Clifton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Union City
Clifton
Opportunity
60 · Top 43%
vs72 · Top 18%
Growth
42 · Bottom 35%
vs39 · Bottom 30%
Climate
72 · Top 39%
vs71 · Top 47%
Physical resilience
29 · Bottom 23%
vs36 · Bottom 29%
Housing affordability
40 · Bottom 4%
vs74 · Bottom 40%
Schools
35 · Bottom 28%
vs54 · Top 46%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs98 · Top 21%
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 31%
vs72 · Top 24%
Measured values
| Metric | Union City | Clifton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 66,463 | 89,379 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,310 | $98,237 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,175 | $47,587 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 51,642/sq mi | 7,927/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $471,600 | $461,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,537 | $1,711 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 19.1% | 59.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.6% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.3% | 35.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 23.1% | 7.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 82 | 60 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 24.2% | 7.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 28°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.5" | 46.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 36.3 min | 30.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.4 | 41.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 14 | 27 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.75 | 11.90 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 13.0% | 21.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 33.4% | 39.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 78.8% | 51.1% | 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
Union City
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, coastal flooding.
Clifton
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Union City
53
Your Score
50
Area Score
Clifton
64
Your Score
61
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Union City, NJ · Clifton, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology