19609 ZIP Code — Reading, PA

Berks County, Pennsylvania

ZIP code 19609 is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, within Berks County. It covers approximately 2.30 square miles and serves a population of 10,225 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 610.

About ZIP code 19609

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $201,400. Owner-occupancy is high at 83%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $81,667. The poverty rate of 6% is below the national average. 31% 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 21 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 36% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 19609 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

10,225

population

2.30

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

19609 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 19609

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 19609. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Reading	Acceptable
Reading	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

19610 Reading (1.3 mi) 19608 Reading (2.1 mi) 19611 Reading (3 mi) 19607 Reading (3.2 mi) 19601 Reading (3.6 mi) 19602 Reading (4.2 mi) 19565 Wernersville (5 mi) 19604 Reading (5.3 mi) 19605 Reading (6.1 mi) 19540 Mohnton (6.2 mi) 19533 Leesport (6.5 mi) 17569 Reinholds (6.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	10,225
Population density	4,446 / sq mi
State FIPS	42
County FIPS	011

Geography
Land area	2.30 sq mi
Water area	0.03 sq mi
Latitude	40.3268
Longitude	-75.9961
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	29.8%	37.5%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	35.2%	32.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	29.5%	24.6%	22.4%
Over $200k	5.6%	5.7%	7.1%

Demographics & statistics

10,225

Population

4,446

People per sq mi

38.3

Median age

$81,667

Median household income

$38,461

Per capita income

$201,400

Median home value

$1,255

Median monthly rent

82.9%

Home ownership

6.3%

Poverty rate

2.7%

Unemployment

3,533

Housing units

36.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

319

Under 5

355

359

5–9

400

294

10–14

328

213

15–19

238

274

20–24

306

768

25–34

856

488

35–44

544

749

45–54

835

265

55–59

295

229

60–64

256

445

65–74

497

315

75–84

351

116

85+

130

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,291	22.4%
18 and over	7,934	77.6%
65 and over	1,854	18.1%
Median age	38.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 64.5%

Hispanic or Latino 11.7%

Two or more races 8.6%

Other race 7.5%

Black or African American 6.5%

Asian 1.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	7,467	64.5%
Hispanic or Latino	1,360	11.7%
Two or more races	1,000	8.6%
Other race	868	7.5%
Black or African American	748	6.5%
Asian	125	1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	17	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	29.8%	37.5%	39.8%
$50k – $100k	35.2%	32.2%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	29.5%	24.6%	22.4%
Over $200k	5.6%	5.7%	7.1%

Under $10k 6.8%

$10k–$15k 1.4%

$15k–$25k 3.7%

$25k–$35k 7.9%

$35k–$50k 9.6%

$50k–$75k 15.4%

$75k–$100k 15.8%

$100k–$150k 19.1%

$150k–$200k 14.2%

$200k+ 6.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.8%
$10k–$15k	1.4%
$15k–$25k	3.7%
$25k–$35k	7.9%
$35k–$50k	9.6%
$50k–$75k	15.4%
$75k–$100k	15.8%
$100k–$150k	19.1%
$150k–$200k	14.2%
$200k+	6.2%
Median income	$81,667

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.3%

$50k–$100k 2.6%

$100k–$150k 11.1%

$150k–$200k 33.3%

$200k–$300k 42.2%

$300k–$500k 7.3%

$1M+ 1.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$201,400
Median rent / month	$1,255
Owner occupied	82.9%
Renter occupied	17.1%
Vacant	5.0%
Single-family detached	72.2%
Large apartment buildings	1.4%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.54

