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Cost of living, pay and housing

34.86° N · 80.75° W · GEOID 3733993

JAARS

Union County, North Carolina · part of the Charlotte, NC metro

Limited data population under 5,000

North CarolinaJAARS, NCJAARSJAARS

The short answer

JAARS is home to 715 people. Median household income is $65,777 a year and median rent is $834 a month, 15.2% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $9,999, about 0.1x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$834
39% below the median place
Median household income
$65,777
18% below the median place
Median home value
$9,999
97% below the median place
Unemployment
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about JAARS

  • The median home is worth 0.1 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 161 North Carolina places.
  • Households average 4.42 people, larger than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 161 North Carolina places.
  • Unemployment averaged 0.0% over the survey period, lower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 112 North Carolina places.
  • Only 0% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 149 North Carolina places.
  • Owning with a mortgage costs about $175 a month less than the median rent, which is rarer than in 97% of places its size.

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 89 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

01

Moving to JAARS

Union County gains about 19.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in15,905
Moved out11,702
Net+4,203

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Mecklenburg County, NC6,0183,351+2,667
York County, SC318327−9
Anson County, NC236316−80
Stanly County, NC190324−134
Chesterfield County, SC170231−61
Wake County, NC166214−48

Within North Carolina, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within North CarolinaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$102K
Leavers$91K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Union County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
7.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 12.2% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Union County report $101,500 a year in income on average; those leaving, $91,400, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$33,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $834 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $659 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $9,999.
Getting to work
30 minutes each way on average; 19.5% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Brentwood, PA matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
12.2%
above the median place (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7
19.3
above the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7
$101,542
44% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureJAARSAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure7.3%28% above
Moved from another state112.2%above (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure19.3above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$101,54244% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$91,40330% above
02

What it costs to live here

Home price to income is 0.1x, 96% below the median place.

JAARS15.2%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$33,360
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
15.2%
25% below the median place
Home price to income
0.1x
96% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
15%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$57,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in JAARS, $834 a month, and local prices for everything else (97.3 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in JAARS.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to JAARS? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax paid (median)1
$199
94% below the median place
Median home value1
$9,999
97% below the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
0.0%
below the median place (median 50.6%)
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureJAARSAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$83439% below
Rent to income115.2%25% below
Property tax rate12.0%119% above
Home price to income10.1x96% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure97.34% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,78511% above
HUD area median income4County figure$117,4009% above
Property tax paid (median)1$19994% below
Median home value1$9,99997% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.5%9% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure68.7%33% above
Homeownership182.3%24% above
Renters paying 30%+10.0%below (median 50.6%)
Owner costs with a mortgage1$65965% below
Vacant homes1County figure5.2%26% below
Median year built119870% above
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 0.0%, below the median place (median 4.9%).

Unemployment1
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)
Income per person1
$15,871
60% below the median place
Poverty rate1
27.8%
158% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureJAARSAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$65,77718% below
Income per person1$15,87160% below
Unemployment10.0%below (median 4.9%)
Average annual pay6County figure$65,4741% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure6.5%76% above
Jobs6County figure78,17748% below
Poverty rate127.8%158% above
Mean commute1County figure30 min20% above
Works from home1County figure19.5%56% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.2%81% below
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 0.0%, below the median place (median 6.4%).

No health insurance1
0.0%
below the median place (median 6.4%)
Household size1
4.4
77% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
100.0%
8% above the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureJAARSAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population17156646th largest
Median age1County figure39.21% above
Bachelor's or higher140.6%27% above
High school or higher1County figure90.9%2% below
Household size14.477% above
Born abroad111.6%31% above
No health insurance10.0%below (median 6.4%)
Homes with broadband1100.0%8% above
05

Life in JAARS

12 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars14.3 −31%
Shops23.9 −21%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.8 −7%
Doctors' offices and clinics11.9 −41%
Child care centers1.9 −17%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Restaurants and bars per 10k8
14.3
31% below the median place
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
11.9
41% below the median place
Shops per 10k8
23.9
21% below the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureJAARSAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10County figure57above (median 9)
Public school students10County figure45,705above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher10County figure17.010% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure14.331% below
Shops per 10k8County figure23.921% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.87% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure11.941% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.917% below
National Register listings9County figure128% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Good air days is 91.0%, 33% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached JAARS. Larger places are fetched first.

Good air days13
91.0%
33% above the median place
July average high11
91°F
4% above the median place
Tornado risk12
94.7
16% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureJAARSAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high11County figure91°F4% above
January average low11County figure31°F24% above
Average temperature11County figure61°F11% above
Annual precipitation11County figure43.6 in0% below
Natural hazard risk12County figure89.14% below
Hurricane risk12County figure81.415% above
Tornado risk12County figure94.716% above
Wildfire risk12County figure41.632% below
Heat wave risk12County figure72.220% below
Median air quality index13County figure407% below
Good air days13County figure91.0%33% above
08

JAARS in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 16% of the median income in 2030, up from 15% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$834/mo (2022)$1,130/mo$900 to $1,420/mo+3.8%
Median household income$65,777 (2024)$83,500$70,500 to $98,500+4.0%
Median home value$9,999 (2024)$9,000$6,000 to $12,000−2.1%

The median home would be worth 0.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 0.2 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like JAARS

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Brentwood, PA$860$68,904Compare
Carnegie, PA$890$67,656Compare
Greensburg, PA$839$64,914Compare
Corning, NY$1,014$61,760Compare
Corning, NYGreensburg, PACarnegie, PABrentwood, PAJAARS, NCJAARSBrentwoodCarnegieGreensburgCorningJAARSBrentwoodCarnegieGreensburgCorning

Common questions

Is JAARS a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. The median home is worth 0.1 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 161 North Carolina places. Households average 4.42 people, larger than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 161 North Carolina places. On cost, space and class size it scores 94 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is JAARS expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 15.2% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $9,999.

What salary do you need to live in JAARS?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $33,360 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to JAARS?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Brentwood, PA, Carnegie, PA, Greensburg, PA and Corning, NY.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  11. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  12. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  13. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares JAARS with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for JAARS itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/jaars-north-carolina

Citytistics. “JAARS, North Carolina.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/jaars-north-carolina/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.