Union City receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Malvern
Union City
Opportunity
39 · Bottom 16%
vs49 · Bottom 35%
Growth
25 · Bottom 12%
vs27 · Bottom 14%
Climate
66 · Bottom 36%
vs75 · Top 29%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs43 · Bottom 34%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 18%
vs100 · Top 8%
Access
70 · Bottom 12%
vs65 · Bottom 9%
Economic stability
21 · Bottom 2%
vs32 · Bottom 9%
Measured values
| Metric | Malvern | Union City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,953 | 10,982 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $46,250 | $50,870 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $17,517 | $25,466 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,132/sq mi | 907/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $104,500 | $146,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $764 | $739 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.2% | 52.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.9% | 20.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.2% | 23.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2 | 2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -71.4% | 100.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 33°F | 27°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 52.9" | 53.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 42 mi | 59 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.3 min | 17.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.4 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Malvern
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, lightning, hail.
Union City
Elevated or high exposure: tornado.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Malvern
50
Your Score
49
Area Score
Union City
54
Your Score
54
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Malvern, AR · Union City, TN · How this is calculated: methodology