19606 ZIP Code — Reading, PA
Berks County, Pennsylvania
ZIP code 19606 is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, within Berks County. It covers approximately 26.65 square miles and serves a population of 35,895 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 610.
About ZIP code 19606
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 $217,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 77%, well above the national average.
Median household income is $79,636. 33% 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 25 minutes is near the national average.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 30% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
Overall, ZIP code 19606 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.
35,895
population
26.65
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Eastern (ET)
timezone
19606 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 19606
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 19606. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| Reading | Acceptable |
| Reading | Acceptable |
| Reading | Preferred |
Nearby ZIP codes
19602 Reading (3.6 mi)
19604 Reading (3.6 mi)
19611 Reading (4.7 mi)
19547 Oley (5.1 mi)
19560 Temple (5.2 mi)
19601 Reading (5.2 mi)
19508 Birdsboro (5.5 mi)
19607 Reading (6.6 mi)
19610 Reading (6.7 mi)
19518 Douglassville (6.9 mi)
19518 Douglassville (6.9 mi)
19605 Reading (7.3 mi)
Demographics
updated 05/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 35,895 |
| Population density | 1,347 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 42 |
| County FIPS | 011 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 26.65 sq mi |
| Water area | 0.24 sq mi |
| Latitude | 40.3312 |
| Longitude | -75.8496 |
| 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 | 32.4% | 37.5% | 39.8% |
| $50k – $100k | 34.7% | 32.2% | 30.8% |
| $100k – $200k | 27.1% | 24.6% | 22.4% |
| Over $200k | 5.8% | 5.7% | 7.1% |
Demographics & statistics
35,895
Population
1,347
People per sq mi
41.2
Median age
$79,636
Median household income
$38,631
Per capita income
$217,700
Median home value
$1,240
Median monthly rent
77.4%
Home ownership
9.6%
Poverty rate
6.2%
Unemployment
11,352
Housing units
29.5%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
721
Under 5
766
1,137
5–9
1,210
1,145
10–14
1,218
1,321
15–19
1,405
943
20–24
1,003
2,099
25–34
2,233
2,247
35–44
2,390
2,190
45–54
2,329
1,285
55–59
1,367
1,406
60–64
1,495
1,713
65–74
1,823
825
75–84
877
362
85+
385
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 8,200 | 22.8% |
| 18 and over | 27,695 | 77.2% |
| 65 and over | 5,985 | 16.7% |
| Median age | 41.2 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
70.5%
Hispanic or Latino
10.5%
Two or more races
8.1%
Other race
5.5%
Black or African American
3.7%
Asian
1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 28,280 | 70.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4,215 | 10.5% |
| Two or more races | 3,267 | 8.1% |
| Other race | 2,186 | 5.5% |
| Black or African American | 1,500 | 3.7% |
| Asian | 490 | 1.2% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 142 | 0.4% |
| Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander | 30 | 0.1% |
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 32.4% | 37.5% | 39.8% |
| $50k – $100k | 34.7% | 32.2% | 30.8% |
| $100k – $200k | 27.1% | 24.6% | 22.4% |
| Over $200k | 5.8% | 5.7% | 7.1% |
Under $10k
4.3%
$10k–$15k
1.7%
$15k–$25k
5.3%
$25k–$35k
7.0%
$35k–$50k
12.0%
$50k–$75k
16.9%
$75k–$100k
14.3%
$100k–$150k
18.7%
$150k–$200k
9.4%
$200k+
10.4%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 4.3% |
| $10k–$15k | 1.7% |
| $15k–$25k | 5.3% |
| $25k–$35k | 7.0% |
| $35k–$50k | 12.0% |
| $50k–$75k | 16.9% |
| $75k–$100k | 14.3% |
| $100k–$150k | 18.7% |
| $150k–$200k | 9.4% |
| $200k+ | 10.4% |
| Median income | $79,636 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
4.4%
$50k–$100k
5.4%
$100k–$150k
12.9%
$150k–$200k
20.2%
$200k–$300k
32.0%
$300k–$500k
22.3%
$500k–$1M
2.5%
$1M+
0.3%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $217,700 |
| Median rent / month | $1,240 |
| Owner occupied | 77.4% |
| Renter occupied | 22.6% |
| Vacant | 4.8% |
| Single-family detached | 62.2% |
| Large apartment buildings | 3.3% |
| Mobile homes | 2.7% |
| Median rooms | 6.5 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.65 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.1% |
| 2010–2019 | 2.9% |
| 2000–2009 | 10.1% |
| 1990–1999 | 14.8% |
| 1980–1989 | 14.3% |
| 1970–1979 | 13.1% |
| 1960–1969 | 8.6% |
| 1950–1959 | 11.0% |
| 1940–1949 | 6.7% |
| 1939 or earlier | 18.4% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 1.1% |
| 1 bedroom | 7.1% |
| 2 bedrooms | 17.7% |
| 3 bedrooms | 46.5% |
| 4 bedrooms | 21.7% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 6.0% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 6.1% |
| 1 vehicle | 30.5% |
| 2 vehicles | 37.7% |
| 3 or more | 25.7% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 58.6% |
| Electricity | 15.9% |
| Propane / LP gas | 3.8% |
| Fuel oil | 20.3% |
| Wood | 1.1% |
