Reading, PA
Census place 4263624 · pop 95,242
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
11.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
28.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
40.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$44,091 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
86.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.47 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.49% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
24 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
89/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
43 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
2 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+7.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,410/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$121,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
Not measured for Reading: Crime, Obesity, Mental, Inactive, Smoking, Uninsured, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Reading, PA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Reading scores 44/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 15 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is housing cost and its weakest is bachelor's degree or higher. Pennsylvania overall ranks #37 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Reading, PA expensive to live in?
- Reading has a median home value of $121,300 and typical rent around $1,410/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Reading, PA?
- Its weakest measured area is bachelor's degree or higher (11.4%) — 3/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Reading, PA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is housing cost ($121,300) — 92/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Namesake of the Reading Railroad on the classic Monopoly board.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.