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Union County, New Jersey: commercial real estate data.
Union County, New Jersey has a population of 579,290 across 103 square miles, up 3.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $51.95 bn in 2024, 14,276 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 849 7(a) approvals worth $416.7 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Union County
How many people live in Union County
- Population579,290
- Households203,277
- Average household size2.85
- Median household income$103,202
- Median age39.1
- Median gross rent$1,730 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$529,200
- Home value to household income5.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher38.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree15.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over394,992
- Population under 18136,260
- Share under 1823.5 percent
- Population 65 and over87,277
- Share 65 and over15.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64355,753
- Civilian labor force317,599
- Unemployment rate6.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.7 percent
- Rank by population among New Jersey counties7th of 21
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents120th
Union County is the 7th largest of 21 New Jersey counties by population. A median home costs 5.1 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.5 percent against 15.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Union County
Is Union County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.27 percent
- Census 2020 base population575,360
- Births, 20246,619
- Deaths, 20243,995
- Natural change, 20242,624
- Net domestic migration, 2024-3,874
- Net international migration, 202413,284
- Total net migration, 20249,410
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-21,946
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents815th
The county has grown 3.27 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Union County
Where people moving to Union County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving14,603
- People arriving, from those returns25,531
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.72 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$118,079
- Largest single originUnion County Non-migrants (220,416 households)
- Largest single destination (220,416 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union County Non-migrants | 220,416 | 442,330 | $27.24 bn |
| Essex County | 2,750 | 4,942 | $217.0 m |
| Hudson County | 1,681 | 3,213 | $231.0 m |
| Middlesex County | 1,558 | 2,539 | $119.5 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,541 | 2,479 | $139.1 m |
| Kings County | 1,044 | 2,281 | $108.8 m |
| Somerset County | 808 | 1,361 | $63.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 715 | 1,158 | $56.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Union County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Union County
What the Union County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$51.95 bn
- County GDP, 2023$49.46 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.0 percent
- GDP change over five years33.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among New Jersey counties9th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents114th
- GDP per resident$89,674
Output grew 5.0 percent in the latest year and 33.7 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Union County
Who employs people in Union County
- Covered employment, annual average229,010
- Establishments reporting16,571
- Average annual pay$84,322
- Average weekly wage$1,622
- Sector 62, employment35,116
- Sector 62, average annual pay$65,623
- Sector 44-45, employment25,093
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$43,169
- Sector 31-33, employment22,076
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$140,532
- Sector 56, employment15,855
- Sector 56, average annual pay$56,480
- Sector 54, employment15,442
- Sector 72, employment15,350
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 35,116 | 3,110 | $65,623 |
| Sector 44-45 | 25,093 | 1,734 | $43,169 |
| Sector 31-33 | 22,076 | 618 | $140,532 |
| Sector 56 | 15,855 | 974 | $56,480 |
| Sector 54 | 15,442 | 1,491 | $160,062 |
| Sector 72 | 15,350 | 1,242 | $31,468 |
| Sector 48-49 | 14,703 | 748 | $99,661 |
| Sector 42 | 12,812 | 770 | $101,391 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 35,116 jobs, 15.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Union County
What businesses operate in Union County
- Establishments, all industries14,276
- Employment at those establishments208,505
- Annual payroll$15.06 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents24.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Union County
What is being built in Union County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,696
- Declared construction value permitted$178.2 m
- Single family units authorised212
- Multifamily units authorised1,484
- Multifamily share of units87.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$105,090
- Units authorised per 1,000 households8.3
Multifamily is 87.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Union County
How much SBA lending happens in Union County
- 7(a) approvals recorded849
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$416.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$490,851
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,339,300
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)7,684
- Jobs per approval9.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active95
- Distinct industries receiving approvals253
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer13.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms113
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter706
- Franchise loans86
- Franchise share of approvals10.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Freight Trucking, Local (36)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (218)
- 504 approvals recorded119
- 504 gross approval dollars$142.6 m
- Average 504 approval$1,197,958
- Median 504 approval$740,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval11.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.4
- Most active CDCTrenton Business Assistance Corporation (60)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals87.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$559.3 m
The average approval of $490,851 sits well above the median of $150,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 13.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Union County
Do SBA loans in Union County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded112
- Paid in full89
- Charged off23
- Charge off rate on resolved loans20.5 percent
- Status: Paid in full89
- Status: Cancelled112
- Status: Exempt from disclosure574
- Status: Charged off23
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed51
| NAICS | Industry | Resolved loans | Charged off | Charge off rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 484110 | General Freight Trucking, Local | 11 | 6 | 54.5% |
Of the 112 loans that have reached a final outcome, 20.5 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong. Among industries with at least ten resolved loans, General Freight Trucking, Local carries the highest charge off rate at 54.5 percent.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Union County
Which parts of Union County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending32
- ELIZABETH, approvals110
- LINDEN, approvals106
- Union, approvals95
- Westfield, approvals63
- Rahway, approvals56
- Cranford, approvals45
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| ELIZABETH | 110 | $45,244,500 |
| LINDEN | 106 | $49,927,500 |
| Union | 95 | $43,990,700 |
| Westfield | 63 | $33,321,900 |
| Rahway | 56 | $45,438,700 |
| Cranford | 45 | $19,195,000 |
| Hillside | 39 | $18,566,000 |
| SUMMIT | 38 | $25,986,300 |
ELIZABETH accounts for 110 approvals against 106 in LINDEN. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Union County
How big is Union County
- Land area103 sq mi
- Rank by land area among New Jersey counties20th of 21
- Width, east to west17.1 mi
- Height, north to south10.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land5,624
- Establishments per square mile138.60
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Union County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Union County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population579,290
- Households203,277
- Average household size2.85
- Median household income$103,202
- Median age39.1
Common questions
Union County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Union County, New Jersey?
579,290, in 203,277 households, ranking 7th of 21 New Jersey counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Union County growing?
The population has grown 3.27 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 6,619 births against 3,995 deaths, with net migration of 9,410. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Union County?
$103,202. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $529,200, which is 5.1 times income, and median gross rent is $1,730 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Union County?
14,276 establishments, employing 208,505 people with an annual payroll of $15.06 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Union County?
Average annual pay is $84,322, or $1,622 a week, across 229,010 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Union County?
849 7(a) approvals totalling $416.7 m since FY2020, across 95 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 119 504 approvals worth $142.6 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Union County get paid back?
Of the 112 loans that have reached a final outcome, 89 were paid in full and 23 charged off, a charge off rate of 20.5 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Union County?
1,696 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $178.2 m. Multifamily was 87.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Union County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Union County come from?
The largest single origin is Union County Non-migrants, with 220,416 households. Arriving households report an average income of $118,079 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Union County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Union County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.