Census tract · Berks County
Census Tract 17, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Census Tract 17, GEOID 42011001700, in Berks County, Pennsylvania, entirely within Reading. 3,580 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±660); the 2020 Census counted 3,353.
Residents, 2020-2024
3,580
±660 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,353
Median household income
$52,686
±$20,907 (90% margin)
Berks County: $79,777
Median home value
$94,000
±$16,169 (90% margin)
Berks County: $257,300
Median gross rent
$1,069
±$203 (90% margin)
Berks County: $1,181
Where is Census Tract 17?
Census Tract 17 is one of 107 census tracts in Berks County, Pennsylvania. It covers 0.15 square miles of land, 22,810 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 42011001700, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Reading | 100% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 17: Tract 1 ($24,110), Tract 13 ($48,175), Tract 14 ($36,332), Tract 16 ($57,519) and Tract 19 ($24,113). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 17?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 17's population at 3,580 (±660) in 1,197 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,353 residents and 1,276 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 17 | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,580 ±660 | 95,242 |
| Households | 1,197 ±240 | 33,164 |
| Average household size | 2.99 ±0.40 | 2.78 |
| Housing units | 1,360 ±235 | 36,032 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 17?
The median resident of Census Tract 17 is 37.1 years old; 29.4% are under 18 and 9.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 81.9%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 15.3%. 39.3% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 17 | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.1 ±6.1 | 31.9 |
| Under 18 years | 29.4% ±7.9 pts | 28.4% |
| 65 years and over | 9.0% ±5.3 pts | 10.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 81.9% ±6.6 pts | 70.8% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 15.3% ±6.1 pts | 18.5% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±1.6 pts | 7.7% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.0% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±0.8 pts | 2.1% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.9 pts | 0.5% |
| Born outside the United States | 39.3% ±9.2 pts | 25.4% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 67.4% ±8.3 pts | 59.7% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.4% ±2.1 pts | 3.1% |
| With a disability | 17.7% ±6.1 pts | 17.4% |
| No health insurance coverage | 25.9% ±8.4 pts | 14.7% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 42.9% ±11.9 pts | 72.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 3.1% ±3.1 pts | 11.4% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.3% ±0.5 pts | 3.6% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.3% ±4.8 pts | 84.0% |
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 Census Tract 17 earn?
Half of the 1,197 households in Census Tract 17 earn less than $52,686 a year (±$20,907), against $79,777 across Berks County: 90th highest of the county's 105 tracts with a reliable estimate. 40.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 17 | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,686 ±$20,907 | $44,091 |
| Mean household income | $56,504 ±$12,242 | $60,456 |
| Per capita income | $19,181 ±$4,773 | $21,406 |
| People below the poverty line | 40.1% ±12.4 pts | 28.7% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 58.3% ±17.6 pts | 39.0% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 38.8% ±12.6 pts | 38.2% |
| Households with a computer | 99.1% ±1.6 pts | 92.1% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.7% ±8.7 pts | 86.5% |
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 Census Tract 17?
Owners occupy 46.7% of Census Tract 17's occupied homes and renters 53.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $94,000 by its owner (±$16,169). The median renter pays $1,069 a month including utilities, and 42.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 17 | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $94,000 ±$16,169 | $121,300 |
| Median gross rent | $1,069 ±$203 | $1,067 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 42.7% ±20.9 pts | 49.5% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,240 ±$290 | $1,218 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 46.7% ±13.9 pts | 40.6% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 53.3% ±13.9 pts | 59.4% |
| Housing units | 1,360 ±235 | 36,032 |
| Single-family detached homes | 4.9% ±4.0 pts | 11.8% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.3% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.4 pts | 0.1% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.6% ±4.1 pts | 1.4% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 69.6% ±11.8 pts | 56.9% |
| Households with no vehicle | 24.1% ±10.6 pts | 23.3% |
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 do people in Census Tract 17 get to work?
51.3% of Census Tract 17's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 22.3 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 21.0%.
| Measure | Tract 17 | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 68.1% ±8.2 pts | 62.6% |
| Unemployment rate | 21.0% ±10.0 pts | 13.7% |
| Drove alone to work | 51.3% ±13.9 pts | 61.6% |
| Carpooled | 24.3% ±13.5 pts | 18.1% |
| Public transportation | 2.7% ±2.4 pts | 3.4% |
| Walked | 10.6% ±8.1 pts | 4.7% |
| Worked from home | 8.1% ±7.8 pts | 6.4% |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.3 min ±3.5 | 24.1 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
How does Census Tract 17 compare with the other tracts in Berks County?
Among Berks County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 17 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Berks County | In Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 68th of 107 | 12th of 28 |
| Residents per square mile | 8th of 107 | 8th of 28 |
| Median household income | 90th of 105 | 12th of 27 |
| Per capita income | 95th of 106 | 18th of 28 |
| Median home value | 99th of 104 | 21st of 26 |
| Median gross rent | 75th of 95 | 17th of 25 |
| Poverty rate | 6th of 76 | 6th of 26 |
| Median age | 75th of 107 | 3rd of 28 |
| Owner-occupied share | 88th of 106 | 12th of 28 |
The tracts next to it on Berks County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 20.01 | 87th | $55,093±$32,761 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 8 | 88th | $55,069±$6,026 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 140 | 89th | $53,090±$14,368 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 17 | 90th | $52,686±$20,907 |
| Tract 18 | 91st | $50,091±$21,170 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 13 | 92nd | $48,175±$17,022 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 20.02 | 93rd | $46,875±$18,223 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 17?
4 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 17 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.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections