ECONOMIC & DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE 2021
Prepared by UCEDC for Union County Board of Commissioners
75 CHESTNUT STREET, CRANFIRD, NJ 07016 908-527-1166/[email protected] WWW.UCEDC.COM
UCEDC, a non-profit economic development corporation, is dedicated to stimulating economic growth for small businesses throughout Union County by providing them with resources and solutions for business expansion. Since 1977, UCEDC has helped entrepreneurs open their doors and assisted established businesses expand into new markets through innovative lending, comprehensive training initiatives and government procurement programs.
Financing Access to capital is often a business owner’s largest hurdle. We offer a variety of financing programs to meet your needs at every stage of your business’s growth. As an SBA lender, we offer loans from $500 to $5.5 million through the microloan, Community Advantage 7(a) and 504 financing programs. Speak to our experienced staff to find the option that meets your needs.
Government Contracting Federal, state and local government agencies spend billions of dollars each year buying goods and services from small businesses, just like yours. UCEDC can help you break into this lucrative market through free specialized training programs, one-on-one counseling services, and assistance in preparing bids and contract management.
Training Whether you’re looking for short presentations, day-long workshops, or intensive courses, UCEDC has the training and technical assistance you need to succeed. Our training professionals will help you master a wide variety of business and financial topics.
Business Tools UCEDC produces a wide array of Union County business resource reports to provide you with the insights you need to make smart decisions. Market data, commercial real estate information, demographic analyses, and comprehensive contact lists for business advocacy organizations and agencies are just a few of the vital reports you’ll find, free of charge.
Due to businesses operating on modified schedules because of the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the latest information and figures were not available at the publication of this report.
Table of Contents
This report was compiled to provide a quick overview of the major demographic and economic factors impacting Union County today.
Please Note: Data sources are provided at the end of the report to allow for a more indepth exploration.
County Government ...... 1
Population ...... 2
Education ...... 3
Labor Force/Employment ...... 4
Commercial Property …………………….…....5
Housing ...... 6
Transportation ...... 7
Community Life ...... 9
Data Sources ………………………………….. 10
COUNTY GOVERNMENT
Union County operates under a County Manager form of government provided under the Optional County Charter Law of 1975. The Board of Commissioners is comprised of nine members elected to three-year terms with three Commissioners running for election each year. The board appoints the county manager to administer the day-to-day operation of county government, which consists of eight (8) major departments and Cornerstone Behavioral Health Hospital of Union County in Berkeley Heights.
Union County Board of Commissioners: County Budget, 2021
Alexander Mirabella, Chair $519,836,107.36
Rebecca Williams, Vice Chair
Angela R. Garretson Source: Union County Department of Finance Sergio Granados Christopher Hudak Bette Jane Kowalski County Bond Rating Lourdes Leon Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded Aaa by Moody’s Bond Records - March 2021 Andrea Staten
Source: Union County Department of Finance For more information, go to
www.ucnj.org/commissioners
Registered Voters: Union County Manager Edward Oatman Unaffiliated 122,614 For more information, please contact: Democrat 176,484 The Office Communications & Public Information Republican 56,378 Union County Administration Building Libertarian 996 10 Elizabethtown Plaza Green Party 613 Elizabeth, NJ 07207 Conservative Party 972 (908) 527-4419 Reform Party 139 www.ucnj.org U.S. Constitution Party 1,132 Total 359,328
Source: Union County Board of Elections 2021
Source: Union County Board of Elections 2014
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POPULATION Union County has an estimated population of 556,341, and is among the most densely populated counties in New Jersey with a population density of 5,216 persons per square mile. Union County’s population is racially, ethically and culturally diverse. According to the 2019 Census, about 63.9% of Union County’s residents were Hispanic/Latino, African- American, Asian or multi-racial.
