In Reading, a typical home is worth $211,300 and typical rent is $940 a month. Compared with all of Hamilton County, typical household income is 15% lower and the typical home value is 13% lower.
Typical home value from Zillow, September 2021 to September 2026: from $176,014 to $229,007.
Typical rent
$1,045a month
▲ 1.9% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent from Zillow, March 2023 to September 2026: from $946 to $1,045.
From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).
Reading is in Hamilton County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Hamilton County. See the county
What homes there are in Reading, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).
What homes there are
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Kind of home
Detached houseAttached houseBuilding of 2 to 4Apartments (5 or more)Mobile homeBoat, RV and otherUnreliable estimate
Reading
Hamilton County
Ohio
United States
Kind of home: Reading and its comparisons
Measure
Reading
Hamilton County
Ohio
United States
Detached house
69%
58%
69%
61%
Attached house
Unreliable estimate
5%
5%
6%
Building of 2 to 4
10%
13%
8%
8%
Apartments (5 or more)
21%
24%
15%
19%
Mobile home
Unreliable estimate
1%
3%
6%
Boat, RV and other
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
0%
0%
Detached houses, standing on their own, make up 69% of homes here, against 58% in Hamilton County.
Year built
Before 19601960–19791980–19992000–20092010 or laterUnreliable estimate
Reading
Hamilton County
Ohio
United States
Year built: Reading and its comparisons
Measure
Reading
Hamilton County
Ohio
United States
Before 1960
61%
46%
38%
26%
1960–1979
23%
27%
26%
24%
1980–1999
14%
16%
20%
25%
2000–2009
Unreliable estimate
6%
10%
14%
2010 or later
Unreliable estimate
5%
7%
11%
The typical home in Reading was built in 1956, 7 years before the typical one in Hamilton County.
What it costs here
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Value of owner-occupied homes
Under the limitOver the limitUnreliable estimate
Under $100K8%
$100K–$200K35%
$200K–$300K46%
$300K–$500K10%
$500K–$750KUnreliable
FHA limit: $541,287
$750K–$1MUnreliable
$1M or moreUnreliable
Value of owner-occupied homes: Reading and its comparisons
Measure
Reading
Under $100K
8%
$100K–$200K
35%
$200K–$300K
46%
$300K–$500K
10%
$500K–$750K
Unreliable estimate
$750K–$1M
Unreliable
$1M or more
Unreliable
The FHA limit for Hamilton County is high ($541,287): at least 99% of owner-occupied homes in Reading are worth less than $500,000.
Monthly rent with utilities
Unreliable estimate
Under $500Unreliable
$500–$99953%
$1,000–$1,49934%
$1,500–$1,999Unreliable
$2,000–$2,499Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999Unreliable
$3,000 or moreUnreliable
Monthly rent with utilities: Reading and its comparisons
Measure
Reading
Under $500
Unreliable estimate
$500–$999
53%
$1,000–$1,499
34%
$1,500–$1,999
Unreliable estimate
$2,000–$2,499
Unreliable estimate
$2,500–$2,999
Unreliable
$3,000 or more
Unreliable
With a mortgage
$1,372 a month
Hamilton County: $1,673 a month
Without a mortgage
$568 a month
Hamilton County: $707 a month
Owners with a mortgage
62%
Hamilton County: 66%
Owning costs less in Reading: with a mortgage, the typical cost is $1,372 a month; in Hamilton County, $1,673. Without one, $568.
How it changed
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Change since 2015–2019
Typical home value
Reading+63%
Hamilton County+56%
Ohio+47%
United States+53%
Typical rent
Reading+30%
Hamilton County+33%
Ohio+28%
United States+33%
Typical household income
ReadingNo clear change
Hamilton County+27%
Ohio+26%
United States+29%
Change since 2015–2019: Reading and its comparisons
Measure
Reading
Hamilton County
Ohio
United States
Typical home value
+63%
+56%
+47%
+53%
Typical rent
+30%
+33%
+28%
+33%
Typical household income
No clear change
+27%
+26%
+29%
The typical home value in Reading rose 63% since 2015–2019, more than in Hamilton County (56%).
Rents in Reading rose more slowly than in Hamilton County: 30% since 2015–2019, against 33%.
How people live
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
How people live: Reading and its comparisons
Measure
Reading
Hamilton County
Ohio
United States
Rental vacancy
Unreliable estimate
4.4%
4.4%
5.5%
Homeowner vacancy
Unreliable estimate
0.6%
0.8%
0.9%
More than one person per room
Unreliable estimate
1.9%
1.5%
3.4%
People per household
2.02
2.29
2.37
2.53
Drive alone
70%
71%
75%
69%
Carpool
Unreliable estimate
7%
8%
9%
Public transit
Unreliable estimate
3%
1%
3%
Walk or bike
Unreliable estimate
3%
2%
3%
Work from home
20%
15%
13%
15%
Other means
Unreliable estimate
2%
1%
2%
Typical commute
Unreliable estimate
20 to 29 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
Fewer people live in each home here: 2.02 on average, against 2.29 in Hamilton County.
In Reading, 20% of workers work from home, more than in Hamilton County (15%).
Do the math
What would you pay each month for a home in Reading?
A typical home is tight for the typical income
We start with a typical home in Reading, worth $211,300, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 35% of the typical household income in Reading, which is $61,866 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $77,673 a year.
The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Hamilton County.
Change the price, the down payment or the loan: the payment updates right away.
Your numbers
Local data
$
Starts at the typical home value in Reading. Change it to the price you have in mind.
Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.
Down payment
%
That is $7,396 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.
This week's average ± a quarter or half point.
National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.
Adjust advanced details⌄
Estimated monthly payment
Local data
$1,812
at 7.18% · 30 years
Loan amount
$207,472
Total interest
$298,504
Paid off in
November 2056
Includes $3,568 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.
Does it fit the income?
Comfortable
up to $1,444 a month
Tight
$1,444 to $1,856 a month
Your payment · 35%
Hard
more than $1,856 a month
Compared with the typical household income in Reading ($61,866 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.
Monthly payment breakdown
Principal & interest
$1,405
Property tax
$225
Home insurance
$88
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)
$93
You need at least $7,396 for the down payment, plus closing costs.
This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.
Total monthly payment $1,812; principal and interest $1,405.
The city and its county
Reading and Hamilton County
Reading is in Hamilton County, Ohio. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).
Reading
Map of Hamilton County, Ohio, with Reading marked. Around it, the neighboring counties.
Reading
Hamilton County
Other cities with a page
Reading's own numbers
Typical home value
$211,300
Typical monthly rent
$940
Typical yearly household income
$61,866
Households that own their home
59%
Effective property tax rate
1.28%
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).
Numbers for all of Hamilton County
FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,442
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+54%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
1%
HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.
Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Hamilton County.
A typical home in Reading is worth $211,300: 13% below the county and about the same as Ohio. With the typical household income in Reading ($61,866 a year), a typical home costs 3.4 times what the household earns in a year.
Years of income to pay for a typical home
The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.
Reading3.4 years
Hamilton3.3 years
Ohio3.0 years
United States4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024
How prices have changed in Hamilton County
According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Hamilton County rose 99% in the 10 years through 2025.
FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Hamilton County.
Yearly change in FHFA’s price index in Hamilton County, 2016 to 2025
2016: +4.3% +4.3% 2016
2017: +5.2% +5.2% 2017
2018: +6.6% +6.6% 2018
2019: +4.8% +4.8% 2019
2020: +4.9% +4.9% 2020
2021: +11.0% +11.0% 2021
2022: +14.8% +14.8% 2022
2023: +9.8% +9.8% 2023
2024: +6.2% +6.2% 2024
2025: +4.0% +4.0% 2025
Change in FHFA’s price index in Hamilton County, Ohio and the United States
Period
County
Ohio
U.S.
Last year (2025)
+4.0%
+4.8%
+2.9%
5 years (2020–2025)
+54%
+53%
+47%
10 years (2015–2025)
+99%
+93%
+85%
The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data
Reading next to Hamilton County, Ohio and the U.S.
Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.
Typical home value
Reading$211,300
Hamilton$241,900
Ohio$214,800
United States$332,700
Typical monthly rent
Reading$940
Hamilton$1,075
Ohio$1,034
United States$1,413
Typical yearly household income
Reading$61,866
Hamilton$72,470
Ohio$71,389
United States$80,734
See the full table
Reading next to Hamilton County and Ohio
Measure
Reading
Hamilton County
Ohio
U.S.
