A post-industrial Rust Belt city where Latino growth is reshaping the electorate
Reading's population is now majority Hispanic, one of the highest shares of any mid-sized northeastern city, and that demographic shift has gradually altered turnout patterns and party registration trends across Berks County.
| Group | Reading, PA | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 76.0% | 57.4% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(18) | 17.1% | 19.3% |
▶Black / African American(14) | 4.4% | 12.2% |
▶Asian(6) | 1.2% | 6.0% |
Multiracial / Other | 0.8% | 4.0% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(1) | 0.5% | 0.9% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(6) | 0.4% | 0.9% |
Catholic-Evangelical edge: +14.9pp (vs national 4.5pp). A strongly Catholic-leaning religious profile, which nationally correlates with Democratic-leaning urban and suburban communities.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19.4% | 42.9% | — | — | |
| 12.6% | 27.8% | — | — | |
| 10.6% | 23.5% | — | — | |
| 2.0% | 4.4% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 0.4% | 1.0% | — | — |
| 0.3% | 0.7% | — | — | |
| 0.3% | 0.6% | — | — | |
Non-religiousPopulation | 54.8% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Reading, PA metro area? 1,622,238 residents across 4 counties.
23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 10pp below the national average. Places with similar education levels vote R+9 on average nationally.
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| President vs Senate | R+12.2 | R+9.3 | 2.8pp |