# Reading Central

The north west of the South East. About 122,660 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 26 square kilometres.

Matt Rodda has been the Labour MP for Reading Central since July 2024. They won by 12,637 votes on a 61.5% turnout.

Constituency. Code E14001438. In: [South East](https://openindex.co.uk/south-east)

## MP and the 2024 result

Matt Rodda has been the Labour MP for Reading Central since July 2024.
They won by 12,637 votes on a 61.5% turnout.

MP: [Matt Rodda](https://members.parliament.uk/member/4654) (Labour).

### General election, 4 July 2024: Reading Central

| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Matt Rodda (elected) | Labour | 21,598 | 47.7% |
| Raj Singh | Conservative | 8,961 | 19.8% |
| Dave McElroy | Green Party | 6,417 | 14.2% |
| Henry Wright | Liberal Democrat | 3,963 | 8.8% |
| Andrew Williams | Reform UK | 3,904 | 8.6% |
| Michael Turberville | Independent | 227 | 0.5% |
| Adam Gillman | Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition | 221 | 0.5% |

Electorate 73,600. Turnout 61.5%. Majority 12,637 (27.9%). Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0. Source: House of Commons Library, UK Parliament election results. https://electionresults.parliament.uk/elections/3718

MP as of 18 October 2026. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0. Source: UK Parliament, Members API.

## Key figures

- **Majority, 2024 general election: 27.9%** (July 2024). The winner in Reading Central had a majority of 27.9% of valid votes at the general election on 4 July 2024 (House of Commons Library). Joint 112th largest majority of 650. Source: UK Parliament election results, July 2024. Published 4 July 2024. https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/reading-central#f-ge2024-majority
- **Turnout, 2024 general election: 61.5%** (July 2024). Turnout in Reading Central at the general election on 4 July 2024 was 61.5% (House of Commons Library). Joint 275th highest turnout of 650. Source: UK Parliament election results, July 2024. Published 4 July 2024. https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/reading-central#f-ge2024-turnout
- **Population: 116,334** (2021). Reading Central had 116,334 usual residents at the census (ONS Census 2021). 79th most populated of 650. Source: Census 2021, England and Wales and Scotland's Census 2022 and Census 2021, Northern Ireland, 2021. Published 21 July 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/reading-central#f-population
- **People in radon Affected Area squares: 80%** (2022). About 80% of people in Reading Central live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. UK 44%. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UKHSA and BGS radon atlas and census output areas. Published 1 December 2022. https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/reading-central#f-radon-affected-share

## On the map

- [Radon Affected Area by constituency](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=E14001438) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 80% of people in Reading Central live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
- [Average house price by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/house-prices?place=E14001438) (UK House Price Index · July 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Reading, where most of this constituency lies. The outline is Reading Central.
- [Crime and ASB by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/recorded-crime?place=E14001438) (Police recorded crime and outcomes (data.police.uk) · August 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Reading, where most of this constituency lies. The outline is Reading Central.
- [Population by constituency](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=E14001438) (Census 2021, England and Wales): Reading Central had 116,334 usual residents at the census.

## How Reading Central compares

Each constituency against every other constituency the measure covers.

| Measure | Reading Central | Rank | Compared with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Majority, 2024 general election | 27.9% | joint 112th largest majority | 650 constituencies, UK · Jul 2024 |
| Turnout, 2024 general election | 61.5% | joint 275th highest turnout | 650 constituencies, UK · Jul 2024 |
| Population | 116,334 | 79th most populated | 650 constituencies, UK · 2021 |
| People in radon Affected Area squares | 80% | joint 160th most people in radon Affected Areas | 650 constituencies, UK · 2022 |

## What is the population of Reading Central?

Reading Central had 116,334 usual residents at the census.
Reading Central is the 79th most populated of 650 in the UK.

## Figures for the whole of Reading

Most of Reading Central lies in Reading. These figures are published for the whole of Reading, not for constituencies, so they describe the council and not Reading Central itself. [See Reading](https://openindex.co.uk/reading)

- **Average house price: £349,550** (July 2026). Reading’s average house price was £349,550 in July 2026 (HM Land Registry). Down 1.2% in a year. Source: UK House Price Index, July 2026. Published 16 September 2026.
- **Median full-time pay: £40,700** (2025). Full-time workers living in Reading earned a median of £40,700 in 2025 (ONS earnings survey). 126th highest paid of 348. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025. Published 23 October 2025.
- **House price to pay: 8.6×** (2025). A home in Reading costs 8.6 times local full-time pay. Joint 101st least affordable of 348. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UK House Price Index and the ONS earnings survey. Published 16 September 2026.
- **Deprivation score: 18.6** (2025). Reading has a deprivation score of 18.6 in the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG). Joint 142nd least deprived of 296. Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2025, 2025. Published 30 October 2025.

## Reading Central in brief

The winner in Reading Central had a majority of 27.9% of valid votes at the general election on 4 July 2024.
Turnout in Reading Central at the general election on 4 July 2024 was 61.5%.
Reading Central had 116,334 usual residents at the census.
About 80% of people in Reading Central live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.

## About

- Type: Constituency
- Code: E14001438
- Council: [Reading †](https://openindex.co.uk/reading)
- Region: [South East](https://openindex.co.uk/south-east)
- Nation: [England](https://openindex.co.uk/england)
- Area: 25.75 km²
- People, mid-2024: 122,660*
- Wards: 11
- Middle areas: 12
- Neighbourhoods: 66
- Output areas: 345

* People: worked out by Open Index from neighbourhood estimates, shared out by where people lived at the census (by area in Northern Ireland). This area's edges do not follow neighbourhood edges, so the figure is close but not exact.
† Best fit: the council this constituency mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow it.

## Next door

[Henley and Thame](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/henley-and-thame), [Earley and Woodley](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/earley-and-woodley), [Reading West and Mid Berkshire](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/reading-west-and-mid-berkshire)

## Similar places

Constituencies with the closest mix of age and density. [Feltham and Heston](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/feltham-and-heston), [Oxford East](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/oxford-east), [Manchester Withington](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/manchester-withington), [Bradford East](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/bradford-east), [Leicester West](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/leicester-west), [Birmingham Perry Barr](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/birmingham-perry-barr).

## Latest updates for Reading Central

- Dental practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026.
- GP practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Department for Education · Oct 2026.

The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/E14001438

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/reading-central, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/reading-central#f-ge2024-majority.

Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it.

Snapshot 2026.10.8, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23508850. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/reading-central