Typical home value
$211,300 ▼13% below the county
$241,900
$214,800
$332,700
Typical monthly rent
$940 ▼13% below the county
$1,075
$1,034
$1,413
Typical yearly household income
$61,866 ▼15% below the county
$72,470
$71,389
$80,734
Households that own their home
59% ▼1 points below the county
59%
67%
65%
Typical yearly property tax
$2,701 ▼26% below the county
$3,652
$2,822
$3,119
Effective property tax rate
1.28% ▼0.23 points below the county
1.51%
1.31%
0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income
46% ▼3 points below the county
49%
46%
51%
“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Hamilton County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Reading
For a typical $211,300 home in Reading, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Reading's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.
FHA, 3.5% down$1,812a month
Least cash to close
Down payment
$7,396
Cash to close
$13,735
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
FHA MIP · $93
Conventional, 5% down$1,774a month
Down payment
$10,565
Cash to close
$16,904
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
PMI · $100
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI$1,459a month
Down payment
$42,260
Cash to close
$48,599
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
ITIN, 15% down (example)$1,654a month
Down payment
$31,695
Cash to close
$38,034
Rate
8.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Reading
Loan
Monthly payment
Down payment
Loan amount
Rate
Mortgage insurance
Cash to close
Minimum score
FHA, 3.5% down Least cash to close
$1,812
$7,396
$207,473
7.18%
FHA MIP · $93
$13,735
580
Conventional, 5% down
$1,774
$10,565
$200,735
7.18%
PMI · $100
$16,904
620*
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI
$1,459
$42,260
$169,040
7.18%
None
$48,599
620*
ITIN, 15% down (example)
$1,654
$31,695
$179,605
8.18%
None
$38,034
Set by the lender
The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.
Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.
Typical rent in Reading is $940 a month: 13% below the county. In Reading, 46% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Hamilton County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,442 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $27.73 an hour working full time.
What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.
HUD fair market rent in Hamilton County (Fiscal year 2027)
Size
Fair rent a month
Hourly wage
Yearly income
Studio
$1,052
$20.23
$42,080
1 bedroom
$1,128
$21.69
$45,120
2 bedrooms
$1,442
$27.73
$57,680
3 bedrooms
$1,897
$36.48
$75,880
4 bedrooms
$2,141
$41.17
$85,640
Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027
By ZIP code
Fair market rent by ZIP code in Reading
HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Reading is in ZIP code 45215.
For 2 bedrooms it is $1,370: $72 less than the fair market rent for Hamilton County ($1,442).
Fair market rent by ZIP code and size in Reading, fiscal year 2027.
ZIP code
Studio
1 bd
2 bd
3 bd
4 bd
45215
$1,000
$1,070
$1,370
$1,800
$2,030
ZIP code2 bd3 bd
45215 $1,370$1,800
1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Reading when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD)Fiscal year 2027Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (external site)Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship fileData from 2020 dataCensus Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (external site)
You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.
There are 2 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Hamilton County; none says it serves in Spanish.
No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Reading or Hamilton County. The ones below are statewide in Ohio: they work in Reading the same as in the rest of the state.
Ohio state agency help of 2.5% or 5% of the price for the down payment, closing costs or other costs before closing, forgiven after seven years; if you sell sooner, you repay all of it.Offered by Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA).
Ohio state agency certificate that turns part of your mortgage interest into a credit on your federal tax return, up to $2,000 a year: 40% with an OHFA mortgage (MTC Plus) or 15% to 20% with another mortgage (MTC Basic).Offered by Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA).
No legal help resource on our list is for Reading or Hamilton County in particular.
If you have a problem with your landlord, an eviction notice or a scam, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) search shows the free legal aid offices that serve your area.
Short answers with the numbers for Reading and all of Hamilton County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.
How much does a typical home cost in Reading?
The typical home value in Reading is $211,300, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Hamilton County it is $241,900.
How much does it cost to rent in Reading?
Typical rent in Reading is $940 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Hamilton County is $1,442.
What is the FHA loan limit in Reading?
Reading uses the FHA limit for all of Hamilton County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.
How much property tax do owners pay in Reading?
The typical homeowner in Reading pays $2,701 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.28% of the home’s value; in Hamilton County, the rate is 1.51%.
Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Reading?
There are 2 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Hamilton County. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.
