Philadelphia vs Reading
The short version
- Reading is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 5% lower than in the Philadelphia area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $121,300 in Reading and $243,100 in Philadelphia.
- Households earn more in Philadelphia ($61,953 vs $44,091 median).
- Reading is growing faster: +0.8% since 2020 vs -1.8%.
- Commutes are shorter in Reading (24 vs 32 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Philadelphia, PA | Reading, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 1,574,281 | 95,832 |
| Growth since 2020 | -1.8% | +0.8% |
| People per square mile | 11,720 | 9,736 |
| Median age | 35.3 | 31.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35% | 11% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $61,953 | $44,091 |
| Median home value | $243,100 | $121,300 |
| Home value to income | 3.9× | 2.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,397 | $1,067 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 102.6 | 97.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 113.1 | 85.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $76,900 | $72,800 |
| Homeowners | 52% | 41% |
| Top state income tax | 3.07% | 3.07% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.34% | 6.34% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 31.7 | 24.1 |
| Work from home | 18% | 6% |
| Take public transit | 17% | 3% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 8.1% | 13.7% |
| Poverty rate | 21.4% | 28.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 41° / 26° | 39° / 23° |
| July high / low | 88° / 70° | 87° / 66° |
| Precipitation per year | 44 in | 45 in |
| Snowfall per year | 23 in | 21 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 30 | 24 |
| Nights below freezing | 77 | 107 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.6 | 92.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 41% | 68% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.3% | +4.6% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +33.5% | +54% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Philadelphia: April to June and August to October. Reading: May, August and October.
Full monthly tables: Philadelphia weather by month and Reading weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $76,900 in Philadelphia and $72,800 in Reading. Moving from Philadelphia to Reading, you would need about $71,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Philadelphia and Reading
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Philadelphia and Reading.
Which would you pick?
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