City comparison
New York, NY is about 10 miles (10 km) from Union City, NJ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 11 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 New York, NY to Union City, NJ takes about 1 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.
New York has a population of 8,622,467, vs 67,258 in Union City — about 128.2× larger by population. By land area, New York covers about 300 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 | New York | Union City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,714/mo | $1,415/mo | 21.1% higher in New York |
| Median home value | $732,100 | $448,000 | 63.4% higher in New York |
| Median household income | $76,607 | $59,967 | 27.7% higher in New York |
| Groceries index | 109.6 | 109.4 | ≈ equal (New York slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 128.8 | 124.5 | 3.5% higher in New York |
| Transportation index | 105.4 | 105.0 | ≈ equal (New York slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 105.3 | 105.7 | ≈ equal (Union City slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in New York, you'd need $98,905 in Union City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Union City, NJ is about 1.1% cheaper overall than New York, NY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 1% higher in New York than in Union City. If you earn $80,000 in New York, you'd need about $79,124 in Union City to keep the same standard of living.