Town · Vermont
Reading, Vermont
Reading, town, in Windsor County, Vermont. Reading had 667 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 687 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 699 (±139). GEOID 5002758375.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
667
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 687 · ACS 2020-2024: 699 ±139
Median household income
$85,000
±$18,958 (90% margin)
Vermont: $81,203
Median home value
$377,200
±$72,151 (90% margin)
Vermont: $316,600
Median gross rent
$1,100
±$331 (90% margin)
Vermont: $1,234
Where is Reading and what county is it in?
Reading is a town in Windsor County, Vermont. It covers 41.1 square miles of land, 17 residents per square mile in 2020.
Reading is in the Lebanon-Claremont, NH-VT micropolitan statistical area, which takes in 4 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Reading, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 667 people lived in Reading on July 1, 2025, down 1.5% since 2020, while Vermont grew 0.2%. The 2020 Census counted 687 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 699 (±139).
| Measure | Reading | Windsor County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 699±139 | 57,990 | +237 |
| Households | 298±55 | 25,293 | +83 |
| Average household size | 2.35±0.35 | 2.26 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 426±62 | 34,846 | no clear change |
Reading's population since 2000
From 707 in 2000 to 667 in 2025: down 5.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Reading as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Reading?
The median resident of Reading is 51.1 years old; 18.5% are under 18 and 28.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 89.7%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 9.6%.
| Measure | Reading | Windsor County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.1±7.6 | 47.6 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.5%±4.3 pts | 17.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 28.2%±5.2 pts | 25.5% | – |
| Male | 47.2%±4.3 pts | 49.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.4%±0.6 pts | 2.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 89.7%±6.3 pts | 92.1% | −9.7 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±3.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.3%±0.6 pts | 1.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±3.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±3.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 9.6%±6.5 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±3.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.9%±3.9 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.3%±3.8 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.0%±1.6 pts | 7.0% | – |
| With a disability | 17.6%±5.6 pts | 15.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 0.7%±0.7 pts | 3.6% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.6%±1.1 pts | 94.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 46.0%±9.5 pts | 42.9% | +12.8 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 23.9%±7.2 pts | 18.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.5%±8.5 pts | 89.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 9.3%±7.6 pts | 4.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Reading earn?
Half of Reading's 298 households earn less than $85,000 a year (±$18,958), against $77,594 in Windsor County and $81,203 in Vermont. In 2015-2019 it was $65,125 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 8.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Reading | Windsor County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $85,000±$18,958 | $77,594 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $117,567±$27,380 | $109,025 | – |
| Per capita income | $55,719±$13,153 | $48,626 | +$17,819 |
| People below the poverty line | 8.4%±4.6 pts | 9.2% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 4.7%±6.7 pts | 11.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.1%±4.2 pts | 9.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.3%±5.4 pts | 95.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.3%±5.7 pts | 90.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Reading?
Owners occupy 84.9% of Reading's occupied homes and renters 15.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $377,200 by its owner (±$72,151). The median renter pays $1,100 a month including utilities, and 56.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Reading | Windsor County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $377,200±$72,151 | $296,400 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,100±$331 | $1,118 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 56.7%±31.8 pts | 32.6% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,848±$236 | $1,850 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 84.9%±7.0 pts | 74.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 15.1%±7.0 pts | 25.2% | – |
| Housing units | 426±62 | 34,846 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±9.4 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±38.8 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 89.2%±6.1 pts | 70.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.2%±3.6 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.1%±3.3 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.9%±4.7 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 36.2%±9.0 pts | 27.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.0%±8.0 pts | 6.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Reading building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Reading in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 1.5 per 1,000 residents against 3.6 across Vermont.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Reading work and get to work?
66.7% of Reading's workers drive alone and 22.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 33.1 minutes.
| Measure | Reading | Windsor County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 60.3%±5.6 pts | 61.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.0%±1.9 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 66.7%±10.4 pts | 67.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.4%±5.9 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±7.2 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Walked | 2.1%±1.9 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 22.9%±10.2 pts | 17.9% | +14.8 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 33.1 min±4.3 | 22.9 min | +8.1 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Reading?
1 census tract lies mostly in Reading (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9659.02Windsor County | 1,870 | $97,250 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Reading) · Census block assignment files
How does Reading compare with other places in Vermont?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Reading is the 9,167th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 190th-most populous of 237 in Vermont.
Reading is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 190th | 237 |
Reading's figures with every place in Vermont (CSV)
Every place in Vermont, sortable · Compare Reading with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Reading?
22 of the 57 figures for Reading on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Reading are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.