Photo: Luigi Novi · CC BY 4.0Union City spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Union City’s city government spent $455.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $6,964 per resident.
What stands out about how Union City is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$7,562 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
Union City’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($7,562 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 New Jersey cities that run their own schools: the median was $4,752, and the middle half spent $4,428–$5,758. Union City spent more than 100% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($11.9 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
New Jersey cities that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Union City itself left out).
About $6,964 per resident a year, or $19.08 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 82% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Union City runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with New Jersey cities that run their own schools.
Day-to-day spending is down 10% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Union City reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $7,562 · 2023: $8,299 · 2024: $6,964.
full-time in March 2025, up from 2,576 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Union City’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Union City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Union City →
Who’s in charge in Union City
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Union City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ucnj.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 25 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (65,366).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Union City School District
Union City’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Union City, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $25,960 per pupil, $13,779 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
New Jersey districts overall: 48% local, 46% state, 6% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Union City.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ucnj.com ↗
- 2New Jersey General AssemblyState representatives
- 3New Jersey SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Jersey
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Union City compares with the towns next door
Union City spent $7,562 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,340 to $4,752. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Weehawken Township | $1,340 | $10,000+ |
| Jersey City | $1,758 | $8,627 |
| Hoboken | $1,927 | $10,000+ |
| North Bergen Township | $2,163 | $8,629 |
| West New York | $4,752 runs schools | $10,000+ |
| Union City | $7,562 | $10,000+ |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Union City’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Union City’s government
How much does Union City spend per resident?
About $6,964 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $7,562 was more than 100% of 15 New Jersey cities that run their own schools.
Who runs Union City’s government?
See ucnj.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Union City yet.
How many people work for Union City?
2,659 full-time and 1,909 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $21.8M (about $261.4M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Union City in the state legislature?
State Senate District 33 (Brian Stack) and General Assembly District 33 (Gabe Rodriguez and Larry Wainstein). The General Assembly district also covers five other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Union City’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →