"Imperial Girls Band, Reding, Mich.", 1915
Reading’s story
186 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1915.
- 1840Reading is settled
ReadingMI
Population
1,084
2025 Census estimate · −1% since 2020
Typical home
$181K
+4.2% in a year
Household income
$49K
median
Median age
43.8
years
Jobs based here
282
A commuter town
Is Reading a good place to live?
The best of Reading’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for history; the weakest is a D− for incomes. Reading has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Reading stand out
Where Reading beats most towns.
Typical home value
Reading$181K
Michigan$264K
Cost of livingA+
2.8 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 96% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
0historic places
HistoryA−
Settled in 1840
A long history
A history going back 186 years.
Natural hazardsB+
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Small town
1,084 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Reading grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Reading is from typical.
Jobs & incomeD−Open →Cost of livingA+Open →HealthLess healthy than 86% of U.S. towns; Hillsdale Hospital 7.8 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 28% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6 of 20; 5.9% of households have no car; 1.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 1% conserved landC+Open →History2 notable people born hereA−Open →Civic life2.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 43.8; 12% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Reading: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Reading, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterReading water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Reading’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereReading City ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4927449274 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Reading.
HealthD
Compared with most of Michigan and the rest of the country, more of Reading’s adults have been diagnosed with depression
21% of adults worry about having enough food in Reading, against 14% in Michigan’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. The share of adults in Reading who have obesity: 40%. Among adults here, 22% report frequent mental distress and 21% smoke cigarettes.
14%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Reading | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better19 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Reading | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 21.2% | 14.6% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 21.1% | 15.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.8% | 8.1% |
Hillsdale Hospital
7.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB−
Public schools in Reading fall behind 53% of Michigan districts
Its two schools are below. Public schools: the Reading Community Schools.
47%of MI districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reynolds Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 404 | C+ |
| Reading High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 286 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
With only 0.6 jobs per working resident, most people in Reading work out of town
Reading’s typical journey to work is 21 minutes, below both Michigan’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 3% of working residents stay in Reading for work; the rest commute out. Between 2011 and 2021, jobs here rose by 58, to 282. Also worth knowing: its income of the median household comes in at $49,000.
3%work in town
| Reading | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 25% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $49,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.9% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Reading3%
Hillsdale14%
Coldwater10%
Jonesville7%
Ann Arbor5%
15 mi
median commute distance
282
jobs based in Reading
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 31% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade A+
Homes in Reading are worth about $181K, by Zillow’s estimate
Reading’s midpoint rent comes in at $835 a month. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 4.2%. 58% of households are owner-occupiers here.
$181KZillow home value
| Reading | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 58% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $835 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Reading$181K
Michigan$264K
+4.2%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Reading faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Reading once, in 2000. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities. 55% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 18%.
28risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
44″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–33°
Spring36–57°
Summer58–80°
Fall41–60°
Oct 12
typical first frost
May 3
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Property crime in Reading is lower than in the typical Michigan or U.S. town
Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025. Reading's reported crime rate is well below Michigan's.
| Reading | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Reading1.9
Michigan4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Reading0.9
Michigan13
U.S.15.5
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
1
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
OutdoorsC+
1.4% of the land in Reading is protected from building
2 parks and preserves cover 12 acres in Reading.
1.4%conserved
1.4%
conserved · 9 of 644 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Barre Field | — | 11 |
| 2. Water Works Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 30 attractions →Fun Spot Amusement Park & Zoo and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Reading. Close and well known come first.
18 mi Theme parkFun Spot Amusement Park & Zoo
32 mi MuseumAmerican Museum of Magic
37 mi MuseumAuburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum35 mi Zoo & aquariumBinder Park Zoo
36 mi GardenHidden Lake Gardens
9 mi GardenSlayton Arboretum
32 mi MuseumAmerican Museum of Magic37 mi MuseumAuburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum35 mi Zoo & aquariumBinder Park Zoo36 mi GardenHidden Lake Gardens9 mi GardenSlayton ArboretumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
American Museum of Magic: rossograph, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum: Michael Walter, a.k.a. Cuppysfriend, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hidden Lake Gardens: Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0 · Slayton Arboretum: Brother Atticus, CC0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Reading
20pages on Reading
The big questions
SchoolsB−Behind 53% of MI districts · 2 schoolsSafety1.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than MI on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA+$181K typical home · up 4.2% in a yearWork & commuteD−$49K median household income · 282 jobs hereNatural hazardsB+FEMA risk higher than 28% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Reading
About 4 of every 100 Reading residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Reading for work
Where Reading’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
282jobs based in Reading
3%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Reading
City in Michigan, United States
Reading ( RED-ing) is a city in Hillsdale County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,095 at the 2020 census. Located along M-49, the city is surrounded by Reading Township, but the two are administered autonomously.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,191 ft
- ZIP code
- 49274
- Area code
- 517
Questions about Reading
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Reading, MI expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
What is Reading, MI known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Keith Lincoln and Sidney Haight.