West Reading, PA

Census Place

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2024 Population
4,562
US Senator
John Fetterman
Democratic Party
US Senator
Dave McCormick
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
35.4
1.43% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
14.8%
17.4% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$65,885
6.31% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$173,100
8.39% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
2,118
4.13% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in West 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.

98.4% of the residents in West Reading, PA are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in West Reading, PA was $173,100, and the homeownership rate was 56.1%.

Most people in West Reading, PA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.9 minutes. The average car ownership in West Reading, PA was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: The Pagoda, Reading, PA
Photo by Jack
United StatesPennsylvaniaBerks County, PAReading, PABerks County (Southwest)--Reading City PUMA, PA

Population & Diversity

West Reading, PA is home to a population of 4.56k people, from which 98.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.42% of West Reading, PA residents were born outside of the country (156 people).

In 2024, there were 3.51 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.5k people) in West Reading, PA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 712 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 399 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.4%
2024 Citizenship
97.9%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.4% of West Reading, PA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in West Reading, PA was 97.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in West Reading, PA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    2.5k ± 354
  2. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    712 ± 299
  3. White (Hispanic)
    399 ± 322
33.6%
Hispanic Population
1.54k people

In 2024, there were 3.51 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.5k people) in West Reading, PA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 712 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 399 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

33.6% of the people in West Reading, PA are hispanic (1.54k people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place 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.

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Foreign-Born Population

3.42%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
156 people
4.47%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
203 people

As of 2024, 3.42% of West Reading, PA residents (156 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 West Reading, PA was 4.47%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    79 ± 79
  2. Gulf War (1990s)
    39 ± 40
  3. Vietnam
    31 ± 32

West Reading, PA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2.03 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of West Reading, PA employs 2.12k people. In 2024, the largest industries in West Reading, PA were Health Care & Social Assistance (551 people), Manufacturing (363 people), and Retail Trade (194 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($104,205), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($66,250), and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($65,667).

Employment

Occupations

2.12k
2024 Value
± 353
4.13%
1 Year growth
± 22.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in West Reading, PA grew at a rate of 4.13%, from 2.03k employees to 2.12k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in West Reading, PA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (313 people), Production Occupations (250 people), and Health Diagnosing & Treating Practitioners & Other Technical Occupations (243 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of West Reading, PA.

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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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

2.12k
2024 Value
± 353
4.13%
1 Year growth
± 22.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in West Reading, PA grew at a rate of 4.13%, from 2.03k employees to 2.12k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in West Reading, PA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (551 people), Manufacturing (363 people), and Retail Trade (194 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of West Reading, PA, though some of these residents may live in West Reading, PA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$55,479
Median earning men ± $11,644
$50,972
Median earning women ± $17,412

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($86,058), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($66,458), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($65,639).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($250,001), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($52,895), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($52,407).

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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.

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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 West 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.

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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.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in West Reading, PA was $173,100 in 2024, which is 0.52 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $159,700 to $173,100, a 8.39% increase. The homeownership rate in West Reading, PA is 56.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in West Reading, PA have an average commute time of 21.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in West Reading, PA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$173,100
Median Property Value 2024
±$13,667
$959
Median Property Taxes
±$203

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 West Reading, PA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

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Rent vs Own

56.1%
Homeownership
2024
64.8%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 56.1% of the housing units in West Reading, PA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 54.4%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$65,885
Median Household Income
± $9,023
1.71k
Number of Households
± 280

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.71k households in West Reading, PA grew to $65,885 from the previous year's value of $61,974.

The following chart displays the households in West 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for West 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (72.7%)
  2. Walked (12%)
  3. Worked At Home (7.51%)

In 2024, 72.7% of workers in West Reading, PA drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (12%) and those who worked at home (7.51%).

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.

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Commute Time

21.9 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in West Reading, PA have a shorter commute time (21.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 6.29% of the workforce in West Reading, PA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

14.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in West Reading, PA (640 out of 4.33k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Males 45 - 54.

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

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Health

94.2% of the population of West Reading, PA has health coverage, with 65.5% on employee plans, 9.75% on Medicaid, 6.1% on Medicare, 12.3% on non-group plans, and 0.577% 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, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24% under 18 years, 27.6% between 18 and 34 years, 39.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 8.55% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

5.8%
Uninsured
65.5%
Employer Coverage
9.75%
Medicaid
6.1%
Medicare
12.3%
Non-Group
0.577%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in West Reading, PA grew by 49.2% from 3.89% to 5.8%.

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

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