City comparison
Mount Vernon, NY is about 10 miles (20 km) from Union City, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 18 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Mount Vernon, NY to Union City, NJ takes about 2 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Mount Vernon has a population of 72,817, vs 67,258 in Union City — about the same size. By land area, Mount Vernon covers about 4.4 sq mi vs 1.3 sq mi for Union City.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Mount Vernon | Union City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,461/mo | $1,415/mo | 3.3% higher in Mount Vernon |
| Median home value | $446,400 | $448,000 | 0.4% higher in Union City |
| Median household income | $75,511 | $59,967 | 25.9% higher in Mount Vernon |
| Groceries index | 109.4 | 109.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 124.5 | 124.5 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 105.0 | 105.0 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 105.7 | 105.7 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Mount Vernon, you'd need $99,888 in Union City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Mount Vernon and Union City have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Mount Vernon, you'd need about $79,910 in Union City to keep the same standard of living.