Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 49/100
D+
Median home value$1,104,900
San Francisco $1,140,700
Median rent$2,713/mo
San Francisco $2,474/mo
Cost-burdened households35%
San Francisco 38%
Union City
Alameda County67,464 residentsNew Haven Unified
54
C−
Suburbgrade score
39th of 59 San Francisco suburbs. Strongest on amenities, held back by commute & transport.
54
San Francisco median 60
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for Union City yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 54 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What Union City is like to live in, by category
Bars show Union City against San Francisco. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 53/100
C−
Within-state proficiency68th pct
San Francisco median 73rd pct
Student–teacher ratio24.9
San Francisco median 21.7
Graduation rate89%
San Francisco median 89%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 60/100
C
Housing cost index97
San Francisco 100
Eff. tax rate0.73%
San Francisco 0.73%
Local sales tax10.75%
San Francisco median 9.75%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 43/100
D
Mean commute31.9 min
San Francisco 31.0 min
Under 30 minutes45%
San Francisco 52%
Transit stops / sq mi12
San Francisco median 8.8 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 72/100
B−
Restaurants & cafés60
San Francisco median 64 · within 2 miles
Groceries6
San Francisco median 7 · within 2 miles
Parks51
San Francisco median 59 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 52/100
D+
Median household income$133,715
San Francisco $136,027
Unemployment5.3%
San Francisco 5.7%
Professional occupations50%
San Francisco 56%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
—
No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for Union City yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
—
Do you feel safe walking after dark?
—
Can you walk to a grocery store?
—
Is it good for young children?
—
Are yards and streets well kept?
—
Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than Union City on commute & transport
Union City's weakest grade is D. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbCommuteOverall
Menlo Park11 mi from Union CityB+ 64 C+ North Fair Oaks13 mi from Union CityB+ 63 C+ San Carlos15 mi from Union CityB 74 B Redwood City12 mi from Union CityB− 61 C East Palo Alto11 mi from Union CityB− 54 C− Berkeley24 mi from Union CityB− 66 C+ Mean commute: ACS 2020–24 · Commuting under 30 minutes: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in Union City
Is Union City, CA a good place to live?
Union City scores 54 out of 100, 39th of 59 San Francisco suburbs. It is strongest on amenities and weakest on commute & transport. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is Union City expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades C. The median home is $1,104,900, 3% below the San Francisco median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.73%. $2,713/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in Union City?
Schools grade C−. The districts serving Union City sit at the 68th pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 89% graduation rate and a 24.9 student–teacher ratio. Union City is served by New Haven Unified. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from Union City?
The mean commute is 31.9 min, with 45% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 19% working from home. Transit density is 12 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in Union City?
Within two miles there are 6 groceries, 60 restaurants and cafés and 51 parks, which grades B− on amenities.
Are the homes in Union City old or new?
The median home in Union City was built in 1980 — newer than the San Francisco median of 1968. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 70% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.
Six San Francisco lists
Best San Francisco suburbs for familiesMost affordable San Francisco suburbsBest San Francisco suburbs for schoolsShortest commutes to Downtown San FranciscoMost walkable San Francisco suburbsBest San Francisco suburbs for young professionalsCompare Union City
Every San Francisco suburb, side by side