Map the Block › Places › New Jersey › Union County
Union County, New Jersey in numbers: crime, income, hazards
FBI reports put Union County at 2.2 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, close to the rate for New Jersey (2.1). The median household earns $103,202 and the unemployment rate was 5.0% in August 2026. About 579,290 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Union County?
From 2021 through 2025, Union County averaged 1,277 reported violent crimes a year, along with 9,262 property crimes. That is 2.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, close to the New Jersey rate (2.1), and 40% lower than the U.S. rate (3.7). For property crime the county rate is 16.0 per 1,000 (New Jersey: 13.5; U.S.: 18.1). Aggravated assaults make up 60% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 19 homicide deaths a year in the county (3.4 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Union County | Per 1,000 | New Jersey per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 1,277 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 14 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 106 | 0.18 | 0.17 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 396 | 0.68 | 0.47 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 762 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 9,262 | 16.0 | 13.5 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 756 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 7,102 | 12.3 | 10.5 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 1,404 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (21 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Union County?
Half of households in Union County make more than $103,202 and half make less; across New Jersey the midpoint is $103,556. Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $529,200, and the median rent is $1,730 a month. 8.8% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 9.1%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 5.0% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 15,420 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Union County | New Jersey | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 579,290 | 9,343,809 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $103,202 | $103,556 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $529,200 | $454,400 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,730 | $1,720 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 6.5% | 6.3% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 9.2% | 9.7% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 8.8% | 9.1% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 38.9% | 43.6% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 57.4% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 39.1 | 40.1 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 93.3% | 92.8% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 13.0% | 7.5% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Union County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Union County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively High”. The hazards rated highest here are river flooding (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
2 Superfund sites are on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Union County: Chemical Control and Lcp Chemicals Inc.. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
Union County has 3 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 3 are rated Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Robinson's Branch Reservoir Dam (27 ft) and Shackamaxon Dam (24 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
25 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 3,272,240 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Union County was covered by 2 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Hurricane 1, Severe Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. In 2024, 0 of 366 monitored days had an air quality index of “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse (EPA). Of 4 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 38 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 12 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Union County?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 10 highway work zones in Union County (all active that day). Where crews are working: East of Exit 9B - Millburn/Springfield, NJ 24 (East of Exit 9B - Millburn/Springfield) and West of I-78. 7 are on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Union County?
Union County has 175 public schools (2024-25) and 56 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 21 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 41 fire or EMS stations and 24 police or sheriff stations.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Union County
Gun shops
No gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Union County. There are 4 licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown).
Liquor stores
98 liquor stores are on the map in Union County: Allied Beverage Group (Elizabeth), Alman Liquors, Bayway World of Liquor (Elizabeth), Bazan World Liquors (Elizabeth), Beechwood Wine and Liquors, Bella Wines and Spirits (Roselle Park), Ben Franklin Wines and Liquors (Plainfield), Beno's Liquors Inc (Linden) and 90 more. New Jersey has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
One Planned Parenthood health center is on the map in Union County: Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central and Southern NJ-Elizabeth (Elizabeth).
See them on the map: liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Union County?
Union County averaged 1,277 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 2.2 per 1,000 residents, close to the New Jersey rate (2.1). The property-crime rate was 16.0 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Union County?
$103,202 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $103,556 for New Jersey and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Union County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 5.0% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 15,420 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Union County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Union County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively High”. The hazards rated highest here are river flooding (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in Union County?
2 Superfund sites are on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Union County: Chemical Control and Lcp Chemicals Inc..
Is there road construction in Union County right now?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 10 highway work zones in Union County (all active that day). Where crews are working: East of Exit 9B - Millburn/Springfield, NJ 24 (East of Exit 9B - Millburn/Springfield) and West of I-78. 7 are on interstates.
How many nursing homes are in Union County?
21 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Union County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County | 863,002 | 3.1 | $80,789 |
| Hudson County | 718,323 | 3.2 | $91,795 |
| Middlesex County | 871,290 | 1.8 | $111,549 |
| Morris County | 514,528 | 0.42 | $137,326 |
| Richmond County, NY | 494,956 | 3.3 | $98,333 |
| Somerset County | 349,846 | 0.59 | $140,374 |
Cities in Union County with their own page: Elizabeth, Plainfield.
More: New Jersey statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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