Reading, Michigan Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Reading, Michigan
City
City of Reading
Downtown looking north along M-49
Location within Hillsdale County
Reading, Michigan Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan Reading, Michigan Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Hillsdale
Settled	1835
Platted	1852
Incorporated	1873 (village) 1934 (city)
Government
• Type	Council–manager
Area
• Total	1.01 sq mi (2.62 km²)
• Land	1.01 sq mi (2.62 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Elevation	1,191 ft (363 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	1,094
• Density	1,081.03/sq mi (417.31/km²)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	49274
Area code(s)	517
FIPS code	26-67500
GNIS feature ID	0635690

Reading (/ˈrɛdɪŋ/ RED-ing) is a city in Hillsdale County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,095 at the 2020 census.

Located along M-49, the city is surrounded by Reading Township, but the two are administered autonomously.

History
Geography
- Major highways
Demographics
- 2010 census
Education
Notable people
Images for kids
See also

History

Reading was settled in 1835 by a group of township locals and was originally named Basswood Corners after clumps of basswood trees located at the main intersection. It was given a post office named Reading on December 14, 1840 and was named after the township, which itself was named after Reading, Pennsylvania. The community was platted in 1852 and centered around a new sawmill. Reading received a railway station in 1869. It incorporated as a village in 1873 and as a city in 1934.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.01 square miles (2.62 km²), all land.

Major highways

M-49 (Main Street) runs south–north through the center of the city.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	871	—
1900	1,096	—
1910	1,102	0.5%
1920	1,036	−6.0%
1930	954	−7.9%
1940	1,059	11.0%
1950	1,125	6.2%
1960	1,128	0.3%
1970	1,125	−0.3%
1980	1,203	6.9%
1990	1,127	−6.3%
2000	1,134	0.6%
2010	1,078	−4.9%
2020	1,094	1.5%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,078 people, 392 households, and 281 families living in the city. The population density was 1,067.3 inhabitants per square mile (412.1/km²). There were 435 housing units at an average density of 430.7 per square mile (166.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.9% White, 0.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.

There were 392 households, of which 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.3% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.21.

The median age in the city was 33.3 years. 32.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.7% were from 25 to 44; 22% were from 45 to 64; and 11.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.9% male and 50.1% female.

Education

The city is served entirely by its own school district, Reading Community Schools, which also serves portions of several adjacent townships.

Notable people

Sile Doty, career criminal, died in Reading
Charlotte E. Gray (1873–1926), author
Keith Lincoln, professional football player in the National Football League, born in Reading
Benjamin H. Southworth, collegiate football player, physician, and surgeon, born in Reading