Metro area profile · Pennsylvania
Reading, PA metro area market data
How the Reading metro area compares with other metro areas for 56 business types: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
- Population, 2025
- 440,072
- +2.7% since 2020
- Households
- 163,236
- Median household income
- $79,777
- +25.2% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Median home value
- $257,300
- Jobs located here
- 179,513
- Highest market score
- 85
- Clothing and shoe stores, #12 of 387 scored metro areas
A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in the Reading metro area by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of the Reading metro area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
The Reading metro area has an estimated 440,072 people and 163,236 households. Population estimates show the Reading metro area grew 2.7% from 2020 to 2025, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). Median household income in the Reading metro area is $79,777, in line with the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 25.2%, before inflation.
Relative to the U.S., household spending in the Reading metro area runs highest on clothing, shoes and related services (an index of 109, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on pets (70).
Of the business types scored in the Reading metro area, clothing and shoe stores (85); property management companies (84); and clothing, shoe and laundry businesses (83) have the highest Groundwork market scores. For clothing and shoe stores, that ranks #12 of 387 scored metro areas.
The Reading metro area is made up of one county, Berks County. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for laundromats (75% above the U.S. rate) and lowest for property management companies (60% below the U.S. rate).
All 56 business types in the Reading metro area
Highest Groundwork market score first. Each score compares the Reading metro area with other metro areas for that business type, from 0 to 100. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.
| Business type | Score | Rank among metro areas | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Spending per listing vs. U.S. (100) | Official establishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clothing and shoe stores | 85 | #12 of 387 | 161 | 9.9 | $2.3M | 179 | 65 |
| Property management | 84 | #3 of 374 | 19 | 1.2 | Index only | 277 | 38 |
| Clothing, shoes and laundry | 83 | #12 of 387 | 268 | 16.4 | $1.4M | 155 | 92 |
| Real estate | 82 | #3 of 387 | 318 | 19.5 | Index only | 213 | 170 |
| Real estate agents and brokers | 79 | #7 of 387 | 256 | 15.7 | Index only | 210 | 91 |
| Home inspectors | 79 | #7 of 243 | 7 | 0.4 | Index only | 159 | 5 |
| Spas and skin care | 77 | #9 of 387 | 106 | 6.5 | $1.5M | 175 | 25 |
| Mortgage brokers and lenders | 77 | #12 of 373 | 36 | 2.2 | Index only | 208 | 15 |
| Coffee shops and cafes | 77 | #18 of 387 | 120 | 7.4 | $5.4M | 145 | 64 |
| Restaurants and cafes | 77 | #31 of 387 | 1,484 | 90.9 | $434K | 117 | 606 |
| Fast food and sandwich shops | 77 | #37 of 387 | 165 | 10.1 | $3.9M | 128 | 266 |
| Urgent care and walk-in clinics | 71 | #24 of 197 | 5 | 0.3 | $38.9M | 159 | 7 |
| Sit-down restaurants | 70 | #48 of 387 | 772 | 47.3 | $834K | 126 | 274 |
| Primary care and pediatrics | 69 | #64 of 387 | 65 | 4.0 | $3M | 168 | 187 |
| Dry cleaners | 67 | #40 of 272 | 13 | 0.8 | $28.1M | 179 | 17 |
| Gyms, studios and classes | 66 | #56 of 387 | 183 | 11.2 | $799K | 121 | 80 |
| Gyms | 66 | #60 of 387 | 86 | 5.3 | $1.7M | 131 | 49 |
| Oil change and quick lube | 66 | #62 of 290 | 7 | 0.4 | $21.5M | 156 | 10 |
| Roofing and gutters | 66 | #71 of 381 | 52 | 3.2 | $9.8M | 116 | 30 |
| Child care and preschools | 66 | #78 of 387 | 85 | 5.2 | $1.1M | 108 | 81 |
| Doctors, dentists and clinics | 65 | #80 of 387 | 1,065 | 65.2 | $183K | 120 | 427 |
| Gas stations | 65 | #95 of 387 | 81 | 5.0 | $4.3M | 180 | 117 |
| Home repair trades | 64 | #84 of 387 | 206 | 12.6 | $2.5M | 102 | 264 |
| Convenience stores | 64 | #102 of 387 | 144 | 8.8 | $7.6M | 97 | 31 |
| Barbershops | 63 | #93 of 387 | 89 | 5.5 | $1.8M | 97 | 5 |
| Martial arts and dance studios | 62 | #85 of 387 | 68 | 4.2 | $2.2M | 107 | 31 |
| Car washes and detailing | 62 | #110 of 387 | 56 | 3.4 | $2.7M | 106 | 20 |
| Tire shops | 62 | #121 of 386 | 53 | 3.2 | $2.8M | 113 | 17 |
| HVAC and plumbing | 61 | #109 of 387 | 99 | 6.1 | $5.1M | 108 | 157 |
| Pizza | 60 | #114 of 387 | 136 | 8.3 | $4.7M | 93 | 266 |
| Insurance agencies | 59 | #133 of 387 | 193 | 11.8 | $1.4M | 113 | 108 |
| Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios | 58 | #99 of 347 | 29 | 1.8 | $5M | 124 | 49 |
| Dentists and orthodontists | 58 | #133 of 387 | 170 | 10.4 | $1.1M | 116 | 126 |
| Grocery and convenience stores | 58 | #145 of 387 | 343 | 21.0 | $3.2M | 95 | 99 |
| House cleaning | 57 | #115 of 375 | 27 | 1.7 | $7.7M | 120 | 86 |
| Electricians | 56 | #150 of 383 | 55 | 3.4 | $9.2M | 77 | 77 |
| Salons, barbers and spas | 54 | #148 of 387 | 641 | 39.3 | $254K | 119 | 240 |
| Optometrists and eye care | 54 | #162 of 386 | 67 | 4.1 | $2.9M | 93 | 17 |
| Bakeries and dessert shops | 53 | #176 of 387 | 177 | 10.8 | $3.6M | 88 | 74 |
| Chiropractors | 51 | #180 of 386 | 74 | 4.5 | $2.6M | 110 | 46 |
| Nail salons | 51 | #183 of 387 | 81 | 5.0 | $2M | 120 | 46 |
| Pest control | 50 | #168 of 345 | 12 | 0.7 | $17.3M | 169 | 46 |
| Physical therapy | 50 | #192 of 386 | 94 | 5.8 | $2.1M | 86 | 44 |
| Grocery stores | 49 | #210 of 387 | 124 | 7.6 | $8.9M | 95 | 68 |
| Hair salons | 47 | #213 of 387 | 355 | 21.7 | $459K | 107 | 159 |
