Reading receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Reading
Fairfield
Opportunity
66 · Top 29%
vs75 · Top 13%
Growth
27 · Bottom 14%
vs21 · Bottom 9%
Climate
69 · Bottom 46%
vs64 · Bottom 32%
Physical resilience
89 · Top 12%
vs77 · Top 28%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 20%
vs97 · Top 14%
Access
94 · Top 41%
vs93 · Top 47%
Economic stability
66 · Top 39%
vs67 · Top 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Reading | Fairfield | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,502 | 44,828 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,866 | $77,937 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,432 | $40,668 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,635/sq mi | 2,152/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $211,300 | $234,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $940 | $1,242 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.5% | 63.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.8% | 0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.5% | 30.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.0% | 8.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1 | 1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -66.7% | -96.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 24°F | 22°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.4" | 41.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 17 mi | 21 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.7 min | 24.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.3 | 38.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Reading
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Fairfield
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Full profiles: Reading, OH · Fairfield, OH · How this is calculated: methodology