19604 ZIP Code — Reading, PA

Berks County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 19604 is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, within Berks County. It covers approximately 2.49 square miles and serves a population of 30,602 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 610.

About ZIP code 19604

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $102,400. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 46%.

Median household income is $52,371. Poverty affects 20% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 33% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 32% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 10% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include Spanish spoken in 25% of households.

Overall, ZIP code 19604 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

30,602

population

2.49

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

19604 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 19604

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 19604. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Reading	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

19601 Reading (1.8 mi) 19602 Reading (2.5 mi) 19611 Reading (3 mi) 19560 Temple (3.1 mi) 19606 Reading (3.6 mi) 19605 Reading (3.8 mi) 19610 Reading (4 mi) 19609 Reading (5.3 mi) 19607 Reading (5.8 mi) 19533 Leesport (6 mi) 19510 Blandon (6.4 mi) 19547 Oley (7.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	30,602
Population density	12,290 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	011

Geography
Land area	2.49 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	40.3603
Longitude	-75.9066
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	610

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.3%	37.5%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	30.3%	32.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	11.5%	24.6%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.9%	5.7%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

30,602

Population

12,290

People per sq mi

28.8

Median age

$52,371

Median household income

$21,311

Per capita income

$102,400

Median home value

$1,015

Median monthly rent

45.8%

Home ownership

19.7%

Poverty rate

8.5%

Unemployment

5,180

Housing units

10.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,032

Under 5

1,076

1,096

5–9

1,141

1,405

10–14

1,463

1,577

15–19

1,643

1,583

20–24

1,649

2,060

25–34

2,145

1,800

35–44

1,874

1,600

45–54

1,667

885

55–59

921

664

60–64

691

711

65–74

741

389

75–84

405

188

85+

196

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	8,971	29.3%
18 and over	21,631	70.7%
65 and over	2,630	8.6%
Median age	28.8 years

Race & ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino 32%

White 26.6%

Other race 19.8%

Two or more races 13.5%

Black or African American 6.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
Hispanic or Latino	14,392	32%
White	11,974	26.6%
Other race	8,926	19.8%
Two or more races	6,061	13.5%
Black or African American	2,976	6.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	598	1.3%
Asian	59	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.3%	37.5%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	30.3%	32.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	11.5%	24.6%	22.4%
Over $200k	0.9%	5.7%	7.1%

Under $10k 5.3%

$10k–$15k 7.1%

$15k–$25k 11.6%

$25k–$35k 12.6%

$35k–$50k 11.1%

$50k–$75k 20.0%

$75k–$100k 13.4%

$100k–$150k 12.7%

$150k–$200k 4.2%

$200k+ 2.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.3%
$10k–$15k	7.1%
$15k–$25k	11.6%
$25k–$35k	12.6%
$35k–$50k	11.1%
$50k–$75k	20.0%
$75k–$100k	13.4%
$100k–$150k	12.7%
$150k–$200k	4.2%
$200k+	2.0%
Median income	$52,371

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 11.7%

$50k–$100k 36.2%

$100k–$150k 26.9%

$150k–$200k 12.8%

$200k–$300k 8.9%

$300k–$500k 2.9%

$1M+ 0.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$102,400
Median rent / month	$1,015
Owner occupied	45.8%
Renter occupied	54.2%
Vacant	8.2%
Single-family detached	12.2%
Large apartment buildings	4.6%
Mobile homes	0.3%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	3.17

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.4%
2000–2009	1.2%
1990–1999	2.5%
1980–1989	4.3%
1970–1979	7.7%
1960–1969	9.6%
1950–1959	8.5%
1940–1949	7.9%
1939 or earlier	56.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.8%
1 bedroom	10.5%
2 bedrooms	21.7%
3 bedrooms	32.7%
4 bedrooms	21.5%
5+ bedrooms	9.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	21.3%
1 vehicle	35.1%
2 vehicles	31.6%
3 or more	12.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	57.7%
Electricity	21.4%
Propane / LP gas	2.3%
Fuel oil	17.6%
Wood	0.1%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,600	38.1%
Cohabiting couple	923	9.8%
Male householder, no spouse	1,436	15.2%
Female householder, no spouse	3,492	36.9%
Households with children under 18	3,832	40.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,269	24.0%
Average household size	3.11

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	49.2%	43.1%
Married	38.2%	32.2%
Separated	2.5%	5.5%
Widowed	2.9%	5.0%
Divorced	7.2%	14.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 16.2%

Some HS, no diploma 15.2%

HS graduate 36.1%

Some college, no degree 13.8%

Associate's degree 8.5%

Bachelor's degree 6.0%

Graduate / professional 4.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	68.6%
Bachelor's or higher	10.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	402	4.1%
Kindergarten	500	5.1%
Elementary school	4,198	42.8%
High school	2,148	21.9%
College / grad school	2,558	26.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 22.5%

Education & healthcare 19.1%

Retail trade 10.7%

Transportation & utilities 9.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.0%

Finance & real estate 5.4%

Agriculture & mining 5.1%

Construction 4.8%

Professional & management 4.5%

Public administration 3.7%

Other services 3.2%

Wholesale trade 2.2%

Information 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	15.1%
Service	21.0%
Sales & office	18.4%
Natural resources & construction	11.2%
Production & transportation	34.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	87.0%
Government	11.2%
Self-employed	1.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	61.8%
Carpool	16.3%
Public transit	3.3%
Walk	4.7%
Work from home	5.2%
Other means	8.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.5

Poverty

All people 19.7%

Under 18 years 24.9%

18 and over 17.5%

Married-couple families 11.0%

Female-led households 28.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	31.6%
Retirement income	15.9%
Supplemental Security	9.1%
Cash public assistance	5.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	33.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	42.9%
High blood pressure	29.3%
High cholesterol	27.9%
Diabetes	12.6%
Heart disease	6.0%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	11.2%
Arthritis	22.4%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	7.7%
Cancer	4.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.3%
Binge drinking	18.1%
No physical activity	36.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.2%
Depression	22.7%
Fair or poor health	23.6%
Poor mental health	19.1%
Poor physical health	13.8%
No health insurance	26.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.5%
Visited dentist	51.1%
Cholesterol screening	81.3%
Teeth loss	24.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	604	2.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.7%
Under 18	7.2%
18–64 years	17.3%
65 and over	45.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	52.3%
Public insurance	46.0%
No insurance	10.4%
Uninsured under 19	3.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	28,494	93.1%
Spanish	7,237	25.4%
Other Indo-European	7,184	25.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	31	0.1%
Other languages	17	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	23,644	77.3%
Born in same state	19,116	62.5%
Born in different state	14,156	46.3%
Foreign born	4,528	14.8%
Naturalized citizen	6,958	22.7%
Not a US citizen	2,827	40.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	891	2.9%
French	548	1.8%
Arab	507	1.7%
English	103	0.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	53	0.2%
Irish	5	0%
Polish	5	0%
Dutch	5	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	30.9%
Internet access	87.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 19604

What city is ZIP code 19604 in?

ZIP code 19604 is primarily assigned to Reading, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 19604 in?

ZIP code 19604 falls within Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Is Spanish widely spoken in ZIP code 19604?

Approximately 25% of households in ZIP code 19604 speak Spanish as a primary language.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 19604?

10% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 19604?

20% of residents in ZIP code 19604 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 19604?

The median home value in ZIP code 19604 is $102,400.

What timezone is ZIP code 19604 in?

ZIP code 19604 observes the EST timezone.