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COUNTY

Union County

New Jersey · 601,863 residents (2025 est.) · 103 sq mi
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Part of the New York metro area
The short version

Union County is home to 579,290 people in New Jersey. 34% of people here were born outside the United States. That puts it in the top 1% of US counties for household income. There are 5,637 people per square mile. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $529,200. Owners hold 57% of the housing stock.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $103,202, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.1
US median: 38.9
Average education
39% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 57%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Union County

What changed most since 1990

  • White share65.4% → 35.4% (−30.0 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Hispanic share13.5% → 35.2% (+21.7 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$431,532 → $529,200 (+23%)US over the same years: +67%

Among the 21 counties in New Jersey

  • 10th in household income$103,202
  • 13th in share with a bachelor's degree38.9%
  • 6th in home value$529,200
  • 5th in diversity score88.6
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
579,290
+11%since 2000
from 522,541 in 2000
601,863 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
5,637 / sq mi
+11%since 2000
from 5,085 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
39.1
+7%since 2000
from 36.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
103 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
485K511K537K562K588K19902000201020202024Union County
2024579K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.1%(35,576)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.3%(36,518)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147%(40,282)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.5%(37,600)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.9%(34,322)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.5%(72,276)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.1%(81,822)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.6%(78,504)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413%(75,113)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.8%(51,021)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.5%(25,791)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.8%(10,465)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$103,202
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $55,339 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$52,874
+96%since 2000
from $26,992 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
63.6%
+19.2 ptssince 2009
from 44.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
9.2%
+0.8 ptssince 2000
from 8.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.483
Unchangedsince 2010
from 0.481 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Finance & insurance9.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Information9.6%
US avg: 10.8%
Professional, scientific, technical9%
US avg: 5.1%
Retail trade8.8%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services8.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade7.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration6.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing3%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$529,200
+57%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $185,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,730
+26%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $752 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
57.4%
−4.2 ptssince 2000
from 61.6% in 2000
42.6% rent
Vacancy rate
4.3%
−2.3 ptssince 2009
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.82 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.81 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
30.8%
−12.7 ptssince 2009
from 43.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
49.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 49.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.1
−14%since 2009
from 6.0 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
45
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic54.2%(283,345)
Black20.1%(104,926)
Hispanic / Latino19.7%(103,011)
Asian3.8%(19,789)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic35.4%(205,149)
Black19.1%(110,903)
Hispanic / Latino35.2%(203,905)
Asian5.6%(32,292)
Other4.7%(27,041)
Diversity Score
89
+7%since 2009
from 83 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
54
Unchangedsince 2020
from 54 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
South American11.3%(65,718)
Central American8.3%(48,121)
Puerto Rican4.8%(27,854)
Colombian4.6%(26,719)
Dominican4.4%(25,706)
Ecuadorian3.7%(21,448)
Salvadoran3.7%(21,367)
Cuban2.2%(12,708)
Guatemalan2.1%(12,319)
Mexican2%(11,370)
Peruvian1.7%(9,754)
Honduran1.7%(9,716)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.7%(3,807)
Costa Rican0.6%(3,437)
Uruguayan0.5%(2,746)
Venezuelan0.3%(1,983)
Argentine0.2%(1,417)
Chilean0.1%(729)
Nicaraguan0.1%(690)
Panamanian0.1%(544)
Bolivian0.1%(368)
Paraguayan0%(271)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.8%(10,285)
Filipino1.4%(8,107)
Chinese1.4%(7,906)
Korean0.2%(1,165)
Pakistani0.2%(1,109)
Vietnamese0.1%(838)
Kazakh0.1%(600)
Japanese0.1%(531)
Bangladeshi0.1%(471)
Sri Lankan0.1%(290)
Taiwanese0%(221)
Nepalese0%(76)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Cambodian0%(42)
Thai0%(42)
Malaysian0%(20)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(27)
Samoan0%(21)
Tongan0%(10)
Ancestry
Italian9%(52,223)
Irish7.1%(40,867)
German4.9%(28,336)
West Indian4.6%(26,506)
American4%(23,315)
Polish3.9%(22,645)
Haitian2.7%(15,605)
Portuguese2.7%(15,431)
English2.5%(14,370)
Subsaharan African2.1%(12,424)
Brazilian1.3%(7,429)
Russian1.2%(7,023)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Arab1%(5,622)
Jamaican1%(5,518)
Nigerian0.7%(4,177)
Greek0.7%(3,916)
Ghanaian0.6%(3,281)
French0.5%(3,172)
Ukrainian0.5%(2,996)
Hungarian0.5%(2,653)
Egyptian0.5%(2,625)
Scottish0.4%(2,598)
Slovak0.3%(1,906)
Dutch0.3%(1,680)
Norwegian0.3%(1,676)
Austrian0.3%(1,526)
Guyanese0.3%(1,518)
Swedish0.2%(1,411)
Lithuanian0.2%(1,408)
Syrian0.2%(1,192)
Scotch-Irish0.2%(1,173)
Czech0.2%(982)
British0.1%(854)
Welsh0.1%(820)
Turkish0.1%(734)
Barbadian0.1%(730)
Romanian0.1%(701)
Lebanese0.1%(656)
Danish0.1%(606)
Moroccan0.1%(505)
Canadian0.1%(481)
Serbian0.1%(462)
Armenian0.1%(416)
Macedonian0.1%(395)
Iranian0.1%(391)
Latvian0.1%(384)
Swiss0.1%(340)
Kenyan0%(272)
Australian0%(264)
Israeli0%(193)
Croatian0%(191)
Jordanian0%(179)
Bulgarian0%(166)
Belgian0%(164)
Finnish0%(138)
Slovene0%(65)
Ethiopian0%(13)
Iraqi0%(7)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
38.9%
+10.4 ptssince 2000
from 28.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
86.3%
+7.0 ptssince 2000
from 79.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
15.8%
+4.9 ptssince 2000
from 10.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
30.2 min
+48%since 2000
from 20.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
60.9%
−7.4 ptssince 2009
from 68.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.9%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
9.1%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 9.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
14.2%
+11.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.4%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
10.2%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.5%
−3.1 ptssince 2011
from 9.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
69.3%
+0.6 ptssince 2011
from 68.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.0%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 77.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
41.1%
+6.3 ptssince 2009
from 34.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.4%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Female
50.6%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Foreign born
33.6%
+6.1 ptssince 2009
from 27.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
2.5%
−3.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.1%
Unchangedsince 2012
from 9.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
13.0%
−3.1 ptssince 2013
from 16.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
93.3%
+13.9 ptssince 2017
from 79.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.8%
+4.1 ptssince 2020
from 91.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
90.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 90.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
52.4%
−4.7 ptssince 2016
from 57.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
30.2%
+2.6 ptssince 2016
from 27.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married38.8%(88,635)
Married51.9%(118,722)
Widowed2.4%(5,467)
Divorced6.9%(15,767)
Women 15+
Never married35.7%(85,004)
Married47.2%(112,509)
Widowed7.4%(17,594)
Divorced9.7%(23,216)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
13.0%
−3.1 ptssince 2013
from 16.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
57.0%
−2.3 ptssince 2020
from 59.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
9.8%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 10.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
15.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 15.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
18.9%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 18.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 0.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
64.4%
−3.2 ptssince 2020
from 67.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
31.4%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 30.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)16.7%(1,884)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)13.7%(1,546)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.8%(4,139)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.7%(644)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II4.3%(484)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 11,260 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Union County, decade by decade

