CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.45° N · 74.17° W · GEOID 3474540

Union Beach

Monmouth County, New Jersey · part of the New York, NY metro

New JerseyUnion Beach, NJUnion BeachUnion Beach

The short answer

Union Beach is home to 5,707 people. Median household income is $119,250 a year and median rent is $2,567 a month, 25.8% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $460,900, about 3.9x annual median household income.

Union Beach is defined by its growth. Home value growth is 11.4% a year, against 7% a year in its closest peers. Also notable: Rent run 37% above what its fundamentals predict in the same metro area.

46OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Average

Union Beach scores better than 46% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 170th of 287 in New Jersey.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%32
Economy 20%61
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%64
Education 10%60
Commute 10%15
Growth 5%60

Not rated: safety, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$2,567
88% above the median place
Median household income
$119,250
49% above the median place
Median home value
$460,900
44% above the median place
Unemployment
5.4%
10% above the median place

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 Union Beach

  • AffordabilityHigh pay has not made renting easy. Household income is higher than in 81% of places we track, yet 80% of renters still spend 30% or more of income on rent.
01

Moving to Union Beach

Monmouth County loses about 1.0 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in23,028
Moved out23,567
Net−539

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Ocean County, NJ4,0884,657−569
Middlesex County, NJ3,2822,339+943
Hudson County, NJ1,370789+581
Kings County, NY1,585515+1,070
Richmond County, NY1,663
New York County, NY670823−153

Within New Jersey, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New JerseyOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$133K
Leavers$117K

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

Who moves here
4.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.5% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Monmouth County report $132,500 a year in income on average; those leaving, $117,000, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$102,700 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,567 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,363 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $460,900.
Getting to work
32 minutes each way on average; 6.5% work from home; 5.2% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Northfield, NJ matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Income of households moving in8
$132,507
88% above the median place
Income of households moving out8
$117,020
67% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
4.5%
22% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureUnion BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.5%22% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.5%23% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-1.067% below
Income of households moving in8County figure$132,50788% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$117,02067% above
02

What it costs to live here

Owning with a mortgage costs about $204 a month less than the median rent, a rarer pattern than in 97% of the 2,469 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 287 New Jersey places we track.

Union Beach25.8%
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
$102,680
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
25.8%
26% above the median place
Home price to income
3.9x
2% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
26%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$83,900
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Union Beach, $2,567 a month, and local prices for everything else (105.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Union Beach, but easier on the budget

Places that match Union Beach on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Northfield, NJ9519.7% vs 25.8%$6,500Compare
Mount Zion, IL938.6% vs 25.8%$15,300Compare
DeWitt, IA9312.4% vs 25.8%n/aCompare
Holbrook, MA9311.4% vs 25.8%$17,900Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Union Beach? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
80.3%
59% above the median place
Property tax rate1
2.1%
129% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$9,573
193% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureUnion BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,56788% above
Rent to income125.8%26% above
Property tax rate12.1%129% above
Home price to income13.9x2% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure112.612% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,28341% above
HUD area median income4County figure$140,60031% above
Property tax paid (median)1$9,573193% above
Median home value1$460,90044% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure6.2%95% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure64.2%25% above
Homeownership181.8%23% above
Renters paying 30%+180.3%59% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,36326% above
Vacant homes1County figure6.9%2% below
Median year built119631% below
03

Work and pay

Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 230 hours a year commuting, more than in 92% of the 2,101 places under 10,000 people we track.

Poverty rate1
3.0%
72% below the median place
Mean commute1
32 min
28% above the median place
Works from home1
6.5%
48% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureUnion BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$119,25049% above
Income per person1$53,44833% above
Unemployment1County figure5.4%10% above
Average annual pay6County figure$74,43513% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure5.5%49% above
Jobs6County figure279,01285% above
Poverty rate13.0%72% below
Mean commute132 min28% above
Works from home16.5%48% below
Commutes by transit1County figure5.2%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 95.2%, 3% above the median place.

