Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2024 Population

118,989

US Senator

Cory Booker

Democratic Party

US Senator

Andy Kim

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

36.8

1.87% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

8.19%

10.2% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$135,123

5.58% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$678,800

4.24% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

55,651

1.89% 1-year decline

About

38.1% of the households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

82.2% of the residents in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ are JFK Muhlenberg Harold B. and Dorothy A. Snyder Schools (182 degrees awarded in 2023) and Union County Vocational Technical School (45 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was $678,800, and the homeownership rate was 65.8%.

Most people in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 32.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was 2 cars per household.

Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ borders Middlesex County (Northwest)--North Piscataway & South Plainfield PUMA, NJ, Somerset County (Central)--Bridgewater, Somerville & North Plainfield PUMA, NJ, Union County (Northwest)--Summit & Cranford PUMA, NJ, and Union County (Southeast)--Linden, Rahway & Roselle PUMA, NJ.

United States New Jersey

Population & Diversity

Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ is home to a population of 119k people, from which 82.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 27.3% of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ residents were born outside of the country (32.5k people).

In 2024, there were 1.81 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (47.6k people) in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ than any other race or ethnicity. There were 26.3k Other (Hispanic) and 20.9k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ are Spanish (30,863 households), Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (1,216 households), and Italian (886 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

59,581

Women

50.6%

58,084

Men

49.4%

The resident population of United States in 2023 was 117,665 inhabitants, with 49.4% men, and 50.6% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

82.2%

2024 Citizenship

82.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 82.2% of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was 82.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ

White (Non-Hispanic)
47.6k ± 1.77k
Other (Hispanic)
26.3k ± 1.52k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
20.9k ± 1.34k

32.2%

Hispanic Population

38.4k people

32.2% of the people in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ are hispanic (38.4k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Guatemala
6,322 ± 1,899 people
El Salvador
3,854 ± 1,499 people
Colombia
1,736 ± 1,015 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was Guatemala, the natal country of 6,322 Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ residents, followed by El Salvador with 3,854 and Colombia with 1,736.

Foreign-Born Population

27.3%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

32.5k people

27.2%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

32.1k people

As of 2024, 27.3% of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ residents (32.5k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was 27.2%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
30,863 households (27.9%)
Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)
1,216 households (1.1%)
Italian
886 households (0.802%)

38.1% of the households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is higher than the national average of 22.3%. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

In 2024, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was Spanish. 27.9% of the households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
982 ± 237
Gulf War (2001-)
339 ± 123
Gulf War (1990s)
256 ± 126

Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.9 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ.

Economy

The economy of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ employs 55.7k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ were Elementary & secondary schools (4,085 people), Construction (3,553 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (2,119 people), and the highest paying industries were Nondepository credit & related activities ($330,748), Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($305,498), and Real estate property managers, offices of real estate appraisers, and other activities related to real estate ($226,028).

Males in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ have an average income that is 1.49 times higher than the average income of females, which is $87,111. The income inequality in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ (measured using the Gini index) is 0.532, which is higher than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

26,139

Women

47%

29,512

Men

53%

The workforce of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ in 2023 was 55,651 people, with 47% woman, and 53% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Occupations

55.7k

2023 Value

−1.89%

1 Year decline

± −1.89%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ declined at a rate of −1.89%, from 56.7k employees to 55.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ, are Other managers (2,338 people), Janitors & building cleaners (1,459 people), and Packers & packagers, hand (1,301 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in New Jersey (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

55.7k

2023 Value

−1.89%

1 Year decline

± −1.89%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ declined at a rate of −1.89%, from 56.7k employees to 55.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ, are Elementary & secondary schools (4,085 people), Construction (3,553 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (2,119 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ, though some of these residents may live in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$71,905

Median earning men ± $5,286

$50,288

Median earning women ± $3,217

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($211,742), Information ($134,345), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($90,227).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($125,000), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($116,452), and Public Administration ($78,793).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.27%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.24M people employed in New Jersey. This represents a 2.27% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 16.5%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in New Jersey.

Education

In 2023, universities in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ awarded 227 degrees. The student population of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 119 male students and 513 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ are White (80 and 35.2%), Black or African American (56 and 24.7%), Hispanic or Latino (52 and 22.9%), and Asian (24 and 10.6%).

The largest universities in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ by number of degrees awarded are JFK Muhlenberg Harold B. and Dorothy A. Snyder Schools (182 and 80.2%) and Union County Vocational Technical School (45 and 19.8%).

The most popular majors in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ are Registered Nursing (160 and 70.5%), Electrician (22 and 9.69%), and General Cosmetology (16 and 7.05%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

Measure

In 2023 in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ, the percentage of applicants admitted was 96.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 13.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 632 (18.8% men and 81.2% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 632 students enrolled in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ, 18.8% men and 81.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 171 records, of which 80.7% were women and 19.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
160 degrees awarded
Radiographer
13 degrees awarded
Diagnostic Medical Sonography & Ultrasound Technician
9 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for 2 to 4 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was Registered Nursing with 160 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 2 to 4 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

JFK Muhlenberg Harold B. and Dorothy A. Snyder Schools
182 degrees awarded
Union County Vocational Technical School
45 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was JFK Muhlenberg Harold B. and Dorothy A. Snyder Schools with 182 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 58 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ, which is 0.343 times less than the 169 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 80 degrees mean that there were 1.43 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 56 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($6,420) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($18,496) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($789) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2023, 1.62% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.33% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ in 2023 were Bachelors Degree (22.2k), High School or Equivalent (19k), and Primary Education (17.3k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was $678,800 in 2024, which is 2.04 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $651,200 to $678,800, a 4.24% increase. The homeownership rate in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ is 65.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ have an average commute time of 32.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$678,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$17,609

$25,140

Median Property Taxes

±$949

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

65.8%

Homeownership

2024

62.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 65.8% of the housing units in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 64.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

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

$135,123

Median Household Income

± $5,909

38.2k

Number of Households

± 1,505

In 2024, the median household income of the 38.2k households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ grew to $135,123 from the previous year's value of $127,979.

The following chart displays the households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, 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.

Wage Distribution

0.532

2023 Wage GINI in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ

0.53

2022 Wage GINI in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ

In 2023, the income inequality in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was 0.532 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.382% growth from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was higher than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (56.6%)
Worked At Home (19.2%)
Other (8.89%)

In 2024, 56.6% of workers in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (19.2%) and those who used some unspecified means to get work (8.89%).

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.

Commute Time

32.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ have a longer commute time (32.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 6.42% of the workforce in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, 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 (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

8.19% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ (9.66k out of 118k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ is Hispanic, followed by Other and Black.

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

85.9% of the population of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ has health coverage, with 53.4% on employee plans, 14.5% on Medicaid, 10.3% on Medicare, 7.28% on non-group plans, and 0.332% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in New Jersey see 1,279 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,279 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1157 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 320 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,279 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in New Jersey

Primary care physicians in New Jersey see an average of 1,279 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,279 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in New Jersey in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 29.4% under 18 years, 18.2% between 18 and 34 years, 39.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 13.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

14.1%

Uninsured

53.4%

Employer Coverage

14.5%

Medicaid

10.3%

Medicare

7.28%

Non-Group

0.332%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ grew by 2.36% from 13.8% to 14.1%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.