City comparison
San Jose, CA is about 20 miles (40 km) from Union City, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 30 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 San Jose, CA to Union City, CA takes about 3 min, covering roughly 20 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.
San Jose has a population of 1,001,176, vs 69,502 in Union City — about 14.4× larger by population. By land area, San Jose covers about 180 sq mi vs 19 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 | San Jose | Union City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,526/mo | $2,593/mo | 2.7% higher in Union City |
| Median home value | $1,149,600 | $1,006,600 | 14.2% higher in San Jose |
| Median household income | $136,010 | $138,013 | 1.5% higher in Union City |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 108.1 | 2.9% higher in Union City |
| Utilities index | 153.8 | 168.3 | 9.4% higher in Union City |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 106.1 | 5.4% higher in Union City |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 106.0 | 5.4% higher in Union City |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in San Jose, you'd need $98,114 in Union City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Union City, CA is about 1.9% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 8% higher in San Jose than in Union City. If you earn $80,000 in San Jose, you'd need about $78,492 in Union City to keep the same standard of living.