Cost of living in Reading, Pennsylvania

Reading, Pennsylvania has about 95,242 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.

A typical home is worth about $121,300.

HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Berks County is $1,418 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Reading. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.

In the Reading, PA metro area, prices sit at 97.1 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.

Pennsylvania taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 6.3% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Reading's exact store tax.

Some places in Pennsylvania add a local wage tax. In 2023 the state average was about 0.99% of income. That is not a Reading bill.

In July 2026, a typical Pennsylvania home paid 21.72¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Reading's bill.

EIA did not publish a 2025 all-grades gas price for Pennsylvania in the table we use.

Among 873 places we list in Pennsylvania with a rent figure, 438 have higher typical rent than Reading.