Union City, NJ — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·New Jersey·Union City

Hudson County · New York-Newark-Jersey City · population 66,918

InvestorsShrinking

Image: Wikipedia · Union City, New Jersey

Overview Cost of living Moving guide

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Rising

Momentum score · 0–100

Where Union City stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 6.5% in the last year. averaging 7.3% annual growth over 5 years. population shrinking 0.6% per year.

Median home $560,022

1-year +6.5%

5-yr CAGR +7.3%

vs 5-yr peak +0.0%

Population -0.6%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly

Lifestyle scores

🚶

Walkability

92/100

Walker's paradise

Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.

🚉

Public transit

22/100

Transit limited

Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.

💻

Remote work fit

70/100

Strong remote-work fit

Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 20.0

Lean rent

At a 20.0 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Union City. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →

Home YoY

80 · w22%

Home 5-yr CAGR

76 · w22%

Distance from peak

90 · w18%

Population growth

36 · w16%

Rent YoY

61 · w12%

Home 10-yr CAGR

82 · w10%

Long thesis

Union City has averaged 7.3% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+6.5% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Union City's population is shrinking 0.6% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — if people are leaving, the buyer pool is shrinking faster than the inventory. That eventually shows up in price.

About Union City

Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, with an estimated population of 66,918. It anchors the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area. The population has contracted 0.6% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Union City is $560,022 as of 2026-04, up 6.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.3% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Union City average $2,333 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.4%). The composite momentum score is 72 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Trend still working: prices up 6.5% in the last 12 months — buyers are still chasing inventory.

●Healthy 5-year run: +7.3% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.

●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.6% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Union City (Wikipedia)

Union City is a city in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city was the state's 18th-most-populous municipality, with a population of 68,589, an increase of 2,134 (+3.2%) from the 2010 census count of 66,455, which in turn had reflected a decline of 633 (−0.9%) from the 67,088 counted in the 2000 census. As of the 2010 Census, among cities with a population of more than 50,000, it was the most densely populated city in the United States, with a density of 54,138 per square mile of land. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 65,366 in 2022, ranking the city the 590th-most-populous in the country.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorBrian P. Stack (term ends May 18, 2026)

Area1.29 sq mi

Elevation190 ft

EstablishedJune 1, 1925

Density53293.7/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Hudson County right now.

NWS active alerts (NJ)New Jersey Emergency Management How to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Hudson County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.