| Collision repair and body shops | 47 | #213 of 381 | 42 | 2.6 | $3.6M | 116 | 47 |
| Laundromats | 43 | #222 of 364 | 45 | 2.8 | $8.1M | 65 | 10 |
| Veterinarians | 42 | #247 of 384 | 47 | 2.9 | $2.2M | 82 | 35 |
| Lawn, cleaning and pest control | 39 | #273 of 387 | 145 | 8.9 | $1.4M | 85 | 339 |
| Funeral homes | 38 | #262 of 377 | 53 | 3.2 | $492K | 72 | 32 |
| Auto repair and car care | 34 | #312 of 387 | 634 | 38.8 | $237K | 88 | 273 |
| Pet grooming and boarding | 31 | #324 of 386 | 78 | 4.8 | $1.3M | 53 | 27 |
| Pet businesses | 31 | #330 of 387 | 192 | 11.8 | $545K | 62 | 79 |
| Landscaping and lawn care | 29 | #332 of 385 | 106 | 6.5 | $2M | 67 | 207 |
| Auto repair shops | 26 | #348 of 387 | 418 | 25.6 | $359K | 81 | 220 |
| Pet stores | 19 | #371 of 382 | 37 | 2.3 | $2.8M | 62 | 17 |
Household spending in the Reading metro area
What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).
| Spending line | A year, all households | Per household | Index vs. U.S. (100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle maintenance and repairs | $150.2M | $920 | 96 |
| Gasoline and other fuels | $348.1M | $2,133 | 82 |
| Food away from home | $643.6M | $3,943 | 97 |
| Groceries | $1.1B | $6,730 | 107 |
| Personal care products and services | $162.9M | $998 | 99 |
| Child care and other personal services | $91.8M | $562 | 97 |
| Memberships, classes and admissions | $146.3M | $896 | 91 |
| Medical and dental services | $194.5M | $1,192 | 93 |
| Pets | $104.6M | $641 | 70 |
| Clothing, shoes and related services | $365.5M | $2,239 | 109 |
| Vehicle insurance | $273.5M | $1,675 | 86 |
| Home repairs, maintenance and insurance | $508.7M | $3,116 | 103 |
| Lawn care, cleaning and other household services | $207.7M | $1,273 | 90 |
| Rent and homeowner costs | $2.9B | $17,940 | 108 |
Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.
Population and households in the Reading metro area
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 440,072+2.7% since 2020
- Households
- 163,236
- Median age
- 40.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 71%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 856 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 506
- Median household income
- $79,777+25.2% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $103,265
- Median home value
- $257,300
- Jobs located here
- 179,513
- Daytime population
- 404,462Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in the Reading metro area?
These figures cover the whole metro area. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.
Or open the report at the center of the Reading metro area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardRelated markets
Counties in the Reading metro area 1
- Berks County, PA433,015 people
Other markets based in Pennsylvania 12
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area6,272,014 people
- Pittsburgh, PA metro area2,439,940 people
- Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area873,603 people
- Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area604,155 people
- Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area569,788 people
- Lancaster, PA metro area557,931 people
- York-Hanover, PA metro area462,924 people
- Erie, PA metro area269,052 people
- State College, PA metro area158,576 people
- Chambersburg, PA metro area157,379 people
- Lebanon, PA metro area144,186 people
- Johnstown, PA metro area131,538 people
Questions
How fast is the Reading, PA metro area growing?
Population estimates put the Reading metro area at 440,072 people in 2025, up 2.7% since 2020, in step with the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 163,236 households. Median household income rose 25.2% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
How much do households in the Reading, PA metro area spend?
Households in the Reading metro area spend about $2.9B a year on rent and homeowner costs, $1.1B on groceries and $643.6M on food away from home. Set against the U.S., households in the Reading metro area spend the most on clothing, shoes and related services (an index of 109, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on pets (70).
Which business types have the highest market scores in the Reading, PA metro area?
The highest Groundwork market scores in the Reading metro area are for clothing and shoe stores (85); property management companies (84); and clothing, shoe and laundry businesses (83). The Reading metro area ranks #12 of 387 scored metro areas for clothing and shoe stores.
How does the Reading, PA metro area compare with the U.S.?
The median household income in the Reading metro area is $79,777 a year, in line with the U.S. median of $80,734. The population rose 2.7% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $257,300, against $332,700 for the U.S. For its number of households, the Reading metro area has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for laundromats (75% above the U.S. rate) and the fewest for property management companies (60% below the U.S. rate).
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. All 56 business types have a score in the Reading metro area, each ranked against other metro areas.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in the Reading metro area. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
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Screening a site or an acquisition in the Reading metro area?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of the Reading metro area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.