Photo: Luigi Novi · CC BY 4.0Within New Jersey, Union City is healthier than 7% of graded towns
Union City differs from New Jersey on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 2 better, 18 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Union City. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Union City
3 in 10 working-age adults in Union City have no health insurance
27.9% of adults 18–64 have no health insurance, vs 11.3% across New Jersey. Checkups ↓
More Union City adults get no exercise
2 in 5 adults get no exercise outside work (38.1%), vs 24.8% across New Jersey. Habits ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Union City
3 in 10 adults worry about having enough food (30.5%), about twice the New Jersey rate. Housing insecurity (23.6% vs 12.3%) and no reliable transportation (13.8% vs 7.4%) are higher too. 18.4% of adults receive SNAP, vs 8.4% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the New Jersey figure falls outside Union City’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B−.
What’s behind Union City’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Union City is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns, #433 of 468 in New Jersey. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 68% of U.S. towns); no exercise pulls it down (better than 4%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Union City’s median household income is $64,310; among the 9,791 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($48K–$80K), it’s healthier than 48%, about where its income would put it.
Where Union City compares well: arthritis, 17.4% (U.S. 25.3%); cancer, other than skin cancer, 4.3% (U.S. 7.9%).
Keeping up with care
Share of Union City adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks New Jersey.
Everyday habits, side by side with New Jersey
Share of adults, with the New Jersey figure marked.
1 mile of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
18.4% of Union City adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 8.4% across New Jersey.
Out of every 100 Union City adults…
Union City runs below NJ on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 13% of Union City residents are 65 or older, vs 17% across New Jersey. Arthritis and cancer run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Union City
1 community health center in Union City, plus the nearest just outside it.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Union City; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
How Union City adults are doing
About the same as New Jersey on each measure.
1 in 3 Union City adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Union City and the towns around it
Union City’s Health Grade ranks 6th of 6 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union City | C | 33.6% | 13.8% | 12.9% | CDC place |
| North Bergen Township | B− | 30.4% | 12.8% | 10.8% | ZIP 07047 |
| Weehawken Township | A+ | 24.8% | 7.5% | 8% | ZIP 07086 |
| Jersey City | A− | 26.2% | 9.6% | 10.3% | CDC place |
| West New York | C+ | 32.6% | 13.7% | 12.9% | CDC place |
| Hoboken | A+ | 22.5% | 4.5% | 6.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Union City adults live with a disability (New Jersey 24.8%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Union City
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Union City is better than New Jersey on 2 and worse on 18; on the rest, the New Jersey figure falls inside Union City’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Union City | NJ | U.S. | vs NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 27.6%25.2–30 | 17.1% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.4%14.9–18 | 12.2% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.1%14.5–17.7 | 14.7% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 33.6%29.3–38 | 28.9% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 13.8%12.4–15.3 | 10.9% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 30.5%27.9–33.3 | 32.8% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 37.8%34.9–40.8 | 39.3% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 17.4%15.6–19.3 | 22.2% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 8.5%7.6–9.4 | 8.9% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 4.3%3.9–4.7 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.7%5.2–6.2 | 5.6% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 4.9%4.4–5.4 | 5.1% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 3.2%3–3.4 | 3.1% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 15.5%12.8–18.4 | 9.6% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.9%11.4–14.5 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 38.1%34.6–41.6 | 24.8% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 15.9%13.8–18.2 | 15.5% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 40.8%36.6–45 | 37.5% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 27.9%25.4–30.6 | 11.3% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 73.9%70.8–76.7 | 78% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 49.5%46.3–52.7 | 65.9% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 84.7%83–86.2 | 89.1% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 71.1%68.3–73.7 | 77.2% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 51.1%46.7–55.4 | 63.4% | 65.5% | Worse |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 66.2%59–72.9 | 75.7% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 14.3%12.5–16.3 | 15.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33.6%29.7–37.7 | 32.4% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 26.9%23.8–30.1 | 24% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 30.5%27.4–33.6 | 14.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 23.6%21–26.2 | 12.3% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 12.7%11.2–14.3 | 7% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 13.8%12.3–15.2 | 7.4% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 18.4%16.1–20.7 | 8.4% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 32.9%29.8–35.9 | 24.8% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 15.9%14.3–17.4 | 11.3% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.3%14.7–17.9 | 11.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 6%5.4–6.7 | 5.7% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 9.1%8.4–9.8 | 4.7% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.9%8.1–9.8 | 6.6% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.3%4.9–5.7 | 3.3% | 3.8% | Higher |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the New Jersey figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Union City
Is Union City a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Union City is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns: C for health, #433 of 468 in New Jersey. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 48%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Union City?
CDC estimates 33.6% of adults have obesity, likely between 29.3% and 38%, against 28.9% across New Jersey and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Union City?
Mount Sinai West in New York, 2.3 miles in a straight line from Union City’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Union City have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 27.9% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 25.4–30.6%), against 11.3% across New Jersey.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Union City more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from C− to B−.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Union City.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The New Jersey figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.