Jersey City vs Union City
Jersey City, New Jersey versus Union City, New Jersey: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Jersey City and Union City score about the same overall (43 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Jersey City | Union City |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $91k | $60k |
| Cost of Living | $68k | $94k |
| Home Value | $500k | $448k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.61% | 2.23% |
| Income Tax | 10.70% | 10.70% |
| Sales Tax | 6.60% | 6.60% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.72% | 29.56% |
| Unemployment | 5.8% | 7.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 33°F | 34°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 78°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 50.4 in | 49.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 28.2 in | 29.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 170 days | 233 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 82 days | 83 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 35.7 | 34.4 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | 45 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 776/100k | 747/100k |
| Property Crime | 1601/100k | 2141/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 287,899 | 67,258 |
| Median Age | 34.6 | 36.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.77 | 0.72 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.03 | 0.95 |
| Political Leaning | D+47 | D+75 |
| White (%) | 23.0% | 11.6% |
| Black (%) | 19.9% | 2.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 27.2% | 81.3% |
| Asian (%) | 25.4% | 2.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.5% | 1.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 37 min | 33 min |
| Walkability | 15.6/20 | 15.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 6 mi | 8 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 90.8% | 84.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 179.54 | 1065.75 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Jersey City or Union City more affordable?
- Jersey City has the lower cost of living: its index is $68k, compared with Jersey City's $68k and Union City's $94k. Median rent is $2k in Jersey City versus $1k in Union City.
- Is Jersey City or Union City safer?
- Union City has the lower violent crime rate. Jersey City reports 776/100k and Union City reports 747/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Jersey City or Union City?
- The median home value is $500k in Jersey City and $448k in Union City, so homes are more affordable in Union City.