19608 ZIP Code — Reading, PA

Berks County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 19608 is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, within Berks County. It covers approximately 26.30 square miles and serves a population of 24,092 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 610.

About ZIP code 19608

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $289,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($109,263) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 4% is below the national average. 30% 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 45% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 19608 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

24,092

population

26.30

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

19608 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 19608

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 19608. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Reading	Acceptable
Reading	Acceptable
Reading	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

19609 Reading (2.1 mi) 19610 Reading (3.3 mi) 19565 Wernersville (3.4 mi) 19607 Reading (4.3 mi) 17569 Reinholds (4.7 mi) 19611 Reading (5 mi) 19601 Reading (5.6 mi) 19551 Robesonia (5.7 mi) 19602 Reading (6.2 mi) 19540 Mohnton (6.2 mi) 17517 Denver (7.1 mi) 19604 Reading (7.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	24,092
Population density	916 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	011

Geography
Land area	26.30 sq mi
Water area	0.11 sq mi
Latitude	40.3172
Longitude	-76.0334
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	25.3%	37.5%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	29.4%	32.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	32.8%	24.6%	22.4%
Over $200k	12.5%	5.7%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

24,092

Population

916

People per sq mi

43.1

Median age

$109,263

Median household income

$50,166

Per capita income

$289,100

Median home value

$1,456

Median monthly rent

79.5%

Home ownership

4.4%

Poverty rate

2.6%

Unemployment

7,300

Housing units

44.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

652

Under 5

681

717

5–9

749

791

10–14

826

749

15–19

782

731

20–24

764

1,180

25–34

1,232

1,463

35–44

1,528

1,975

45–54

2,061

735

55–59

768

790

60–64

825

1,161

65–74

1,212

624

75–84

652

217

85+

227

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	5,359	22.2%
18 and over	18,733	77.8%
65 and over	4,093	17.0%
Median age	43.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 78%

Hispanic or Latino 6.2%

Black or African American 4.5%

Asian 4.3%

Two or more races 3.6%

Other race 3.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	20,019	78%
Hispanic or Latino	1,581	6.2%
Black or African American	1,148	4.5%
Asian	1,109	4.3%
Two or more races	913	3.6%
Other race	887	3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	16	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	25.3%	37.5%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	29.4%	32.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	32.8%	24.6%	22.4%
Over $200k	12.5%	5.7%	7.1%

Under $10k 2.0%

$10k–$15k 0.9%

$15k–$25k 2.6%

$25k–$35k 5.8%

$35k–$50k 8.3%

$50k–$75k 13.9%

$75k–$100k 10.2%

$100k–$150k 23.4%

$150k–$200k 16.5%

$200k+ 16.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.0%
$10k–$15k	0.9%
$15k–$25k	2.6%
$25k–$35k	5.8%
$35k–$50k	8.3%
$50k–$75k	13.9%
$75k–$100k	10.2%
$100k–$150k	23.4%
$150k–$200k	16.5%
$200k+	16.5%
Median income	$109,263

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 0.6%

$50k–$100k 1.5%

$100k–$150k 5.9%

$150k–$200k 9.3%

$200k–$300k 36.5%

$300k–$500k 36.8%

$500k–$1M 8.6%

$1M+ 0.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$289,100
Median rent / month	$1,456
Owner occupied	79.5%
Renter occupied	20.5%
Vacant	3.5%
Single-family detached	70.6%
Large apartment buildings	1.0%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	7.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.85

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	4.4%
2000–2009	31.1%
1990–1999	16.1%
1980–1989	9.8%
1970–1979	10.0%
1960–1969	10.1%
1950–1959	6.0%
1940–1949	1.9%
1939 or earlier	10.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.6%
1 bedroom	4.3%
2 bedrooms	14.5%
3 bedrooms	40.8%
4 bedrooms	34.5%
5+ bedrooms	5.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.3%
1 vehicle	21.6%
2 vehicles	39.5%
3 or more	36.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	61.3%
Electricity	16.4%
Propane / LP gas	4.5%
Fuel oil	15.5%
Wood	1.0%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	5,392	61.4%
Cohabiting couple	470	5.4%
Male householder, no spouse	1,175	13.4%
Female householder, no spouse	1,743	19.9%
Households with children under 18	3,027	34.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,611	29.7%
Average household size	2.71

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	26.6%	27.7%
Married	62.4%	54.7%
Separated	0.9%	0.6%
Widowed	2.5%	6.7%
Divorced	7.5%	10.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.3%

Some HS, no diploma 4.9%

HS graduate 25.7%

Some college, no degree 17.1%

Associate's degree 6.6%

Bachelor's degree 28.1%

Graduate / professional 16.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.9%
Bachelor's or higher	44.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	444	7.3%
Kindergarten	416	6.8%
Elementary school	2,258	37.1%
High school	1,435	23.6%
College / grad school	1,535	25.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 26.9%

Manufacturing 15.0%

Retail trade 13.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.3%

Finance & real estate 8.2%

Professional & management 7.4%

Construction 6.5%

Transportation & utilities 5.6%

Other services 3.2%

Public administration 1.9%

Wholesale trade 1.7%

Agriculture & mining 1.2%

Information 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	44.4%
Service	13.5%
Sales & office	21.5%
Natural resources & construction	6.5%
Production & transportation	14.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	84.8%
Government	10.8%
Self-employed	4.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.7%
Carpool	5.3%
Public transit	0.3%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	8.2%
Other means	0.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.5

Poverty

All people 4.4%

Under 18 years 4.6%

18 and over 4.4%

Married-couple families 2.1%

Female-led households 7.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	30.3%
Retirement income	27.0%
Supplemental Security	3.3%
Cash public assistance	1.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	3.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.6%
High blood pressure	29.8%
High cholesterol	31.3%
Diabetes	9.3%
Heart disease	5.8%
Stroke	2.6%
Asthma	9.6%
Arthritis	25.2%
Kidney disease	2.5%
Pulmonary disease	6.3%
Cancer	6.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.2%
Binge drinking	19.5%
No physical activity	21.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.0%
Depression	21.0%
Fair or poor health	12.1%
Poor mental health	14.7%
Poor physical health	9.5%
No health insurance	9.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.9%
Visited dentist	70.8%
Cholesterol screening	90.2%
Teeth loss	12.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,201	6.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	8.9%
Under 18	2.7%
18–64 years	6.8%
65 and over	25.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	82.5%
Public insurance	28.6%
No insurance	4.1%
Uninsured under 19	2.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	22,759	94.5%
Spanish	754	3.3%
Other Indo-European	296	1.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	191	0.8%
Other languages	199	0.9%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	21,914	91.0%
Born in same state	21,489	89.2%
Born in different state	17,172	71.3%
Foreign born	425	1.8%
Naturalized citizen	2,178	9.0%
Not a US citizen	1,737	79.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,368	9.8%
French	2,007	8.3%
Arab	897	3.7%
English	235	1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	188	0.8%
Norwegian	146	0.6%
Polish	59	0.2%
German	30	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.4%
Internet access	95.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 19608

What city is ZIP code 19608 in?

ZIP code 19608 is primarily assigned to Reading, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 19608 in?

ZIP code 19608 falls within Berks County, Pennsylvania.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 19608?

The median household income in ZIP code 19608 is $109,263, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 19608?

ZIP code 19608 has an estimated population of 24,092 residents, with a density of 916 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 19608?

The median home value in ZIP code 19608 is $289,100.

What timezone is ZIP code 19608 in?

ZIP code 19608 observes the EST timezone.