Berks County · Pennsylvania · Northeast · 95k residents
Reading, PA: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Reading: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Pennsylvania median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,269/wk. Pennsylvania's corporate income tax rate is 7.99%. Commercial electricity averages 11.0¢/kWh.
Compare Reading side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,269/wk
Corporate income tax
7.99%
Bachelor's degree or higher
11.4%
Commercial electricity
11.0¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Reading's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
66/100
Steady
Ranks Reading's jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $121,300 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $175 |
| Property tax rate | 1.5% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $842/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,102/mo |
| State & local income tax | 4.57% |
| Sales tax | 6.34% |
| Corporate income tax | 7.99% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,269/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.4% |
| Commercial electricity | 11.0¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 20.4/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $120,920 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $98,470 |
| Wage: General manager | $99,920 |
| Wage: Customer service | $44,500 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $37,990 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $58,480 |
| Wage: Electrician | $75,070 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $33,010 |
| Cost of living index | 81 |
| Groceries index | 100 |
| Utilities | $180/mo |
| Transit pass | $96/mo |
| Gas price | $3.45/gal |
| Healthcare index | 100 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,150/mo |
| Median household income | $44,091 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% |
| Population | 95k |
| Crime index | 40/100 |
| School rating | 6.3/10 |
| Walkability | 34/100 |
| Disaster risk | 93/100 |
| Avg. commute | 27 min |
| Sunny days / year | 180 days |
| July high | 87°F |
| January low | 23°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +2.9% |
| Home price MoM | +0.1% |
| Rent YoY | +4.6% |
| Rent MoM | +0.3% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +0.8% |
| Building permits YoY | — |
| Ocean coast | 102 mi |
| Big lake | 152 mi |
| Mountains | 57 mi |
| Major airport | 49 mi |
| Ski resort | 57 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Pottstown, PA · 23k
- Lebanon, PA · 27k
- Phoenixville, PA · 19k
- Lancaster, PA · 58k
- Allentown, PA · 126k
Similar size
- Erie, PA · 94k
- Bethlehem, PA · 78k
- Scranton, PA · 76k
- Levittown, PA · 51k
- Harrisburg, PA · 50k
Real listings in Reading
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Reading a good place to run a business?
- Pennsylvania's corporate income tax rate is 7.99%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,269/wk; commercial electricity averages 11.0¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Reading, PA?
- Reading indexes at 81 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,102/mo and a acs median home value of $121,300.
- How much does a house cost in Reading?
- The acs median home value in Reading is $121,300 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Reading?
- A two-bedroom in Reading rents for about $1,102/mo.