Is Union City, NJ a Good Place to Live?
Union City is a mid-sized city of 67,258 in New Jersey, with a median household income of $59,967 and a 7.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: Union City stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Union City is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Union City city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 112.5Union City's overall cost of living index is 112.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Union City costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Union City, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $448,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,415 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 19.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $59,967 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageUnion City's violent crime rate is 334.8 per 100,000 residents — 12% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Union City is served primarily by Union City School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.1:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Union City, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Union City School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 10 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 15.1:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 25.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 76.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Union City sees average highs of 39.5°F in January and 84.9°F in July, with 49.5 inches of annual precipitation and 29.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Union City, NJ |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 39.5°F |
| Average High — July | 84.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 29.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Union City, NJ | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 67,258 | — |
| Median Age | 36.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 7.8% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 33.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 36.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 6.1% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 50.4% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 3.1% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 22.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 12.1% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Union City
Union City, NJ is covered by 1 ZIP code: