Photo: BigCheddah · CC BY-SA 4.0Reading spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
Reading’s city government spent $159.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,682 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($16.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Reading is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Reading
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: readingpa.gov ↗
Reading’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on readingpa.gov ↗.
About $1,682 per resident a year, or $4.61 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,491 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them
Reading’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,491 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 925 Pennsylvania cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $647, and the middle half spent $401–$933. Reading spent more than 94% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($22.6 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Pennsylvania cities that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Reading itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 21% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Reading reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,491 · 2023: $1,682. Per resident it went from $1,491 to $1,682 (up 13%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 88,217 to 94,844.
full-time in March 2025, up from 543 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,805 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.49% of the home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania.
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 →
One full-time city employee for every 164 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (94,844).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Reading School District
Reading’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $16,836 per pupil, $9,863 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.
Pennsylvania districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Reading’s votes are counted by county
Pennsylvania reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Reading alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Berks County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican55.6%116,677 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat43.4%91,125 votesOthers: 1.0% (2,036 votes).
Most votes in Berks County: Donald J Trump
Pennsylvania: Trump 50.4%, Harris 48.7%
100% of Reading lies in Berks County. Every 2024 race in Berks County is on the county’s page.
Berks County’s 2024 results →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 cityMayorEddie Moránas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Pennsylvania HouseReading is split between 3 districts
- 3Pennsylvania SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Pennsylvania
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Reading compares with the towns next door
Reading spent $1,491 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Kenhorst | $482 | $3,451 |
| Lower Alsace Township | $524 | $5,257 |
| Bern Township | $663 | $5,265 |
| Muhlenberg Township | $889 | $4,260 |
| Cumru Township | $1,047 | $5,597 |
| Wyomissing | $1,645 | $5,672 |
| West Reading | $2,078 | $3,390 |
| Reading | $1,491 | $1,805 |
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 $1,682 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,491 was more than 94% of 925 Pennsylvania cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Reading?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,805 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.49% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.30% across Pennsylvania. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see readingpa.gov.
Who is the mayor of Reading?
Eddie Morán, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on readingpa.gov.
How did Reading vote in 2024?
Pennsylvania counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Reading alone. Berks County, where 100% of Reading lies, voted Trump 55.6%, Harris 43.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Reading?
579 full-time and 40 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $4.1M (about $49.6M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Reading in the state legislature?
Reading is split among 3 State House districts, so your address decides. The Pennsylvania Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 11 (Judy Schwank). 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; 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 →