Should I Move To
Union City, California comes in at about 69,502 residents. Cost of living comes out very expensive — 50% above the national average. Rent typically lands near $2,593/mo, and the median household income is about $138,013. Overall, 56/100 on our composite score, which works out to a C, putting it at #270 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 150 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's very expensive territory. With median rent at $2,593/mo and median household income at $138,013, housing takes about 23% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $1,006,600.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect mild weather — summers near 72°F, winters around 43°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 19 inches annually. Some neighborhoods are walkable; others aren't. A car is useful, but not required everywhere. Air quality reads good (AQI 47).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Union City is a tougher sell for families. It earns 50/100 (grade C-) on the families profile. Strongest on climate (99/100); weakest on affordability (1/100).
Union City is a tougher sell for retirees. It earns 52/100 (grade C-) on the retirees profile. Strongest on climate (99/100); weakest on affordability (1/100).
Union City is a tougher sell for remote workers. It earns 41/100 (grade D) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on climate (99/100); weakest on affordability (1/100).
On the young professionals profile, Union City sits squarely in the middle. It earns 63/100 (grade C+) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on climate (99/100); weakest on affordability (1/100).
Union City, California pulls a 56/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C), currently ranked #270 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Union City's cost-of-living index is 150 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the very expensive band — 50% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,593/mo.
Mild — summer averages around 72°F, winter averages around 43°F, with about 19 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 65/100. Some neighborhoods are walkable; others aren't. A car is useful, but not required everywhere.
Union City has about 69,502 residents, 45% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 41.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Union City head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Union City stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Union City with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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