High school or higher1
95.2%
3% above the median place
Median age1
42.0
8% above the median place
Population change since 20207
-0.1%
below the median place (median 1.1%)

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher37.2% +16%
Household size2.6 +4%
Homes with broadband91.5% −1%
All 9 people measures
MeasureUnion BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,7076139th largest
Population change since 20207-0.1%below (median 1.1%)
Median age142.08% above
Bachelor's or higher137.2%16% above
High school or higher195.2%3% above
Household size12.64% above
Born abroad1County figure13.6%54% above
No health insurance1County figure5.3%17% below
Homes with broadband191.5%1% below
05

Life in Union Beach

The nearest National Park Service site is Great Kills Park, about 7 miles away.

Founded or incorporated in 1925. 116 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 10 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents17.5 +72%
Playgrounds per 10k10.5 +12%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k12.3 +10%
Libraries per 10k3.5 4.0×
Named paths and bike trails5 km 2.3×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi2.8 13.4×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Great Kills Park 7 miles
  • Gateway National Recreation Area 9 miles
  • Statue of Liberty National Monument 19 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars29.1 +40%
Shops39.0 +29%
Arts, recreation and fitness7.3 +78%
Doctors' offices and clinics35.0 +73%
Child care centers2.7 +17%

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

Public schools13
1
89% below the median place
Public school students13
630
87% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site11
7.3
76% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureUnion BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13189% below
Public school students1363087% below
Students per teacher1311.923% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure29.140% above
Shops per 10k9County figure39.029% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure7.378% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure35.073% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.717% above
Parks per 10k1017.572% above
Playgrounds per 10k1010.512% above
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1012.310% above
Libraries per 10k103.5302% above
Named paths and bike trails104.5125% above
Transit stops per sq mi102.8above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site117.376% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1118above (median 2)
National Register listings12County figure116above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Good air days is 91.3%, 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 Union Beach. Larger places are fetched first.

Good air days16
91.3%
33% above the median place
Median air quality index16
36
16% below the median place
Heat wave risk15
98.6
9% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureUnion BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure86°F1% below
January average low14County figure24°F4% below
Average temperature14County figure54°F1% below
Annual precipitation14County figure47.6 in9% above
Natural hazard risk15County figure96.34% above
Hurricane risk15County figure93.132% above
Tornado risk15County figure55.132% below
Wildfire risk15County figure88.845% above
Heat wave risk15County figure98.69% above
Median air quality index16County figure3616% below
Good air days16County figure91.3%33% above
08

Union Beach in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 26% of the median income in 2030, up from 26% 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. On projected 2030 affordability, Union Beach does better than 30% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 87%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,567/mo (2024)$3,350/mo$2,750 to $4,080/mo+4.5%
Median household income$119,250 (2024)$152,000$128,500 to $179,500+4.1%
Median home value$460,900 (2024)$684,000$496,000 to $942,000+6.8%
Population5,708 (2025)5,7405,510 to 5,990+0.1%

The median home would be worth 4.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.9 now.

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

09

Places like Union Beach

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

PlaceRentIncome
Coram, NY$2,492$105,220Compare
Bohemia, NY$2,582$125,781Compare
Rocky Point, NY$2,337$127,024Compare
Port Jefferson Station, NY$2,411$120,734Compare
Port Jefferson Station, NYRocky Point, NYBohemia, NYCoram, NYUnion Beach, NJUnion BeachCoramUnion BeachCoram

Places built like Union Beach

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Union Beach performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Union Beach, NJ25.8%6.4%/yr-0.1%
Milltown, NJ10.2%6.8%/yr0.8%Compare
Northfield, NJ19.7%5.1%/yr0.8%Compare
Sound Beach, NY30.4%5.3%/yrn/aCompare
Pennside, PA18.7%3.4%/yrn/aCompare
Lake Carmel, NY17.2%4.1%/yrn/aCompare
Archbald, PA16.1%6.2%/yr3.1%Compare

Common questions

Is Union Beach a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 46 out of 100, better than 46% of the places we rate and 170th of 287 in New Jersey. High pay has not made renting easy. Household income is higher than in 81% of places we track, yet 80% of renters still spend 30% or more of income on rent. On cost, space and class size it scores 80 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Union Beach expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 25.8% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $460,900.

What salary do you need to live in Union Beach?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $102,680 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Union Beach?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Coram, NY, Bohemia, NY, Rocky Point, NY and Port Jefferson Station, 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. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. 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.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 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
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. 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 Union Beach with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Union Beach itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/union-beach-new-jersey

Citytistics. “Union Beach, New Jersey.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/union-beach-new-jersey/

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