| No fuel used | 0.1% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 6,858 | 49.8% |
| Cohabiting couple | 1,083 | 7.9% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 2,456 | 17.8% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 3,376 | 24.5% |
| Households with children under 18 | 4,370 | 31.7% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 4,312 | 31.3% |
| Average household size | 2.58 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 33.4% | 28.4% |
| Married | 53.1% | 47.2% |
| Separated | 1.6% | 2.5% |
| Widowed | 3.4% | 9.6% |
| Divorced | 8.5% | 12.3% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
2.5%
Some HS, no diploma
5.1%
HS graduate
37.7%
Some college, no degree
17.0%
Associate's degree
8.2%
Bachelor's degree
18.0%
Graduate / professional
11.4%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 92.4% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 29.5% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 460 | 5.0% |
| Kindergarten | 578 | 6.3% |
| Elementary school | 3,767 | 40.9% |
| High school | 2,586 | 28.1% |
| College / grad school | 1,813 | 19.7% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
22.0%
Retail trade
15.3%
Manufacturing
13.6%
Professional & management
11.9%
Finance & real estate
7.5%
Arts, food & hospitality
6.6%
Other services
6.2%
Construction
5.6%
Transportation & utilities
5.3%
Public administration
2.3%
Wholesale trade
2.2%
Information
1.2%
Agriculture & mining
0.3%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 37.6% |
| Service | 15.1% |
| Sales & office | 23.2% |
| Natural resources & construction | 8.0% |
| Production & transportation | 16.2% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 87.4% |
| Government | 7.8% |
| Self-employed | 4.8% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.0% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 79.3% |
| Carpool | 7.4% |
| Public transit | 1.1% |
| Walk | 1.3% |
| Work from home | 9.5% |
| Other means | 1.3% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 25.0 |
Poverty
All people
9.6%
Under 18 years
16.1%
18 and over
7.7%
Married-couple families
3.2%
Female-led households
14.9%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 33.0% |
| Retirement income | 28.0% |
| Supplemental Security | 4.5% |
| Cash public assistance | 2.9% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 12.3% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 35.6% |
| High blood pressure | 30.6% |
| High cholesterol | 32.5% |
| Diabetes | 9.7% |
| Heart disease | 6.2% |
| Stroke | 2.8% |
| Asthma | 9.7% |
| Arthritis | 26.2% |
| Kidney disease | 2.7% |
| Pulmonary disease | 6.8% |
| Cancer | 7.0% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 17.7% |
| Binge drinking | 19.3% |
| No physical activity | 22.8% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 33.9% |
| Depression | 21.3% |
| Fair or poor health | 13.1% |
| Poor mental health | 14.9% |
| Poor physical health | 10.0% |
| No health insurance | 10.9% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 76.9% |
| Visited dentist | 69.7% |
| Cholesterol screening | 89.8% |
| Teeth loss | 13.0% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 1,743 | 6.3% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 13.0% |
| Under 18 | 8.5% |
| 18–64 years | 10.9% |
| 65 and over | 27.3% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 71.0% |
| Public insurance | 36.2% |
| No insurance | 7.0% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 6.0% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 34,408 | 95.9% |
| Spanish | 1,678 | 4.9% |
| Other Indo-European | 1,436 | 4.2% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 173 | 0.5% |
| Other languages | 69 | 0.2% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 33,585 | 93.6% |
| Born in same state | 32,012 | 89.2% |
| Born in different state | 26,236 | 73.1% |
| Foreign born | 1,573 | 4.4% |
| Naturalized citizen | 2,310 | 6.4% |
| Not a US citizen | 1,615 | 69.9% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Italian | 4,535 | 12.6% |
| French | 2,396 | 6.7% |
| Arab | 1,128 | 3.1% |
| English | 499 | 1.4% |
| Irish | 292 | 0.8% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| German | 96 | 0.3% |
| Norwegian | 52 | 0.1% |
| Polish | 28 | 0.1% |
| Dutch | 17 | 0% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 38.4% |
| Internet access | 93.2% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 19606
What city is ZIP code 19606 in?
ZIP code 19606 is primarily assigned to Reading, Pennsylvania.
What county is ZIP code 19606 in?
ZIP code 19606 falls within Berks County, Pennsylvania.
What is the population of ZIP code 19606?
ZIP code 19606 has an estimated population of 35,895 residents, with a density of 1,347 people per square mile.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 19606?
The median home value in ZIP code 19606 is $217,700.
What is the median household income in ZIP code 19606?
The median household income in ZIP code 19606 is $79,636, above the national median of ~$75,000.
What timezone is ZIP code 19606 in?
ZIP code 19606 observes the EST timezone.