Should I Move To
Roughly 67,258 people live in Union City, New Jersey. Living here costs expensive relative to the rest of the country, 25% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,415/mo; the typical household pulls in $59,967. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 52/100 — a C-, putting it at #425 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.
By the composite index, Union City sits at 125 — expensive when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,415/mo against $59,967 median household income), housing eats roughly 28% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $448,000.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is four-season: roughly 84°F in summer, 28°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 47 inches. Walkability is exceptional — most residents can live without a car if they want to. Air quality reads good (AQI 42).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Union City isn't the strongest match. It earns 46/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Strongest on walkability (97/100); weakest on job market (13/100).
For retirees, Union City is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 60/100 (grade C+) on the retirees profile. Strongest on walkability (97/100); weakest on job market (13/100).
For remote workers, Union City isn't the strongest match. It earns 54/100 (grade C-) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on walkability (97/100); weakest on job market (13/100).
For young professionals, Union City isn't the strongest match. It earns 48/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on walkability (97/100); weakest on job market (13/100).
Union City, New Jersey pulls a 52/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C-), currently ranked #425 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Union City's cost-of-living index is 125 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the expensive band — 25% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,415/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 84°F, winter averages around 28°F, with about 47 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 97/100. Walkability is exceptional — most residents can live without a car if they want to.
Union City has about 67,258 residents, 26% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 37.
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 New Jersey cities scored on UrbRank.
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