Photo: Nyttend · Public domainHow is Reading run?
Reading’s city government spent $17.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,705 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Reading didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Reading is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
One full-time city employee for every 170 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (10,204).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
About $1,705 per resident a year, or $4.67 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: police, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Reading didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Reading yet
Every year of Reading’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $2,701 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.28% of the home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Reading’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Reading’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Reading →
Who’s in charge in Reading
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Reading’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on readingohio.org ↗.
Reading Community City School District
Reading’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,856 per pupil, $8,617 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Ohio districts overall: 53% local, 35% state, 12% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Reading voted in 2024
Official results for Reading’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican60.0%3,064 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat38.9%1,987 votesOthers: 1.1% (55 votes).
Most votes in Reading: Donald J Trump
Hamilton County: Harris 57.0%, Trump 42.1% · Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%
of Reading’s 8,506 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Ohio: 64%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Reading: Bernie Moreno
Hamilton County: Brown 57.8%, Moreno 38.9% · Ohio: Moreno 50.1%, Brown 46.5%
Most votes in the district: Greg Landsman
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Reading, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 60.0% | 38.9% | 1.1% | 5,106 |
| Hamilton County | 42.1% | 57.0% | 1.0% | 409,753 |
| Ohio | 55.1% | 43.9% | 0.9% | 5,767,788 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Reading.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: readingohio.org ↗
- 2Ohio HouseState representatives
- 3Ohio SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Ohio
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Reading compares with the towns next door
Reading’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 4 of the 7 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $765 to $5,083 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lockland | $765 | $1,625 |
| Arlington Heights | $1,288 | $1,421 |
| Cincinnati | $1,699 | $3,169 |
| Evendale | $5,083 | $5,078 |
| Amberley | estimate | $8,304 |
| Sycamore Township | estimate | $3,977 |
| Blue Ash | estimate | $5,000 |
| Reading | estimate | $2,701 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Reading’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Reading’s government
How much does Reading spend per resident?
About $1,705 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Reading didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $21.1 million.
What is the property tax rate in Reading?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,701 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.28% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.31% across Ohio. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see readingohio.org.
Who runs Reading’s government?
See readingohio.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Reading yet.
How did Reading vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 60.0%, Kamala D Harris 38.9% (5,106 votes, official results). Hamilton County: Harris 57.0%, Trump 42.1%. Ohio: Trump 55.1%, Harris 43.9%.
How many people work for Reading?
60 full-time and 37 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $422,161 (about $5.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Reading in the state legislature?
State Senate District 8 (Bill Blessing) and State House District 27 (Rachel Baker). The House district also covers 16 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Reading’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (for Reading, the Bureau’s estimates); day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →