Reading Bank & Post Office · Bhall87 / CC BY-SA 3.0Reading Kansas community center and grain elevator · MadameGraffigny / CC BY-SA 3.0The old jail in Reading Kansas, Oct. 2012 · MadameGraffigny / CC BY-SA 3.0
Reading is a small town of 157 in Kansas, with a median household income of $57,750
and a 4.7% unemployment rate.
Its cost of living index is 83 (US average = 100), which is
17% below the national average.
Strengths:
Reading stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices.
Trade-offs:
No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Reading is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Reading city data on this page comes from official government sources —
the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 83.4
Reading's overall cost of living index is 83.4,
where 100 represents the US national average.
Living in Reading costs roughly 17% less than the average American city.
Metric
Reading, KS
National Avg
Median Home Value
$47,900
$244,900
Median Monthly Rent
$750
$1,163
Homeownership Rate
86.7%
65.9%
Median Household Income
$57,750
$74,755
Crime & Safety
Safer than Average
Reading's violent crime rate is 268.1 per 100,000 residents
— 29% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Violent Crime
268.1 /100k
Property Crime
1671.9 /100k
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Metric
Reading, KS
National Avg
School District
N/A
—
Elementary Schools
N/A
—
Middle Schools
N/A
—
High Schools
N/A
—
Student/Teacher Ratio
N/A
16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
11.7%
35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher
91.9%
91.1%
Weather & Climate
Reading sees average highs of 40.4°F in January
and 89.3°F in July,
with 36.1 inches of annual precipitation
and 16.3 inches of snow per year.
Reading's cost of living index is 83, where 100 is the national average.
That makes Reading roughly 17% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage.
The median home price is $47,900 and median rent is $750/month.
Reading's violent crime rate is 268.1 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1671.9 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Reading, KS has a population of 157, a median household income of $57,750, and an unemployment rate of 4.7%.
It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Reading averages 40.4°F in January and 89.3°F in July. Annual rainfall is 36.1 inches
with about 16.3 inches of snow per year.
Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Reading, KS is covered by 1 ZIP code: 66868.
The population of Reading, Kansas is 157 with a median age of 43.1. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Reading: cost of living index 83 (100 = US average), median home $47,900, median household income $57,750, crime index 74 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Reading side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.
