Metro FMR · CBSA 39740 · HUD FY2026

Reading, PA MSA Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Reading, PA MSA metro area - 29% above the US average.

$1,237
1-bedroom FMR
$1,575
2-bedroom FMR
+15.1%
YoY change
+29%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Reading, PA MSA area rents at $1,575 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 34% above the US average, higher than 73% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#104
priciest of 387 US metros (2BR)
+34%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$63,000
income to afford it (30% rule)
+15.1%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Reading: #104 priciest nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $77,684, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 19.1% of annual income. It is well below the 30% affordability guide for a median-income household.

The 2-bedroom figure places Reading in the middle half of HUD metro areas, using the same FY2026 HUD schedule as the national comparison.

With 428,483 residents, this is a mid-sized metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

Its 2-bedroom FMR sits in the middle half of HUD metro areas, so the local-income comparison is more informative than the national rank alone.

The studio-through-two-bedroom FMR bands stay below 30% of recorded median income here; the larger-bedroom rows show where that headroom narrows.

Observed renter burden: 46.5% of the 46,819 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from the FY2026 HUD FMR benchmark.

ACS median household income lags the FY2026 HUD FMR schedule. The income share is a same-metro cross-source read (Census ACS B19013 vs HUD FMR), not a same-vintage ratio.

Studio

$1,086/mo

16.8% of median income

1 Bedroom

$1,237/mo

19.1% of median income

2 Bedroom

$1,575/mo

24.3% of median income

3 Bedroom

$1,937/mo

29.9% of median income

4 Bedroom

$2,085/mo

32.2% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·39740

Reading: $1,237/mo 1BR · #104 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 39740

  • CBSA 39740
  • 1BR-FMR $1,237
  • 2BR-FMR $1,575
  • RANK-MID #104
  • YOY-SURGE +15.1%
  • VSUS-HIGH +29%
  • IN-ST-HIGH #14 PA
  • INC-ROOM 19%
  • POP-MAJOR 428K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Altoona
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,113–$1,361
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Altoona ($289 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Where Reading sits among every US metro

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 387 HUD metro areas

$1,575 Top 27% higher than 73% of 387 metro areas

$800–$1,000: 28 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 114 metro areas (29%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 95 metro areas (25%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 52 metro areas (13%). This entry sits in this band. $1,600–$1,800: 41 metro areas (11%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 26 metro areas (7%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 9 metro areas (2%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 4 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 2 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. This metro $800 $4,400 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more metro areas. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

Reading studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #104 nationally

1BR $1,237 (+29% vs US, +15.1% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 39740.

Studio
$1,086
US avg $893
↑17.0% YoY +22% vs US
1 Bedroom
$1,237
US avg $959
↑15.1% YoY +29% vs US
2 Bedroom
$1,575
US avg $1,175
↑16.4% YoY +34% vs US
3 Bedroom
$1,937
US avg $1,525
↑14.7% YoY +27% vs US
4 Bedroom
$2,085
US avg $1,756
↑16.2% YoY +19% vs US

How Reading compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other PA metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Reading highlighted among 3 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Reading: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs Reading with the 4 nearest HUD 2BR schedules and 4 nearest burden matches outside PA (burden peers exclude the FMR set; pop ≥50k).

2BR FMR · outside PA

Nearest schedules by 2BR delta (FY2026).

St. George
UT · 2 BR $1,575/mo
Rochester
NY · 2 BR $1,573/mo
Winchester
VA · 2 BR $1,573/mo
Asheville
NC · 2 BR $1,567/mo

Burden % · outside PA

Nearest 2BR FMR ÷ ACS median income (FY2026).

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission
TX · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $1,060/mo
San Angelo
TX · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $1,339/mo
El Paso
TX · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $1,191/mo
Chattanooga
TN · 24.3% of income · 2 BR $1,390/mo

Reading: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Reading, PA MSA metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Reading, PA MSA is $1,237 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,575 and a studio is $1,086.
How does Reading, PA MSA rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Reading, PA MSA metro area is 29% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $1,237 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Reading rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,575 ranks #104 most expensive among 387 US metro areas (the middle half of HUD metro areas).
What income do I need to afford rent in Reading, PA MSA? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $49,480 ($4,123/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in the Reading, PA MSA area.

Compare Reading vs Altoona →

Data as of FY 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents. Population and demographic data from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

FY 2026 HUD FMR $1,237/mo · 1BR PA

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.