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.564% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Pennsylvania was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Pennsylvania in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Pennsylvania across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

View Data
Save Image

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (73.5%)
  2. Worked At Home (11.9%)
  3. Carpooled (9.04%)

In 2024, 73.5% of workers in Reading, PA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.9%) and those who carpooled to work (9.04%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

View Data
Save Image

Commute Time

25.4 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Reading, PA have a shorter commute time (25.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.46% of the workforce in Reading, PA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Reading, PA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Reading, PA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Reading, PA have 2 cars.

View Data
Save Image

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Reading, PA (51.4k out of 420k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Reading, PA is Hispanic, followed by White and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

View Data
Save Image

Health

92.7% of the population of Reading, PA has health coverage, with 48.6% on employee plans, 18% on Medicaid, 13.8% on Medicare, 11.7% on non-group plans, and 0.659% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Pennsylvania see 1,265 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,265 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1400 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 345 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Pennsylvania.
1,265 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Pennsylvania

Primary care physicians in Pennsylvania see an average of 1,265 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,265 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Pennsylvania in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.7% under 18 years, 20.4% between 18 and 34 years, 38.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

View Data
Save Image

Uninsured People

7.25%
Uninsured
48.6%
Employer Coverage
18%
Medicaid
13.8%
Medicare
11.7%
Non-Group
0.659%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Reading, PA grew by 8.8% from 6.67% to 7.25%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Reading, PA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

View Data
Save Image