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.8%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	2.4%
1990–1999	2.7%
1980–1989	3.1%
1970–1979	8.3%
1960–1969	19.9%
1950–1959	31.9%
1940–1949	9.3%
1939 or earlier	21.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	3.3%
2 bedrooms	16.0%
3 bedrooms	56.2%
4 bedrooms	23.7%
5+ bedrooms	0.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.9%
1 vehicle	31.7%
2 vehicles	41.8%
3 or more	21.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	66.0%
Electricity	17.1%
Propane / LP gas	1.0%
Fuel oil	14.5%
Wood	0.2%
No fuel used	0.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,144	53.5%
Cohabiting couple	296	7.4%
Male householder, no spouse	500	12.5%
Female householder, no spouse	1,066	26.6%
Households with children under 18	1,209	30.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,276	31.9%
Average household size	2.55

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	28.0%	28.7%
Married	59.2%	48.8%
Separated	0.8%	1.6%
Widowed	4.0%	11.4%
Divorced	8.0%	9.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.6%

Some HS, no diploma 3.8%

HS graduate 28.2%

Some college, no degree 16.7%

Associate's degree 12.6%

Bachelor's degree 24.4%

Graduate / professional 11.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.6%
Bachelor's or higher	36.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	235	9.2%
Kindergarten	120	4.7%
Elementary school	1,113	43.8%
High school	381	15.0%
College / grad school	692	27.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.9%

Manufacturing 21.0%

Professional & management 10.4%

Retail trade 7.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.6%

Finance & real estate 6.9%

Transportation & utilities 5.4%

Public administration 4.8%

Construction 3.8%

Other services 3.2%

Information 1.5%

Wholesale trade 1.3%

Agriculture & mining 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	42.4%
Service	15.6%
Sales & office	20.0%
Natural resources & construction	3.8%
Production & transportation	18.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	86.1%
Government	10.7%
Self-employed	3.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.5%
Carpool	4.5%
Public transit	0.7%
Walk	2.2%
Work from home	8.6%
Other means	0.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.3

Poverty

All people 6.3%

Under 18 years 6.0%

18 and over 6.4%

Married-couple families 1.4%

Female-led households 10.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	31.3%
Retirement income	27.8%
Supplemental Security	4.0%
Cash public assistance	1.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.3%
High blood pressure	30.6%
High cholesterol	31.8%
Diabetes	9.4%
Heart disease	6.4%
Stroke	2.8%
Asthma	9.4%
Arthritis	26.5%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	6.3%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.5%
Binge drinking	19.1%
No physical activity	21.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.9%
Depression	20.5%
Fair or poor health	11.8%
Poor mental health	14.1%
Poor physical health	9.3%
No health insurance	9.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.6%
Visited dentist	72.2%
Cholesterol screening	90.6%
Teeth loss	11.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	522	6.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.3%
Under 18	15.2%
18–64 years	7.4%
65 and over	30.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	74.9%
Public insurance	34.9%
No insurance	6.4%
Uninsured under 19	4.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	9,551	93.4%
Spanish	741	7.8%
Other Indo-European	481	5.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	154	1.6%
Other languages	69	0.7%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	9,145	89.4%
Born in same state	8,565	83.8%
Born in different state	7,068	69.1%
Foreign born	580	5.7%
Naturalized citizen	1,080	10.6%
Not a US citizen	754	69.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,040	10.2%
French	429	4.2%
Arab	144	1.4%
German	55	0.5%
Irish	40	0.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	20	0.2%
Polish	19	0.2%
Norwegian	14	0.1%
Dutch	13	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.2%
Internet access	94.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 19609

What city is ZIP code 19609 in?

ZIP code 19609 is primarily assigned to Reading, Pennsylvania.

What county is ZIP code 19609 in?

ZIP code 19609 falls within Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Is ZIP code 19609 mostly owner-occupied?

83% of occupied units in ZIP code 19609 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the population of ZIP code 19609?

ZIP code 19609 has an estimated population of 10,225 residents, with a density of 4,453 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 19609?

The median home value in ZIP code 19609 is $201,400.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 19609?

The median household income in ZIP code 19609 is $81,667, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 19609 in?

ZIP code 19609 observes the EST timezone.