Reading is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, home to about 25,612 people across 10.0 square miles. Its ZIP code is 01867.
Homes sold for a median of $473 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Reading. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Reading’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)13 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Boston, MA14 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | New York, NY195 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Reading; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Reading had 25,518 residents in the 2020 census, up 8% since 2000.
It’s the 77th largest of 351 towns in Massachusetts by population.
Middlesex County grew from 565,696 residents in 1900 to 1,632,002 in 2020.
Middlesex County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 84°F in summer, and winter lows average 19°F. About 49.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 64 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Reading, MA weather station (about a mile away).
963,417 jobs at 44,624 businesses in Middlesex County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
228 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Reading.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 26 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 21 |
| Dentists | 33 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 29 |
| Mental health providers | 62 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 44 |
| Optometrists | 6 |
| Chiropractors | 7 |
| Pharmacies | 3 |
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.
Parks (15 nearby)
Grocery stores (6 nearby)
Pharmacies
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues
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.
Public schools here are run by Reading. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RISE PreSchoolReading | Pre-K | 116 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Alice M BarrowsReading | K–5 | 365 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Birch MeadowReading | K–5 | 359 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| J Warren KillamReading | K–5 | 406 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Joshua EatonReading | K–5 | 388 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Wood End Elementary SchoolReading | K–5 | 236 | Public | 1.8 mi |
| Arthur W Coolidge MiddleReading | 6–8 | 405 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Walter S Parker MiddleReading | 6–8 | 467 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Reading Memorial HighReading | 9–12 | 1,094 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Montessori SchoolReading | Pre-K–K | 5 | Nonsectarian | 0.9 mi |
| Austin Preparatory SchoolReading | 6–12 | 806 | Roman Catholic | 0.8 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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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.