Reading, PA vs Waltham, MA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Reading

74.9

#536 nationally

Waltham

66.7

#1517 nationally

Waltham leads in median household income ($113,443 vs $42,852). Reading leads in cost of living index (88 vs 164). Waltham leads in crime level (6.9 vs 9.2).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Reading, PA	Waltham, MA
WhereAtHome Score	74.9 (#536)	66.7 (#1517)
Population	94,903	64,477
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$268,328	$831,292
Median Household Income	$42,852	$113,443
Average Commute	24.3 min	24.6 min
Walk Score	72	57
Crime Level	9.2	6.9
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	88	164
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	R+12.2	D+39.5