NAICS 62

Healthcare and Social Assistance in Reading, PA

Metro Market Score 58.1 (Challenging), ranked #198 of 248 metros. 1,122 establishments, 29,387 jobs.

Metro Market Score 58.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national healthcare and social assistance average.

Reading scores 58.1 on the Metro Market Score for healthcare and social assistance, placing it in the bottom quartile. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

67.3

LQ: 1.18

Rank #167 of 248 metros

Wage Competitiveness

74.6

$67,565 avg wage

Growth Trend

46.4

Employment growth index

Rank #134 of 248 metros

Wage Pressure

32.9

YoY wage change index

1,122 Healthcare and Social Assistance Firms in Reading

1,122

Establishments

-4.2% YoY

29,387

Total Employment

+3.2% YoY

$67,565

Average Annual Wage

+1.4% YoY

1.18

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#13 of 16

healthcare and social assistance metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#6 of 51

for healthcare and social assistance entry risk

vs State Median

+4.6

worse than median (53.5)

Reading vs Pennsylvania Statewide

How this metro's healthcare and social assistance market compares to Pennsylvania overall. The state ranks #6/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Reading	PA Statewide
Overall Score	58.1 Challenging	29.5 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#198 of 248 metros	#6 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Healthcare and Social Assistance in Other Pennsylvania Metros

Chambersburg 35.9 #48/248 Lebanon 43.5 #87/248 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre 45.7 #103/248 Pittsburgh 47.2 #115/248 Altoona 49.9 #133/248 Lancaster 50.7 #139/248 Gettysburg 52.5 #153/248 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 53.2 #158/248 Harrisburg-Carlisle 53.5 #159/248 State College 54.1 #167/248

+ 5 more metros. View all in Pennsylvania →

Healthcare and Social Assistance Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Reading's 58.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Port St. Lucie, FL 58.2 #199/248 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 58.5 #200/248 Punta Gorda, FL 57.8 #197/248 Coeur d'Alene, ID 57.6 #196/248 Binghamton, NY 58.7 #201/248 Carson City, NV 57.5 #195/248 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY 57.5 #194/248 St. Cloud, MN 57.2 #193/248 Mobile, AL 57.1 #192/248 Owensboro, KY 59.2 #202/248

Healthcare and Social Assistance in States Bordering Pennsylvania

State-level entry risk for healthcare and social assistance in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Maryland 36.8 #21/51 Ohio 40.2 #26/51 West Virginia 40.3 #27/51 Delaware 44.8 #33/51 New Jersey 45.1 #34/51 New York 48.2 #39/51

Browse Healthcare and Social Assistance in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for healthcare and social assistance across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Reading's healthcare and social assistance sector, the wage competitiveness component (74.6) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Reading, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment