Town guide

North Reading, Massachusetts

North Reading is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, home to about 15,765 people across 13 square miles. Its ZIP code is 01864.

Homes sold for a median of $425 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.

Population15,7651,198 per sq mi
Median home value$710,500Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$425Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking45%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in North Reading

1 ZIP code

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside North Reading. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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We’re writing up North Reading’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around North Reading

Distances

Nearest major airportBoston Logan International Airport (BOS)16 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Boston, MA18 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+New York, NY198 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of North Reading; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents North Reading

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

North Reading had 15,554 residents in the 2020 census, up 12% since 2000.

It’s the 128th largest of 351 towns in Massachusetts by population.

Middlesex County grew from 565,696 residents in 1900 to 1,632,002 in 2020.

North Reading population by census2000: 13,837, 2010: 14,892, 2020: 15,55413,837200014,892201015,5542020

Middlesex County, 1900–2020

Middlesex County population, 1900 to 20201900: 565,696, 1910: 669,915, 1920: 778,352, 1930: 934,924, 1940: 971,390, 1950: 1,064,569, 1960: 1,238,742, 1970: 1,397,268, 1980: 1,367,034, 1990: 1,398,468, 2000: 1,465,396, 2010: 1,503,085, 2020: 1,632,002566K’00’10778K’20’30971K’40’501.2M’60’701.4M’80’901.5M’00’101.6M’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 81°F in summer, and winter lows average 16°F. About 48.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 48 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near North ReadingJan: high 35°F, low 16°F, 3.5 in; Feb: high 38°F, low 17°F, 3.3 in; Mar: high 44°F, low 25°F, 4.5 in; Apr: high 56°F, low 35°F, 4.4 in; May: high 67°F, low 45°F, 3.7 in; Jun: high 75°F, low 55°F, 4.3 in; Jul: high 81°F, low 61°F, 3.8 in; Aug: high 80°F, low 59°F, 3.3 in; Sep: high 73°F, low 52°F, 3.8 in; Oct: high 62°F, low 41°F, 4.8 in; Nov: high 50°F, low 31°F, 4 in; Dec: high 40°F, low 23°F, 4.8 in35°16°Jan3.538°17°Feb3.344°25°Mar4.556°35°Apr4.467°45°May3.775°55°Jun4.381°61°Jul3.880°59°Aug3.373°52°Sep3.862°41°Oct4.850°31°Nov4.040°23°Dec4.8Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Middleton, MA weather station (4 miles away).

Jobs in Middlesex County

963,417 jobs at 44,624 businesses in Middlesex County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Middlesex CountyProfessional services: 159,471 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 126,002 jobs; Educational services: 92,086 jobs; Retail trade: 79,115 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 68,258 jobs; Manufacturing: 67,626 jobs; Information: 67,368 jobs; Wholesale trade: 51,000 jobsProfessional services 17% Health care and social assistance 13% Educational services 10% Retail trade 8% Hotels and restaurants 7% Manufacturing 7% Information 7% Wholesale trade 5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

101 doctors and other health care providers list an office in North Reading.

Nearest hospitals

  • Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, BurlingtonGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Burlington7.4 miles
  • Winchester HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Winchester8.2 miles
  • Melrosewakefield HealthcareGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Melrose8.6 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors8
Specialist doctors6
Dentists8
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants14
Mental health providers40
Physical and occupational therapists18
Optometrists2
Chiropractors5
Pharmacies6

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around North Reading

Parks (10 nearby)

  • Ipswich River Park · 50 acres0.9 mi
  • Michael J. Benevento Park · 13 acres1.4 mi
  • Rita J. Mullin Recreational Park · 11 acres1.3 mi
  • Chestnut Street Complex · 6 acres0.9 mi
  • Town Common · 4 acres1.0 mi
  • Park Street Park · 3 acres1.8 mi

Grocery stores (1 nearby)

  • Stop & Shop1.3 mi

Pharmacies (2 nearby)

  • Walgreens0.9 mi
  • CVS Pharmacy1.3 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Flint Memorial Library1.1 mi

Museums

  • Wilmington Town Museum2.7 mi
  • Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology5.0 mi
  • Addison Gallery of American Art5.0 mi
  • Wakefield History Museum5.3 mi
  • Andover Center for History & Culture5.4 mi

Theaters and performance venues

  • Tang Theater5.0 mi
  • Steinbeck Theater5.0 mi
  • J. Everett Collins Center for the Performing Arts6.1 mi
  • Rogers Center for the Arts6.1 mi

Counts are within about 2.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Colleges, teams and notable people

Established in 1651.

Notable people born here

  • Frank Putnam Flint (1862) · American politician (1862–1929)

Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.

Schools in North Reading

Public schools here are run by North Reading. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (5)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
E Ethel Little SchoolNorth ReadingPre-K–5303Public1.6 mi
J Turner HoodNorth ReadingPre-K–5416Public1.0 mi
L D BatchelderNorth ReadingK–5462Public0.9 mi
North Reading MiddleNorth Reading6–8494Public0.6 mi
North Reading HighNorth Reading9–12652Public0.6 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Towns near North Reading

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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.