Union County, NJ

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Population

558,067

1.03% decline

Median Age

38.8


Median Household Income

$82,186

6.29% growth

Poverty Rate

10.3%


Number of Employees

296,235

4.13% growth

Median Property Value

$375,400

1.65% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2018, Union County, NJ had a population of 558k people with a median age of 38.8 and a median household income of $82,186. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Union County, NJ declined from 563,892 to 558,067, a -1.03% decrease and its median household income grew from $77,326 to $82,186, a 6.29% increase.

The population of Union County, NJ is 39% White Alone, 32.3% Hispanic or Latino, and 20.3% Black or African American Alone. 44.1% of the people in Union County, NJ speak a non-English language, and 86.1% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Union County, NJ are Kean University (3,254 degrees awarded in 2017), Union County College (1,702 degrees), and Lincoln Technical Institute-Union (615 degrees).

The median property value in Union County, NJ is $375,400, and the homeownership rate is 57.6%. Most people in Union County, NJ commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 30.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Union County, NJ is 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Aerial over Elizabeth, NJ

Photo by formulanone

United StatesNew JerseyNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

Economy

The economy of Union County, NJ employs 296k people. The largest industries in Union County, NJ are Health Care & Social Assistance (39,793 people), Retail Trade (32,651 people), and Educational Services (29,000 people), and the highest paying industries are Finance & Insurance ($101,688), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($95,658), and Utilities ($76,210).

Median household income in Union County, NJ is $82,186. Males in Union County, NJ have an average income that is 1.36 times higher than the average income of females, which is $65,578. The income inequality in Union County, NJ (measured using the Gini index) is 0.493, which is higher than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$82,186

2018 value

± $4,251

6.29%

1 Year Growth

± 5.89%

Households in Union County, NJ have a median annual income of $82,186, which is more than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $77,326 in 2017, which represents a 6.29% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Union County, NJ compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for New Jersey.

$89,489

Average Male Salary

± $1,731

$65,578

Average Female Salary

± $1,240

In 2018, full-time male employees in New Jersey made 1.36 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in New Jersey by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for New Jersey.

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $86,392 ± $3,381

  2. White

    $72,755 ± $1,266

  3. Two or More Races

    $54,823 ± $4,874

In 2018 the highest paid race/ethnicity of New Jersey workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.19 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in New Jersey by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Union County, NJ is from New Jersey.

0.493

2018 Wage GINI

0.493

2017 Wage GINI

In 2018, the income inequality in New Jersey was 0.493 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0656% decline from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even.

The 2018 the GINI for New Jersey was higher than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in New Jersey in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in New Jersey across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Census Tract 365

  2. Census Tract 379

  3. Census Tract 386.02

In 2017, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Union County, NJ was Census Tract 365 with a value of $243,235, followed by Census Tract 379 and Census Tract 386.02, with respective values of $212,414 and $202,907.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Union County, NJ colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 35 - 44

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

10.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Union County, NJ (56.8k out of 551k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 6 - 11.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. Hispanic

    26,279 ± 1,290

  2. White

    21,620 ± 1,119

  3. Other

    16,561 ± 1,094

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Union County, NJ is Hispanic, followed by White and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

296k

2018 Value

± 9,885

4.13%

1 Year growth

± 4.47%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Union County, NJ grew at a rate of 4.13%, from 284k employees to 296k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Union County, NJ, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (37,517 people), Sales & Related Occupations (27,659 people), and Management Occupations (25,615 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Union County, NJ.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Union County, NJ, by number of employees, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (37,517 people), Sales & Related Occupations (27,659 people), and Management Occupations (25,615 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other counties, Union County, NJ has an unusually high number of residents working as Transportation Occupations (1.68 times higher than expected), Legal Occupations (1.59 times), and Life, Physical, & Social Science Occupations (1.5 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Union County, NJ, by median earnings, are Management Occupations ($101,185), Life, Physical, & Social Science Occupations ($95,454), and Management, Business, & Financial Occupations ($95,196).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

296k

2018 Value

± 9,885

4.13%

1 Year growth

± 4.47%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Union County, NJ grew at a rate of 4.13%, from 284k employees to 296k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Union County, NJ, are Health Care & Social Assistance (39,793 people), Retail Trade (32,651 people), and Educational Services (29,000 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Union County, NJ, though some of these residents may live in Union County, NJ and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Union County, NJ, by number of employees, are Health Care & Social Assistance (39,793 people), Retail Trade (32,651 people), and Educational Services (29,000 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other counties, Union County, NJ has an unusually high number of Transportation & Warehousing (1.9 times higher than expected), Wholesale Trade (1.41 times), and Finance & Insurance (1.3 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Union County, NJ, by median earnings, are Finance & Insurance ($101,688), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($95,658), and Utilities ($76,210).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from New Jersey to other states, or from other states to New Jersey.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Pharmaceuticals

    $55.9B

  2. Electronics

    $42.1B

  3. Mixed freight

    $38.2B

In 2015, the top outbound New Jersey product (by dollars) was Pharmaceuticals with $55.9B, followed by Electronics ($42.1B) and Mixed freight ($38.2B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound New Jersey products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for New Jersey state.

$517B

2020 Value

$734B

Projected 2045 Value

42% growth

In 2020, total outbound New Jersey trade was $517B. This is expected to increase 42% to $734B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound New Jersey trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from New Jersey to other states, or from other states to New Jersey.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. New York

    $79.3B

  2. Pennsylvania

    $54.2B

  3. California

    $17.9B

In 2015, the top outbound New Jersey domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was New York with $79.3B, followed by Pennsylvania with $54.2B and California and $17.9B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that New Jersey shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

90.3% of the population of Union County, NJ has health coverage, with 51.6% on employee plans, 17.2% on Medicaid, 10.5% on Medicare, 10.5% on non-group plans, and 0.507% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the county of Union County, NJ was $8,859 in 2014. This is a 4.91% increase from the previous year ($8,444).

Primary care physicians in Union County, NJ see 1502 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.35% increase from the previous year (1482 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1180 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 590 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Salem County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (12.1%). Additionally, Cumberland County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (34.7%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,502 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Union County, NJ see an average of 1,502 patients per year. This represents a 1.35% increase from the previous year (1,482 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Union County, NJ in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Jersey.

$8,859

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$5,081

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$8,049

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$12,614

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in New Jersey (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 4.91%, from $8,444 to $8,859.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

9.7%

Uninsured

51.6%

Employer Coverage

17.2%

Medicaid

10.5%

Medicare

10.5%

Non-Group

0.507%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Union County, NJ declined by 17.4% from 11.8% to 9.7%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Union County, NJ changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Salem County

    12.1% prevalence

  2. Cumberland County

    11.7% prevalence

  3. Atlantic County

    11.7% prevalence

Salem County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in New Jersey, at 12.1%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in New Jersey by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Union County, NJ is home to a population of 558k people, from which 86.1% are citizens. As of 2017, 29.6% of Union County, NJ residents were born outside of the country (167k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of Union County, NJ is composed of 218k White Alone residents (39%), 180k Hispanic or Latino residents (32.3%), 113k Black or African American Alone residents (20.3%), 30.6k Asian Alone residents (5.47%), 7.94k Some Other Race Alone residents (1.42%), 7.79k Two or More Races residents (1.4%), 479 American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.0858%), and 0 Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0%).

The most common foreign languages spoken in Union County, NJ are Spanish (148,391 speakers), Portuguese (17,044 speakers), and Haitian (11,812 speakers).

Age

Age by Nativity

33

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.7

46

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 0.8

In 2018, the median age of all people in Union County, NJ was 38.8. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 33, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 46. But people in Union County, NJ are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all Union County, NJ residents was 39.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

29.6%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

167k people

29.4%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

163k people

As of 2017, 29.6% of Union County, NJ residents (167k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Union County, NJ was 29.4%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Union County, NJ compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for New Jersey.

Most Common Origin

  1. India

    260,034 ± 12,336 people

  2. Dominican Republic

    194,328 ± 10,704 people

  3. Mexico

    107,599 ± 8,005 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New Jersey was India, the natal country of 260,034 New Jersey residents, followed by Dominican Republic with 194,328 and Mexico with 107,599.

