Reading is a city located in Berks County Pennsylvania. Reading has a 2024 population of 94,878. It is also the county seat of Berks County. Reading is currently declining at a rate of -0.03% annually and its population has decreased by -0.1% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 94,977 in 2020.
The average household income in Reading is $57,867 with a poverty rate of 28.61%. The median age in Reading is 31.1 years: 30.5 years for males, and 31.6 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Reading was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 35,572 | 37.6% |
| Other race | 26,142 | 27.63% |
| Two or more races | 19,776 | 20.9% |
| Black or African American | 10,622 | 11.23% |
| Native American | 1,282 | 1.36% |
| Asian | 1,199 | 1.27% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 8 | 0.01% |
White
Other race
Two or more races
Black or African American
Native American
Asian
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 32,692 | 2.81 | 39.3 | 60.7 |
| Non Family | 12,088 | 1.26 | 31.7 | 68.3 |
| Female | 9,209 | 3.82 | 26.2 | 73.8 |
| Married | 8,851 | 3.57 | 62.6 | 37.4 |
| Male | 2,544 | 3.85 | 41.2 | 58.8 |
3.51
Average Family Size
2.81
Average Household Size
39.3%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 8,266 | 14.9% |
| Associates Degree | 4,072 | 7.34% |
| Bachelors Degree | 4,298 | 7.75% |
| Graduate Degree | 2,214 | 3.99% |
| High School Graduate | 20,558 | 37.05% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 7,475 | 13.47% |
| Some College | 8,606 | 15.51% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 33,108 | 20,420 | 2,616 |
| White | 15,555 | 13,462 | 3,075 |
| Other Race | 14,734 | 9,082 | 1,340 |
| 2+ Races | 9,968 | 6,513 | 720 |
| Black | 6,423 | 5,288 | 636 |
| Asian | 684 | 550 | 179 |
| Native American | 630 | 322 | 0 |
| Islander | 3 | 0 | 0 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 86.54%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 26.17%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $41,711 | $48,728 | $37,299 |
| Graduate Degree | $46,600 | $63,472 | $40,179 |
| High School Graduate | $34,347 | $39,821 | $28,934 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $27,915 | $33,260 | $23,168 |
| Overall | $33,935 | $39,657 | $29,062 |
| Some College | $33,532 | $40,955 | $30,596 |
$33,935
Average Earnings
$39,657
Average Male
$29,062
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
46.9% of Reading residents speak only English, while 53.1% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 50.81% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 62,845 | 19,426 | 30.91% |
| Other | 25,831 | 8,032 | 31.09% |
| Multiple | 19,569 | 5,426 | 27.73% |
| White | 18,452 | 4,018 | 21.78% |
| Black | 10,198 | 2,786 | 27.32% |
| Asian | 1,160 | 694 | 59.83% |
| Native | 1,276 | 334 | 26.18% |
28.61%
Overall Poverty Rate
26.91%
Male Poverty Rate
30.18%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Reading is Asian, with 59.83% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Reading is White, with 21.78% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.8%. Among those working part-time, it was 30.37%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 43.25%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 35.97% |
| Some College | 25.35% |
| High School | 20.26% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 13.51% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Female Unemployed | 41.07% |
| Male Unemployed | 31.11% |
| Female Employed | 15% |
| Male Employed | 10.08% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $52,920 | $63,808 |
| Households | $42,852 | $57,867 |
| Married Families | $69,678 | $82,344 |
| Non Families | $25,882 | $38,566 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
28.9%
Overall Marriage Rate
31.4%
Male Marriage Rate
26.7%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
2,390
Number of Veterans
2,214
Male Veterans
176
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 634 |
| Second Gulf War | 555 |
| First Gulf War | 417 |
| Korea | 125 |
| World War II | 88 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 35 to 54 | 724 |
| 65 to 74 | 506 |
| 75+ | 480 |
| 55 to 64 | 450 |
| 18 to 34 | 230 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,453 | 5.3% |
| Hispanic | 569 | 1.38% |
| Black | 365 | 4.52% |
| 2+ Races | 346 | 2.8% |
| Other Race | 186 | 1.03% |
| Native American | 20 | 2.41% |
| Asian | 20 | 2.64% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
15.06%
Veteran Poverty Rate
41.6%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
62%
Labor Force Participation
54.9%
Employment Rate
11.3%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
47.69%
Born in Reading
80.62%
Native Born
19.38%
Foreign Born
11.22%
Non Citizen
8.15%
Naturalized
80.62% of Reading residents were born in the United States, with 47.69% having been born in Pennsylvania. 11.22% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 94,754 | -25 | -0.03% |
| 2028 | 94,779 | -25 | -0.03% |
| 2027 | 94,804 | -24 | -0.03% |
| 2026 | 94,828 | -25 | -0.03% |
| 2025 | 94,853 | -25 | -0.03% |
| 2024 | 94,878 | -25 | -0.03% |
| 2023 | 94,903 | 56 | 0.06% |
| 2022 | 94,847 | -96 | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 94,943 | -34 | -0.04% |
| 2020 | 94,977 | 6,582 | 7.45% |
| 2019 | 88,395 | -117 | -0.13% |
| 2018 | 88,512 | 361 | 0.41% |
| 2017 | 88,151 | -4 | 0% |
| 2016 | 88,155 | 94 | 0.11% |
| 2015 | 88,061 | -125 | -0.14% |
| 2014 | 88,186 | -91 | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 88,277 | 128 | 0.15% |
| 2012 | 88,149 | -51 | -0.06% |
| 2011 | 88,200 | 155 | 0.18% |
| 2010 | 88,045 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 81,207 | 2,827 | 3.61% |
| 1990 | 78,380 | -306 | -0.39% |
| 1980 | 78,686 | -8,957 | -10.22% |
| 1970 | 87,643 | -10,534 | -10.73% |
| 1960 | 98,177 | -11,143 | -10.19% |
| 1950 | 109,320 | -1,248 | -1.13% |
| 1940 | 110,568 | -603 | -0.54% |
| 1930 | 111,171 | 3,387 | 3.14% |
| 1920 | 107,784 | 11,713 | 12.19% |
| 1910 | 96,071 | 17,110 | 21.67% |
| 1900 | 78,961 | 20,300 | 34.61% |
| 1890 | 58,661 | 15,383 | 35.54% |
| 1880 | 43,278 | 9,348 | 27.55% |
| 1870 | 33,930 | 10,768 | 46.49% |
| 1860 | 23,162 | 7,419 | 47.13% |
| 1850 | 15,743 | 7,333 | 87.19% |
| 1840 | 8,410 | 2,554 | 43.61% |
| 1830 | 5,856 | 1,524 | 35.18% |
| 1820 | 4,332 | 870 | 25.13% |
| 1810 | 3,462 | -91,292 | -96.35% |