What is the median rent in Reading (community), MA?
The median gross rent in Reading (community), MA is $1,991 (±$273) a month, according to the US Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
That is across 1,702 rented homes; gross rent is the contract rent plus the utilities and fuels a renter pays separately.
In Reading (community), the median gross rent went from $1,354 in 2015–2019 to $1,991 in 2020–2024 (+47.0%).
Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years; the change is not measurably different from the rise in prices.
Figures last updated on .
- Median gross rent
- $1,991 (±$273)
- Rented homes
- 1,702 (±241)
- $2,000 or more
- 49.7%
- Since 2015–2019
- +47.0%
How much rent costs in Reading (community)
| Monthly gross rent | Reading (community) | Middlesex County | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than $500 | 12.7% (±6.4 points) | 6.8% | 10.2% | 6.3% |
| $500 to $999 | 10.0% (±6.6 points) | 6.7% | 11.7% | 20.2% |
| $1,000 to $1,499 | 10.3% (±5.7 points) | 9.8% | 17.7% | 28.1% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 17.2% (±7.8 points) | 18.1% | 19.9% | 21.1% |
| $2,000 to $2,499 | 15.4% (±8.2 points) | 21.0% | 16.7% | 12.0% |
| $2,500 to $2,999 | 9.4% (±4.8 points) | 15.6% | 10.5% | 5.5% |
| $3,000 or more | 24.9% (±8.0 points) | 21.9% | 13.3% | 6.8% |
The most common range is $3,000 or more, paid by 24.9% of renting households.
49.7% of rented homes in Reading (community) cost $2,000 or more a month.
Reading (community) against Middlesex County, its state and the nation
| Reading (community) | Middlesex County | Massachusetts | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,991 (±$273) | $2,201 (±$17) | $1,762 (±$9) | $1,413 |
| Rented homes paying rent | 1,702 (±241) | 237,764 (±2,442) | 1,006,980 (±6,692) | 42,849,984 |
In Reading (community), median gross rent is not measurably different from Middlesex County ($2,201).
It is not measurably different from Massachusetts ($1,762).
It is higher than the national figure ($1,413).
In Middlesex County, Reading (community) ranks 11 of 22 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest median gross rent.
Statewide, it ranks 37 of 147.
Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.
How rent in Reading (community) has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,354 (±$206) | $1,991 (±$273) | +47.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 15.9% (±1.9 points) | 17.6% (±2.4 points) | +1.7 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.1% (±1.7 points) | 0.0% (±2.4 points) | −1.1 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Median gross rent in places near Reading (community)
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Compared with this place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading (community) | — | $1,991 (±$273) | — |
| Wakefield (community) | 3.0 mi | $1,958 (±$102) | Not measurably different |
| Wakefield | 3.0 mi | $1,958 (±$102) | Not measurably different |
| North Reading | 3.2 mi | $2,259 (±$356) | Not measurably different |
| Lynnfield (community) | 3.4 mi | $2,676 (±$219) | Higher |
| Lynnfield | 3.4 mi | $2,676 (±$219) | Higher |
| Wilmington (community) | 3.6 mi | $2,394 (±$328) | Not measurably different |
| Wilmington | 3.6 mi | $2,394 (±$328) | Not measurably different |
| Woburn | 4.1 mi | $2,221 (±$77) | Not measurably different |
Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Lynnfield (community), MA ($2,676), Lynnfield, MA ($2,676).
Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.
Median gross rent across Middlesex County, place by place
| Rank | Place | Median gross rent |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Belmont (community) | $2,527 (±$105) |
| 6 | Wilmington (community) | $2,394 (±$328) |
| 7 | Littleton Common | $2,306 (±$182) |
| 8 | Winchester (community) | $2,279 (±$481) |
| 9 | Arlington (community) | $2,082 (±$76) |
| 10 | Stoneham (community) | $2,035 (±$142) |
| 11 | Reading (community) | $1,991 (±$273) |
| 12 | Wakefield (community) | $1,958 (±$102) |
| 13 | Pinehurst | $1,946 (±$1,231) |
| 14 | Maynard (community) | $1,800 (±$148) |
| 15 | East Pepperell | $1,620 (±$134) |
| 16 | Cochituate | $1,582 (±$649) |
| 17 | Hudson (community) | $1,397 (±$83) |
Showing 13 of 22 places in Middlesex County, ranked from highest to lowest.
Reading (community) is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
It lies inside Reading, whose figures include it.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Reading (community)
What is the average rent in Reading (community), MA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Reading (community) is $1,991 (±$273) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much has rent gone up in Reading (community)?
In Reading (community), the median gross rent went from $1,354 in 2015–2019 to $1,991 in 2020–2024 (+47.0%).
Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years; the change is not measurably different from the rise in prices.
How many rentals in Reading (community) cost more than $2,000 a month?
49.7% of rented homes in Reading (community) have a gross rent of $2,000 or more a month, and 12.7% cost less than $500.
Is rent in Reading (community) higher than in Middlesex County?
In Reading (community), median gross rent is not measurably different from Middlesex County ($2,201).
It is not measurably different from Massachusetts ($1,762).
It is higher than the national figure ($1,413).
Is this the rent for an apartment listed today?
No: these are rents households reported paying across 2020–2024, not asking rents for vacant homes, which usually run higher.
Sources
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Reading CDP, Massachusetts
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Reading CDP, Massachusetts
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Reading CDP, Massachusetts
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Reading CDP, Massachusetts (place:56165, in state:25).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B25064_001E, B25064_001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP04_0126E, DP04_0126M, DP04_0127PE, DP04_0127PM, DP04_0128PE, DP04_0128PM, DP04_0129PE, DP04_0129PM, DP04_0130PE, DP04_0130PM, DP04_0131PE, DP04_0131PM, DP04_0132PE, DP04_0132PM, DP04_0133PE, DP04_0133PM
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .
Related
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- Population growth in Reading (community)
- How long people stay in Reading (community)
- Crowding and facilities in Reading (community)
- Massachusetts landlord and tenant rules
- Housing across Middlesex County
- Massachusetts places ranked by median rent
- Housing data for every place in Massachusetts