2025 Compare Cities Economy:
Ames, IA vs Reading, PA

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Highlights
- Household income in Reading, is 29% less than it is in Ames and is 78% below the National Average.
- Ames unemployment rate is 2.7%.
- Reading unemployment rate is 14.8%.
 Ames, IAReading, PAUnited States
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock14.8%6.0%
 Recent Job Growth  Unlock0.6%1.6%
 Future Job Growth34.0%  Unlock33.5%
 Sales Taxes7.0%  Unlock6.2%
 Income Taxes  Unlock6.5%4.6%
 Income per Cap.$29,347  Unlock$37,638
 Household Income  Unlock$38,738$69,021
 Family Median Income$96,791  Unlock$85,028
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 Est. Households By Income
 Ames, IAReading, PAUnited States
 Income Less Than 15K  Unlock20.6%9.4%
 Income between 15K and 20K5.6%  Unlock3.8%
 Income between 20K and 30K  Unlock14.3%8.1%
 Income between 30K and 40K7.8%  Unlock8.0%
 Income between 40K and 50K  Unlock8.6%7.6%
 Income between 50K and 60K8.0%  Unlock7.2%
 Income between 60K and 75K  Unlock8.8%9.6%
 Income between 75K and 100K10.1%  Unlock12.8%
 Income between 100K and 150K  Unlock8.3%16.3%
 Income between 150K and 200K5.3%  Unlock7.8%
 Income greater than 200K  Unlock1.3%9.5%
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 Population By Occupation
 Ames, IAReading, PAUnited States
 Management, business, finance11.4%  Unlock16.4%
 Engineering, computers, science  Unlock1.7%6.5%
 Community, social services1.3%  Unlock1.8%
 Legal  Unlock0.2%1.2%
 Education, library16.4%  Unlock6.2%
 Arts, design, media, sports, entertainment  Unlock1.2%2.0%
 Healthcare practitioners and technology4.1%  Unlock6.2%
 Healthcare support  Unlock6.9%3.3%
 Firefighters, law enforcement1.2%  Unlock2.1%
 Food preparation, serving  Unlock6.7%5.4%
 Building maintenance3.0%  Unlock3.6%
 Personal care  Unlock2.7%2.6%
 Sales, office, administrative support17.7%  Unlock20.9%
 Farming, fishing, forestry  Unlock2.9%0.6%
 Construction, extraction, maintenance/repair4.3%  Unlock8.1%
 Production, transportation, material moving  Unlock31.2%13.1%
Reviews for Ames    12 Reviews

Over 13 years ago

Hello, I am in San Jose Ca, but am seriously thinking of moving somewhere much slower for a better quality of living. I've just turned 59, so I'm kinda preparing for  More

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Over 13 years ago

Like every other city Ames has both good and bad points. The good points are: low cost of living, very friendly people, lots of outdoor activities and quite a few events  More

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Ames enjoys a high quality of life at a very affordable cost, substantially lower than many other communities. The presence of Iowa State University, a large (28,000  More

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Reviews for Reading    15 Reviews

Over 10 years ago

Having lived in Reading in the 1960's and early 1970's I can definitely say the city has gone downhill as it has in reality been a victim of two major forces; first  More

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Over 11 years ago

Berks County is beautiful in the fall. Cool, crisp air and the trees are a pallet of  More

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Over 12 years ago

Well to start, in the past 8 years ive lived in 7 states, some pros and cons. Tucson I loved in all respects except its not as nice as living in a small town but it  More

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