Reading is a city in Berks County, Pennsylvania, home to about 95,242 people across 9.8 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 19601, 19602, 19604, 19607 and 19611, and parts of 19605 and 19606 are in Reading too.
Homes sold for a median of $133 per square foot across 5 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 4 of 5 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Reading; also Bern
Mostly Reading; also Cumru
Mostly Reading; also Muhlenberg and Alsace
Mostly Reading; also Cumru and Shillington
Mostly Reading; also West Reading
Mostly Muhlenberg; part is in Reading
Mostly Exeter Township (Berks County); part is in Reading
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.
Are you a local agent who knows Reading well? Agents who advertise here will be able to write the guide. Advertise on OfferBacked
| Nearest major airport | Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)49 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Lancaster Airport (LNS)24 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Philadelphia, PA48 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 95,112 residents in the 2020 census, up 17% since 2000.
It’s the 4th largest of 2,568 towns in Pennsylvania by population.
Berks County grew from 159,615 residents in 1900 to 428,849 in 2020.
Berks County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 87°F in summer, and winter lows average 23°F. About 45.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Reading Spaatz Fld, PA weather station (3 miles away).
172,167 jobs at 8,521 businesses in Berks County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
1,397 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Reading’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 240 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 366 |
| Dentists | 41 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 287 |
| Mental health providers | 355 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 76 |
| Optometrists | 9 |
| Chiropractors | 23 |
| Pharmacies | 46 |
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 (41 nearby)
Grocery stores (4 nearby)
Pharmacies
Libraries (6 nearby)
Museums (4 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (5 nearby)
Counts are within about 2 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.
Established in 1748.
Sports teams
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Reading SD, Governor Mifflin SD, Exeter Township SD and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amanda E Stout El SchReading | Pre-K–4 | 758 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Cumru El SchShillington | Pre-K–4 | 513 | Public | 3.1 mi |
| Glenside El SchReading | Pre-K–4 | 261 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Lauers Park El SchReading | Pre-K–4 | 615 | Public | 0.2 mi |
| Millmont El SchReading | Pre-K–4 | 590 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Northwest El SchReading | Pre-K–4 | 496 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Riverside El SchReading | Pre-K–4 | 694 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Sixteenth & Haak El SchReading | Pre-K–4 | 527 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| Tenth & Green El SchReading | Pre-K–4 | 564 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| Tenth & Penn El SchReading | Pre-K–4 | 345 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Thirteenth & Green El SchReading | Pre-K–4 | 477 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Thirteenth & Union El SchReading | Pre-K–4 | 641 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Twelfth & Marion El SchReading | Pre-K–4 | 459 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Tyson-Schoener El SchReading | Pre-K–4 | 408 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Jacksonwald El SchReading | K–4 | 370 | Public | 4.5 mi |
| Lorane El SchReading | K–4 | 456 | Public | 5.2 mi |
| Mifflin Park El SchShillington | K–4 | 503 | Public | 3.0 mi |
| Muhlenberg El CtrReading | K–3 | 1,241 | Public | 3.7 mi |
| Owatin Creek El SchReading | K–4 | 539 | Public | 5.3 mi |
| Stony Creek El SchReading | K–3 | 345 | Public | 3.3 mi |
| C E Cole Intermediate SchReading | 4–6 | 986 | Public | 3.7 mi |
| Central MSReading | 5–8 | 1,785 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Intermediate SchShillington | 5–6 | 623 | Public | 2.9 mi |
| Northeast MSReading | 5–8 | 868 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Northwest MSReading | 5–8 | 821 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Reiffton SchReading | 5–6 | 542 | Public | 4.0 mi |
| Southern MSReading | 5–8 | 661 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Southwest MSReading | 5–8 | 574 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| West Reading El CtrWest Reading | 5–6 | 310 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Exeter Twp JHSReading | 7–8 | 618 | Public | 3.7 mi |
And 8 more.
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Salle AcademyShillington | Pre-K–8 | 158 | Roman Catholic | 3.8 mi |
| Reading Sda Jr. AcademyReading | Pre-K–10 | 70 | Seventh-day Adventist | 1.9 mi |
| Sacred Heart Grade SchoolWest Reading | Pre-K–8 | 140 | Roman Catholic | 1.2 mi |
| St Catharine of Siena SchoolReading | Pre-K–8 | 200 | Roman Catholic | 2.3 mi |
| St Margaret SchoolReading | Pre-K–8 | 178 | Roman Catholic | 0.8 mi |
| Albright Early Learning CenterReading | TK–K | 9 | Nonsectarian | 2.9 mi |
| Fairview Christian SchoolReading | K–12 | 147 | Mennonite | 1.2 mi |
| New Story New Holland RoadReading | K–7 | 58 | Nonsectarian | 2.2 mi |
| New Story SchoolsReading | K–12 | 105 | Nonsectarian | 1.0 mi |
| St Peter SchoolReading | K–8 | 198 | Roman Catholic | 0.6 mi |
| Opportunities SchoolReading | 2–8 | 20 | Nonsectarian | 1.6 mi |
| Berks Catholic High SchoolReading | 9–12 | 613 | Roman Catholic | 1.3 mi |
| John Paul II Center for Special LearningShillington | Ungraded | 49 | Roman Catholic | 3.6 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.
Buying or selling around Reading? Tell us what you need and when. No agents advertise here yet, so we’ll keep your request for up to 30 days and send it to local agents who join. No obligation, and you choose who to work with.
Loading map…
Shares ZIP codes with Exeter Township (Berks County), Muhlenberg, Cumru, Shillington, Lower Alsace, West Reading, Laureldale, Mount Penn, Kenhorst, Bern, St. Lawrence, Alsace and Ontelaunee.
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.