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Citizenship

86.1%

2018 Citizenship

87.7%

2017 Citizenship

As of 2018, 86.1% of Union County, NJ residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, the percentage of US citizens in Union County, NJ was 87.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Union County, NJ compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    218k ± 1.91k

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    180k ± 13.3k

  3. Black or African American Alone

    113k ± 3.5k

In 2018, there were 1.21 times more White Alone residents (218k people) in Union County, NJ than any other race or ethnicity. There were 180k Hispanic or Latino and 113k Black or African American Alone residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Union County, NJ as a share of the total population.

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Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

  1. Spanish

    148,391 speakers (28.4%)

  2. Portuguese

    17,044 speakers (3.26%)

  3. Haitian

    11,812 speakers (2.26%)

44.1% of Union County, NJ citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is higher than the national average of 21.9%. In 2018, the most common non-English language spoken in Union County, NJ was Spanish. 28.4% of the overall population of Union County, NJ are native Spanish speakers. 3.26% speak Portuguese and 2.26% speak Spanish, the next two most common languages.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. false

    0 ± 0

  2. false

    0 ± 0

  3. false

    0 ± 0

Union County, NJ has a large population of military personnel who served in false, N/A times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2017, universities in Union County, NJ awarded 6,019 degrees. The student population of Union County, NJ is skewed towards women, with 10,534 male students and 15,529 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Union County, NJ are White (2,059 and 34.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (1,639 and 27.8%), Black or African American (1,333 and 22.6%), and Unknown (363 and 6.15%).

The largest universities in Union County, NJ by number of degrees awarded are Kean University (3,254 and 54.1%), Union County College (1,702 and 28.3%), and Lincoln Technical Institute-Union (615 and 10.2%).

The most popular majors in Union County, NJ are Liberal Arts & Sciences (647 and 10.7%), General Psychology (472 and 7.84%), and Registered Nursing (462 and 7.68%).

The median tuition costs in Union County, NJ are $9,700 for private four year colleges, and $7,909 and $14,811 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. General Biological Sciences

    163 degrees awarded

  2. General Psychology

    447 degrees awarded

  3. General Business Administration & Management

    200 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Union County, NJ was General Biological Sciences with 163 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Union County, NJ according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. Kean University

    3,254 degrees awarded

  2. Union County College

    1,702 degrees awarded

  3. Lincoln Technical Institute-Union

    615 degrees awarded

$7,909

Median In-State Public

$9,700

Median Private

In 2017, the Union County, NJ institution with the largest number of graduating students was Kean University with 3,254 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

2,395

Degrees Awarded to Men

3,624

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 2,395 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Union County, NJ, which is 0.661 times less than the 3,624 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Union County, NJ by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    2,059 degrees awarded

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    1,639 degrees awarded

  3. Black or African American

    1,333 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Union County, NJ were to White students. These 2,059 degrees mean that there were 1.26 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1,639 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Union County, NJ was $375,400 in 2018, which is 1.63 times larger than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $369,300 to $375,400, a 1.65% increase. The homeownership rate in Union County, NJ is 57.6%, which is lower than the national average of 63.9%. People in Union County, NJ have an average commute time of 30.4 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Union County, NJ is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$375,400

2018 Median

± $8,129

$369,300

2017 Median

± $8,389

In 2018, the median property value in Union County, NJ grew to to $375,400 from the previous year's value of $369,300.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Union County, NJ compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Union County, NJ the largest share of households have a property value in the $300k - $400k range.

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$82,186

Median Household Income

± $4,251

192k

Number of Households

± 7,323

In 2018, the median household income of the 192k households in Union County, NJ grew to $82,186 from the previous year's value of $77,326.

The following chart displays the households in Union County, NJ distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

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Property Taxes

$3k+

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Union County, NJ distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Union County, NJ the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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Rent vs Own

57.6%

2018 Homeownership

58.3%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 57.6% of the housing units in Union County, NJ were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 58.3%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is lower than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Union County, NJ compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Commute Time

30.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Union County, NJ have a longer commute time (30.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 5.1% of the workforce in Union County, NJ have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Union County, NJ compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    68%

  2. Public Transit

    11.2%

  3. Carpooled

    7.57%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in Union County, NJ was Drove Alone (68%), followed by those who Public Transit (11.2%) and those who Carpooled (7.57%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Union County, NJ distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Union County, NJ have 2 cars, followed by 1 car.

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