Reading, PA Metro Area Immigration

Population

The Reading Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) population 1/ increased from 296,382 in 1970 to 411,442 in 2010. That was an increase of 38.8 percent.

The foreign-born (FB) population increased from 7,899 in 1970 to 29,243 in 2010. That was an increase of 270.2 percent. The foreign-born share changed from 2.7 percent to 7.1 percent.

The share of the overall population that was native-born (NB) increased by 32.5 percent.

	Reading MSA: Population  1970-2010

Sources of Population Change

The primary sources of population change are:

Natural Change [Births minus Deaths or B-D];
Net Domestic Migration [NDM - movement between states]; and
Net International Migration [NIM - movement into and out of the country].
There is also a residual "other" amount that isn't placed in one of those three categories.

The first chart below shows the three population change factors for three periods adjusted for annual average amounts. Natural change (B-D) was the primary factor in population increase in the first and most recent periods, and NDM was largest in the second period.

The second chart shows the same data but with an adjustment to reflect births to immigrants shifted to NIM. In it, the factor adding the most population was NDM in the first two periods and was NIM in the most recent period.

	Reading MSA: Sources of Population Change 1990-2014 		Reading MSA: Sources of Population Change (Adjusted) 1990-2014

		B-D	 NDM	 NIM						 B-D	 NDM	  NIM	
	90-'99	47.0%	36.4%	16.6%					90-'99	 35.9%	36.4%	27.6%
	00-'09	35.7%	44.1%	20.2%					00-'09	 22.9%	44.1%	33.0%
	10-'14	50.1%	 neg.	49.9%					10-'14	 27.3%	 neg.	72.7%

1/ Berks County.

Links:

MSA Factsheets by state, and alphabetically.

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