How much do households in the Reading, PA area spend on rent?
Refreshed annually
About $1,181, or 31.5% of their income, in 2020–2024. This is measured by comparing median, or average, rent and median monthly income for renting households.
$1.18K
median monthly rent in Reading, PA area (2020–2024)
31.5%
average share of income spent on rent in Reading, PA area (2020–2024)
Comparing rent to renter income provides one measure of rental affordability. The Reading, PA area’s median rent was about $1,181 per month in 2020–2024. Typical monthly income among renting households was about $3,753 per month during that same period.
A typical household spent about $1,181 on rent in the Reading, PA area.
Median gross rent and median renter household income, 2020–2024
Dividing rent by income provides what is called a rent-to-income ratio. A higher ratio of rent-to-income indicates rent is less affordable while a lower ratio indicates greater affordability.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development considers households with a rent-to-income ratio of more than 30%, that is, households that spend more than 30% their income on housing, to be cost-burdened. Cost-burdened households may have less money for other necessities such as food, healthcare, or savings. When median monthly rent is more than 30% of median monthly income, it means a typical household would meet the definition of housing cost-burdened.
Get weekly insights
Subscribe for data-driven insights. No spin, just the facts.
Do households in the Reading, PA area spend more or less on rent than other Pennsylvania metros?
The Reading, PA area’s rent-to-income ratio ranked 4 out of 16 Pennsylvania metros.
Ratio of median gross rent to median renter household income, 2020–2024
Compared to other metro areas in the state, the Reading, PA area had the seventh highest median rent and eighth lowest median renter-household income. (Metro areas are made up of economically interconnected counties that include at least one urban area. A single metro area can include multiple cities and cross state lines.) Out of the 16 metros in the state, the Reading, PA area’s rent-to-income ratio ranked fourth highest.
Do households in the Reading, PA area spend more or less on rent than other mid-sized metros?
The mid-sized metro median rent-to-income ratio was 31.9%.
Ratio of median gross rent to median renter household income, 2020–2024
The Reading, PA area is a mid-sized metro, which has between 250,000 and 1 million people. Compared to other mid-sized metros, the Reading, PA area’s rent-to income ratio is similar to the average.
Renter income and rent, mid-sized metro areas (2020–2024)
| 1. | $6,707 | |
| 2. | $6,419 | |
| 3. | $6,399 | |
| 4. | $6,169 | |
| 5. | $6,112 | |
| 6. | $5,890 | |
| 7. | $5,855 | |
| 8. | $5,845 | |
| 9. | $5,484 | |
| 10. | $5,392 |
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
