19605 ZIP Code — Reading, PA

Berks County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 19605 is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, within Berks County. It covers approximately 17.59 square miles and serves a population of 20,564 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 610.

About ZIP code 19605

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 $200,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $81,222. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 37% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 22 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 27% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 19605 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

20,564

population

17.59

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

19605 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 19605

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 19605. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Reading	Acceptable
Reading	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

19533 Leesport (2.4 mi) 19560 Temple (3.3 mi) 19601 Reading (3.4 mi) 19604 Reading (3.8 mi) 19510 Blandon (4.6 mi) 19610 Reading (5 mi) 19555 Shoemakersville (5.5 mi) 19611 Reading (5.6 mi) 19602 Reading (5.9 mi) 19541 Mohrsville (5.9 mi) 19609 Reading (6.1 mi) 19606 Reading (7.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	20,564
Population density	1,169 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	011

Geography
Land area	17.59 sq mi
Water area	0.39 sq mi
Latitude	40.4067
Longitude	-75.9459
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	28.3%	37.5%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	39.6%	32.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	28.7%	24.6%	22.4%
Over $200k	3.5%	5.7%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

20,564

Population

1,169

People per sq mi

40.9

Median age

$81,222

Median household income

$39,071

Per capita income

$200,800

Median home value

$1,217

Median monthly rent

84.9%

Home ownership

6.9%

Poverty rate

6.6%

Unemployment

6,892

Housing units

26.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

616

Under 5

677

563

5–9

619

506

10–14

556

565

15–19

622

519

20–24

571

1,368

25–34

1,504

1,088

35–44

1,197

1,149

45–54

1,264

895

55–59

985

678

60–64

745

963

65–74

1,059

556

75–84

612

327

85+

360

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,349	21.1%
18 and over	16,215	78.9%
65 and over	3,877	18.9%
Median age	40.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 62.3%

Hispanic or Latino 14.4%

Two or more races 8.4%

Other race 7.6%

Black or African American 5.2%

Asian 1.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%

Group	Count	%
White	14,962	62.3%
Hispanic or Latino	3,466	14.4%
Two or more races	2,016	8.4%
Other race	1,835	7.6%
Black or African American	1,244	5.2%
Asian	316	1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	191	0.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	28.3%	37.5%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	39.6%	32.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	28.7%	24.6%	22.4%
Over $200k	3.5%	5.7%	7.1%

Under $10k 3.7%

$10k–$15k 2.9%

$15k–$25k 5.3%

$25k–$35k 4.3%

$35k–$50k 11.9%

$50k–$75k 18.1%

$75k–$100k 14.4%

$100k–$150k 21.3%

$150k–$200k 10.6%

$200k+ 7.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.7%
$10k–$15k	2.9%
$15k–$25k	5.3%
$25k–$35k	4.3%
$35k–$50k	11.9%
$50k–$75k	18.1%
$75k–$100k	14.4%
$100k–$150k	21.3%
$150k–$200k	10.6%
$200k+	7.4%
Median income	$81,222

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.1%

$50k–$100k 4.1%

$100k–$150k 19.1%

$150k–$200k 21.5%

$200k–$300k 34.7%

$300k–$500k 13.7%

$500k–$1M 1.0%

$1M+ 1.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$200,800
Median rent / month	$1,217
Owner occupied	84.9%
Renter occupied	15.1%
Vacant	4.4%
Single-family detached	65.6%
Large apartment buildings	1.6%
Mobile homes	4.0%
Median rooms	6.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.70

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.7%
2010–2019	4.4%
2000–2009	10.1%
1990–1999	17.9%
1980–1989	5.9%
1970–1979	8.8%
1960–1969	12.5%
1950–1959	14.1%
1940–1949	6.6%
1939 or earlier	19.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.6%
1 bedroom	5.0%
2 bedrooms	17.2%
3 bedrooms	49.9%
4 bedrooms	22.4%
5+ bedrooms	3.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.5%
1 vehicle	29.9%
2 vehicles	40.9%
3 or more	25.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	61.8%
Electricity	13.2%
Propane / LP gas	3.2%
Fuel oil	19.8%
Wood	0.5%
No fuel used	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,986	51.7%
Cohabiting couple	964	12.5%
Male householder, no spouse	904	11.7%
Female householder, no spouse	1,852	24.0%
Households with children under 18	2,301	29.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,626	34.1%
Average household size	2.64

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.5%	28.2%
Married	55.2%	47.3%
Separated	0.5%	1.8%
Widowed	2.7%	10.4%
Divorced	10.1%	12.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.2%

Some HS, no diploma 7.2%

HS graduate 37.6%

Some college, no degree 16.9%

Associate's degree 8.3%

Bachelor's degree 17.8%

Graduate / professional 9.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.6%
Bachelor's or higher	26.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	185	4.4%
Kindergarten	146	3.5%
Elementary school	1,920	45.9%
High school	983	23.5%
College / grad school	951	22.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.7%

Manufacturing 17.7%

Retail trade 13.2%

Professional & management 8.2%

Transportation & utilities 7.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.4%

Finance & real estate 5.6%

Other services 4.5%

Construction 4.2%

Wholesale trade 2.5%

Agriculture & mining 1.9%

Public administration 1.8%

Information 1.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	36.0%
Service	15.2%
Sales & office	21.6%
Natural resources & construction	6.6%
Production & transportation	20.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.8%
Government	9.2%
Self-employed	6.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.7%
Carpool	8.0%
Public transit	0.6%
Walk	0.6%
Work from home	5.9%
Other means	3.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.1

Poverty

All people 6.9%

Under 18 years 7.3%

18 and over 6.8%

Married-couple families 3.4%

Female-led households 8.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.6%
Retirement income	32.2%
Supplemental Security	4.5%
Cash public assistance	2.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.9%
High blood pressure	33.4%
High cholesterol	34.3%
Diabetes	10.9%
Heart disease	7.4%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	9.6%
Arthritis	28.9%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	7.6%
Cancer	8.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.5%
Binge drinking	17.9%
No physical activity	24.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.7%
Depression	20.7%
Fair or poor health	14.4%
Poor mental health	14.5%
Poor physical health	10.7%
No health insurance	12.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.1%
Visited dentist	68.8%
Cholesterol screening	90.5%
Teeth loss	14.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,463	9.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.9%
Under 18	3.7%
18–64 years	11.0%
65 and over	35.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	72.9%
Public insurance	40.6%
No insurance	3.0%
Uninsured under 19	1.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	19,271	93.7%
Spanish	1,552	8.1%
Other Indo-European	1,311	6.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	95	0.5%
Other languages	136	0.7%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	18,614	90.5%
Born in same state	17,526	85.2%
Born in different state	14,977	72.8%
Foreign born	1,088	5.3%
Naturalized citizen	1,950	9.5%
Not a US citizen	1,092	56.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,992	9.7%
French	1,067	5.2%
Arab	458	2.2%
Irish	225	1.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	196	1%
Norwegian	61	0.3%
Polish	5	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.5%
Internet access	90.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 19605

What city is ZIP code 19605 in?

ZIP code 19605 is primarily assigned to Reading, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 19605 in?

ZIP code 19605 falls within Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Is ZIP code 19605 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 19605 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 19605 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 19605 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 19605?

ZIP code 19605 has an estimated population of 20,564 residents, with a density of 1,169 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 19605?

The median home value in ZIP code 19605 is $200,800.

What timezone is ZIP code 19605 in?

ZIP code 19605 observes the EST timezone.