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Compare towns

Middletown vs Reading

85 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (5.8× in Reading) and growth since 2010 (+9.5 pts in Reading).

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Middletown, MIA small town of 799Michigan · 799 people
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Reading, MIHomes around $180KMichigan · 947 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

MiddletownA small town of 799
Quiet strengthsMiddletown doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Middletown →
ReadingHomes around $180K
Housing$180K typical home33% below the MI typical home All about Reading →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Jobs per worker5.8×
Reading is more of a job hub
Reading 0.64Middletown 0.11
Growth since 2010+9.5 pts
Reading has grown faster since 2010
Reading +1.5%Middletown -8%
Typical home built22 yrs
Reading’s homes are older
Middletown 1960Reading 1938
Street grid+73%
Middletown has the more walkable street grid
Middletown 75.7Reading 43.7
Property tax bill+23%
Tax bills are bigger in Reading
Reading $1,189Middletown $967
Average commute6 min
Reading has the shorter commute
Middletown 27 minReading 21 min
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $550 more a month in Reading

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Middletown$560/mo
Typical home $91K (Census) · tax rate 1.07% · or rent about $869/mo · Housing →
Reading$1,110/mo
Typical home $180K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.10% · or rent about $835/mo · Housing →

The difference: $550 a month, about $6,600 a year, between Reading and Middletown.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Michigan ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
–MiddletownNot graded B−ReadingBetter than 47% of districts in the state
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
MiddletownReading
Snow a year38″44″
January low16°F15°F
July high82°F83°F
Growing season (days)164d161d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)36th28th
Outdoors & history
MiddletownReading
Trails—0 mi
Conserved land—1.4%
Community
MiddletownReading
Library hours a week—41 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

85 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MiddletownMIReadingMI
Middletown ↔ Reading85 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

MiddletownReading
People
Population 799Lowest 947Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -8%Lowest MI: +2% +1.5%Highest MI: +2%
Median age 43±6.6Lowest 7% above MI 43.8±5.6Highest 9% above MI
Reading and Middletown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 24.7%±10.1Highest MI: 21.2% 19.9%±5.7Lowest MI: 21.2%
Middletown and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 13.1%±7.1Lowest MI: 18.6% 15.6%±3.9Highest MI: 18.6%
Reading and Middletown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 6.9%Lowest MI: 32.4% 12%Highest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.6%±2Lowest MI: 6.1% 3.6%±2Highest MI: 6.1%
Reading and Middletown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $46,250±$20kLowest 37% below MI $49,342±$15kHighest 32% below MI
Reading and Middletown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $90,700±$8kLowest 61% below MI $107,800±$24kHighest 53% below MI
Reading and Middletown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $869±$241Highest 23% below MI $835±$160Lowest 26% below MI
Middletown and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $967Lowest 67% below MI $1,189Highest 59% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 77.1%±38.3Highest MI: 50.4% 31.1%±14Lowest MI: 50.4%
Middletown and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 34.8%Highest MI: 13.2% 24.6%Lowest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 59.1%Highest MI: 73.2% 58.3%Lowest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1960Highest 12 yrs older than MI 1938Lowest 34 yrs older than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minHighest 11% above MI 21 minLowest 12% below MI
Work from home 0%±3.8Lowest MI: 13.5% 2.7%±2.4Highest MI: 13.5%
Reading and Middletown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0.6%Lowest 2.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 25.8 miHighest 15.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.11Lowest 0.64Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Owosso (9%)Hillsdale (14%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ReadingFew work in Middletown
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 1.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 75.7Highest 43.7Lowest
Schools
School district —Reading Community Schools
High school in town —Reading High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 16.2
Michigan average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Middletown neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Middletown’s Town Square.

Reading neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Reading’s Town Square.

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Bordering Middletown

+ Compare
Corunna3,037 people · $151K homes

Towns like Middletown

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Stanton1,285 people · $115K homes
C
+ Compare
Coleman1,206 people · $104K homes
E
+ Compare
Elkton750 people · $92K homes
H
+ Compare
Hillman812 people · $87K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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