Southwest Reading

Reading, PA

Background Image

Southwest Reading - Reading, PA Area Guide

Southwest Reading, halfway between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, provides easy access to major transportation routes. Rental homes and apartments are plentiful. The friendly neighbors meet at City Park for summer concerts, or at the weekly farmers' market, as well as a night market held in conjunction with First Friday art strolls. The area abounds with covered bridges and hex-signed barns, so locals love to gather and tour these historic buildings. Converted factories in Reading introduced outlet mall shopping to the country in the 1970s, and shopping options remain convenient. Six miles northwest of the neighborhood, outdoor enthusiasts find fishing, boating, horseback riding, hiking, and boating opportunities at Blue Marsh Lake. Sports fans gather at Brewer's Bar and Grill, and for a great cup of joe and a donut before beginning Saturday's errands, locals meet up at Benchwarmers Coffee Co.

Rent Trends

As of April 2026, the average apartment rent in Southwest Reading is $931 for a studio, $1,098 for one bedroom, $1,435 for two bedrooms, and $2,142 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Southwest Reading has increased by 0.9% in the past year.

  • Studio

  • 480 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $931/month

    Average Rent

  • 1 BR

  • 650 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $1,098/month

    Average Rent

  • 2 BR

  • 836 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $1,435/month

    Average Rent

  • 3 BR

  • 1,111 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $2,142/month

    Average Rent

Getting Around

Moderately Walkable

Walkability

60 / 100

Limited Public Transit

Transit

30 / 100

Exceptionally Drivable

Drivability

100 / 100

Fairly Bikeable

Bikeability

40 / 100

Daily Essentials

Supermarket Within a 15 Minute Walk

Groceries

60 / 100

Good Restaurant Variety Nearby

Restaurants

60 / 100

Fair Café Variety Nearby

Cafes

40 / 100

Fair Variety of Shops Nearby

Shopping

50 / 100

Local Vibe

Vibrant Atmosphere at Times

Vibrancy

40 / 100

Fair Nightlife Variety Nearby

Nightlife

40 / 100

Very Noisy

Quiet Score

20 / 100

Points of Interest

Parks and Recreation

  • Naeg Planetarium
  • Reading Public Museum
  • Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center

Airports

  • Lehigh Valley International

Top Apartments in Southwest Reading

Houses for Rent in Southwest Reading

Property Management Companies

Search Nearby Rentals

Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in February 2026.

Demographic information comes from Neustar and combines detailed address data with U.S. Census and American Community Survey statistics to produce reliable local estimates.