Union County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990493,819$100,301$431,53225.0%65.0
2000522,541$100,809$337,37128.5%78.1
2010536,499$96,084$571,40031.2%84.2
2020575,345$100,168$458,99937.1%88.4
2024579,290$103,202$529,20038.9%88.6

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Union County

Washington County
Pop 611,708
Kane County
Pop 525,757
Arapahoe County
Pop 673,820
Johnson County
Pop 636,906
Places similar to Union County
Head to head

Compare Union County to nearby counties

UNION COUNTY VS
Essex County
Income$80,789−22%
Home value$524,100−1%
Population896,379+49%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
UNION COUNTY VS
Richmond County
Income$98,333−5%
Home value$675,500+28%
Population501,290−17%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
UNION COUNTY VS
Hudson County
Income$91,795−11%
Home value$539,700+2%
Population735,033+22%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
UNION COUNTY VS
Middlesex County
Income$111,549+8%
Home value$462,900−13%
Population883,335+47%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Union County, New Jersey?

Union County, New Jersey has about 579,290 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Union County, New Jersey?

The typical household in Union County, New Jersey earns about $103,202 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Union County, New Jersey expensive?

In Union County, New Jersey, the median home is worth about $529,200, and the typical rent is about $1,730 a month.

How educated are people in Union County, New Jersey?

About 38.9% of adults age 25 and over in Union County, New Jersey hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Union County, New Jersey?

About 9.2% of people in Union County, New Jersey live below the federal poverty line.

Has Union County, New Jersey grown since 1990?

Yes, Union County, New Jersey has grown since 1990. The population has added about 85,471 residents, a change of about 17 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →