Union County, New Jersey
Among the top 8% of US counties for lifestyle & connectivity.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 1% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade F, better than 8% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 26% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 88% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade A, better than 92% of US counties
- top 1% for airport distance
- top 1% for walkability
- bottom 1% for estimated total tax burden
Union County is a county in New Jersey with about 572,000 residents. It grades A for lifestyle & connectivity and F for affordability. Standout strengths include airport distance, walkability, and school quality. It rates lower on monthly owner costs and estimated total tax burden.
Official websiteucnj.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Snowy
very cold
cold
cool
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warm
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warm
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cold
v.cold
56%45%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.7 in3.7 in
humid 98%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$95k95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$63kbetter than 4% of US counties
Home Value$458k96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 4% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 1% of US counties
Property Tax Rate2.18%better than 2% of US counties
Income Tax10.70%better than 4% of US counties
Sales Tax6.60%better than 72% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden23.41%better than 1% of US counties
Unemployment6.2%better than 24% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)32°F43rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)77°F49th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation49.2 in70th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall25.3 inbetter than 33% of US counties
Sunny Days170 daysbetter than 3% of US counties
Summer Humidity63°Fbetter than 60% of US counties
Comfortable Days78 daysbetter than 46% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk95.5better than 4% of US counties
Air Quality52 AQIbetter than 10% of US counties
School Quality100.0better than 96% of US counties
Violent Crime856/100kbetter than 45% of US counties
Property Crime1628/100kbetter than 22% of US counties
Community
Population572,07996th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age39.028th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.7199th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9729th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+364th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)37.6%9th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)19.8%85th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)33.1%91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)5.5%95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)4.0%64th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time31 minbetter than 14% of US counties
Walkability13.1/20better than 99% of US counties
Airport Distance7 mibetter than 99% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access90.8%better than 91% of US counties
Amenities Nearby10.45better than 87% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 48% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Union County an affordable place to live?
- Union County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $63k, better than 4% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Union County?
- The median home value in Union County is $458k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Union County?
- Median household income in Union County is $95k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Union County?
- Median gross rent in Union County is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Union County safe?
- Union County is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 856/100k (better than 45%). Property crime is 1628/100k.
- What is the weather like in Union County?
- Union County averages 77°F in July and 32°F in January, with 49.2 in of annual precipitation and about 170 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Union County?
- Public-school quality in Union County is above average, scoring better than 96% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Union County?
- The average one-way commute in Union County is 31 min.
Other counties in New Jersey
Explore New Jersey
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)