Population

Reading

94,836

East Chicago

26,158

Median Income

Reading

$45,599

East Chicago

$41,071

Home Value

Reading

$109,800

East Chicago

$92,400

Rent

Reading

$1,018

East Chicago

$820

Crime Rate

Reading

3.38

East Chicago

8.26

Cost of Living

Reading

83.5

East Chicago

73.1

Avg Temp

Reading

N/A

East Chicago

N/A

Unemployment

Reading

12.1%

East Chicago

7.9%

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How Similar Are Reading & East Chicago?

East Chicago is Reading's #25 most similar city

3/10

3 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Reading

94,836

vs

East Chicago

26,158

Different · 72% difference

Reading (94,836) is about 3.6x larger than East Chicago (26,158).

Violent Crime

Reading

3.38

vs

East Chicago

8.26

Different · 59% difference
🚨

East Chicago's violent crime is significantly higher than Reading's — 59% difference.

Property Crime

🔒

Reading

14.35

vs

East Chicago

15.90

Match · 10% difference

Both cities have similar property crime — just a 10% difference.

Political Leaning

Reading

55.6%

vs

East Chicago

46.5%

Different · 16% difference
🗳️

Reading leans Republican while East Chicago leans Democratic.

Unemployment

💼

Reading

12.1%

vs

East Chicago

7.9%

Different · 35% difference

Reading has a 35% higher unemployment than East Chicago.

Median Income

Reading

$45,599

vs

East Chicago

$41,071

Match · 10% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 10% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Reading

$109,800

vs

East Chicago

$92,400

Different · 16% difference

Reading has a 16% higher home values than East Chicago.

Education

Reading

7.0%

vs

East Chicago

6.5%

Match · 7% difference
🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 7% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Reading

30.1%

vs

East Chicago

16.1%

Different · 47% difference

Reading has a 47% higher demographics than East Chicago.

Cost of Living

Reading

83.5

vs

East Chicago

73.1

Different · 12% difference
💵

Reading has a 12% higher cost of living than East Chicago.

3 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Reading and East Chicago differ in most key areas.

At a Glance

0

Reading

vsof 8

0

East Chicago

Reading leads in 2 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — East Chicago leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

East Chicago scores 72.1 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 91.9 in Reading. East Chicago has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,317 vs $1,575 in Reading (20% lower). East Chicago has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,082 vs $1,237 in Reading (14% lower).

Overall Cost Index

Reading83.5
East Chicago73.1

Housing Index

Reading91.9
East Chicago72.1

Food Index

Reading84.9
East Chicago81.4

Transportation Index

Reading69.7
East Chicago62.8

Healthcare Index

Reading87.9
East Chicago85.1

Utilities Index

Reading89.3
East Chicago83.3

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Reading$36,748
East Chicago$32,171

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Reading$86,859
East Chicago$76,041

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Reading$1,237
East Chicago$1,082

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Reading$1,575
East Chicago$1,317

Housing Market

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

East Chicago has a median property tax of $989 vs $1,820 in Reading (84% lower). Reading has a vacancy rate of 9.3% compared to 19.6% in East Chicago. Reading has a single-family homes of 64.5% compared to 50.2% in East Chicago.

Median Home Value

Reading$109,800
East Chicago$92,400

Median Rent

Reading$1,018
East Chicago$820

Median Property Tax

Reading$1,820
East Chicago$989

Owner-Occupied

Reading39.7%
East Chicago44.1%

Vacancy Rate

Reading9.3%
East Chicago19.6%

Single-Family Homes

Reading64.5%
East Chicago50.2%

Jobs & Economy — Reading leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Reading: 43,869 vs East Chicago: 11,431 for labor force. East Chicago has a unemployment rate of 7.9% compared to 12.1% in Reading. Reading has a work from home of 5.0% compared to 3.9% in East Chicago.

Median Household Income

Reading$45,599
East Chicago$41,071

Per Capita Income

Reading$21,394
East Chicago$23,164

Poverty Rate

Reading27.0%
East Chicago27.0%

Unemployment Rate

Reading12.1%
East Chicago7.9%

Labor Force

Reading43,869
East Chicago11,431

Mean Commute

ReadingN/A
East ChicagoN/A

Work from Home

Reading5.0%
East Chicago3.9%

Private Sector

Reading98.8%
East Chicago98.1%

Government Sector

Reading48.5%
East Chicago46.3%

Crime & Safety — Reading leads

Source: FBI UCR

Reading has a violent crime clearance of 46.8% compared to 17.0% in East Chicago. Reading has a assault rate (per 1k) of 1.95 compared to 6.59 in East Chicago. East Chicago has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 1.44 compared to 2.33 in Reading.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Reading3.38
East Chicago8.26

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Reading14.35
East Chicago15.90

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Reading0.07
East Chicago0.12

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Reading1.00
East Chicago0.82

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Reading1.95
East Chicago6.59

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Reading2.33
East Chicago1.44

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Reading9.74
East Chicago9.20

Violent Crime Clearance

Reading46.8%
East Chicago17.0%

Property Crime Clearance

Reading10.8%
East Chicago7.6%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

ReadingN/A
East ChicagoN/A

Avg Annual High

ReadingN/A
East ChicagoN/A

Avg Annual Low

ReadingN/A
East ChicagoN/A

Sunny Days per Year

ReadingN/A
East ChicagoN/A

Annual Rainfall

ReadingN/A
East ChicagoN/A

Annual Snowfall

ReadingN/A
East ChicagoN/A

Avg Humidity

ReadingN/A
East ChicagoN/A

Schools & Education

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Reading has a bachelor's degree or higher of 7.0% compared to 6.5% in East Chicago. East Chicago has a high school diploma or higher of 32.2% compared to 30.0% in Reading.

Public Schools

Reading0
East Chicago0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

ReadingN/A
East ChicagoN/A

Colleges & Universities

Reading0
East Chicago0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Reading7.0%
East Chicago6.5%

High School Diploma or Higher

Reading30.0%
East Chicago32.2%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Reading has a population of 94,836, about 3.6x the size of East Chicago (26,158). Reading skews younger with a median age of 31.7 vs 36.5.

Population

Reading94,836
East Chicago26,158

Median Age

Reading32
East Chicago37

Avg Household Size

Reading2.8
East Chicago2.6

Married Population

Reading24.4%
East Chicago25.5%

Foreign Born

Reading21.5%
East Chicago16.1%

White

Reading30.1%
East Chicago16.1%

Black

Reading10.0%
East Chicago37.4%

Hispanic

Reading68.6%
East Chicago56.5%

Asian

Reading1.0%
East Chicago0.1%

Reading

East Chicago

Healthcare

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Reading: 3.5 vs East Chicago: 2.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5). East Chicago: 5 vs Reading: 2 for with emergency services.

Nearby Hospitals

Reading5
East Chicago5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Reading3.5
East Chicago2.0

With Emergency Services

Reading2
East Chicago5

Transportation & Commute

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Reading has a public transit of 3.9% compared to 0.8% in East Chicago. East Chicago has a bicycle of 0.6% compared to 0.1% in Reading. Reading has a work from home of 5.0% compared to 3.9% in East Chicago.

Mean Commute Time

ReadingN/A
East ChicagoN/A

Drive Alone

Reading63.7%
East Chicago75.7%

Public Transit

Reading3.9%
East Chicago0.8%

Bicycle

Reading0.1%
East Chicago0.6%

Work from Home

Reading5.0%
East Chicago3.9%

Airports

Reading0
East Chicago0

Cities Similar to Reading, PA

Compare Reading against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

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