Union County/ NJ State Comparisons 2000 2019 Union County New Jersey Union County New Jersey Population 522,541 8,414,350 556,341 8,882,190 Median Household Income $55,339 $65,266 $77,095 $79,363 Persons below poverty 4.2% 8.5% 7.8% 9.5% Persons per square mile 5,059 1,189 5,216 1,196 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000-2019
Population Characteristics, 2000 - 2019
AGE DISTRIBUTION 2000 2019 Under 5 36,441 6.9 35,278 6.3 5-19 105,205 20.1 109,649 19.6 20-24 29,764 5.7 35,353 6.3 25-34 75,189 14.4 71,926 12.9 35-44 88,398 16.9 77,349 13.9 45-64 115,503 22.1 151,803 27.2 65-84 62,672 12 64,057 11.1 85 and Over 9,369 1.8 11,905 2.1 Total Population 522,541 556,341
RACE 2000 2019 White 342,302 65.5 315,421 56.6 Black 108,593 20.8 117,852 21.7 Hispanic (any race) 103,011 19.7 171,189 30.1 Asian 19,993 3.8 27,503 4.9 Multi-Racial 16,960 6.4 9,176 1.6 Native American 1,215 3.2 3,427 0.6
GENDER 2000 2019 Female 267,663 51.2 285,713 51.3 Male 254,387 48.7 271,607 48.7 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 - 2018
Municipal Populations, 2019 Municipality 2019 Municipality 2019 Municipality 2019 Berkeley Heights 13,363 Clark 15,911 Cranford 24,054 Elizabeth 129,216 Fanwood 7,697 Garwood 4,521 Hillside 21,967 Kenilworth 8,191 Linden 42,361 Mountainside 6,885 New Providence 13,595 Plainfield 50,317 Rahway 29,895 Roselle 21,811 Roselle Park 13,588 Scotch Plains 24,274 Springfield 17,464 Summit 21,897 Union 58,488 Westfield 29,512 Winfield 1,503 Source: US Census 2019
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EDUCATION
Public Schools (2020) Private Education (2020) There are 20 public schools districts in Union County There are 60 non-public schools in the county Elementary School (PreK-5) 77 Kindergarten 20 Middle/High School (6-12) 42 Elementary School (PreK-5) 25 Elementary/Middle School combined 41 Elementary/Middle School 4 Vocational Technical Schools 8 Middle/High School (6-12) 7 Charter Schools 5 Elementary/High School combined 4
Education Notes: •The average cost of education per student (K-12) for the 2019/2020 school year: $17,028 •Total public school enrollment (2019-2020): 95,349
Source: NJ Department of Education, 2020
Child Care Facilities in Union County As of May 2021, there were 181 licensed child care centers with an enrollment capacity of 17,450 children. In addition, there were 62 registered family child care providers with an enrollment capacity of 310 children.
Source: Marge Zarkowski, Community Coordinated Childcare of Union County, personal communication, May 17, 2021
Institutions of Higher Education within Union County School Town Total Web Address Enrollment Kean University Union 16,000 www.kean.edu Union County College Cranford, Elizabeth 8,298 www.ucc.edu Plainfield, Rahway & Scotch Plains Source: Kean University & Union County College, 2020
Institutions of Higher Education within 20 miles of Union County School Town Total Enrollment Web Address Bloomfield College Bloomfield 1,800 www.bloomfield.edu Caldwell University Caldwell 2,020 www.caldwell.edu Drew University Madison 2,000 www.drew.edu Essex County College Newark 10,496 www.essex.edu Fairleigh Dickinson University Madison 11,594 www.fdu.edu Hudson County Community College Jersey City 18,000 www.hccc.edu Middlesex County College Edison 10,085 www.middlesexcc.edu Montclair State University Montclair 21,005 www.montclair.edu New Jersey City University Jersey City 8,000 www.njcu.edu New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark 11,400 www.njit.edu Pillar College Newark Unavailable www.pillar.edu Rutgers University-Newark Newark 13,600 www.rutgers.edu Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick 50,200 www.rutgers.edu Seton Hall University South Orange 9,815 www.shu.edu Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken 7,257 www.stevens.edu St. Elizabeth University Morristown 1,411 www.steu.edu St. Peter’s University Jersey City 3,197 www.saintpeters.edu Source: State of New Jersey, Office of the Secretary of Higher Education and websites of colleges/universities
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LABOR FORCE & EMPLOYMENT
Union County and New Jersey Unemployment Rates as of March 2021 Unemployed Civilian Labor Force Civilian Labor Force Unemployment Rate Union County 271,600 21,800 8.0% New Jersey 4,436,700 344,000 7.8%
Employment by Industry, 2020 Number Percent TOTAL 181,653 Health Care 29,676 16.0 Retail Trade 26,336 14.5 Public Sector 29,007 16.0 Manufacturing 18,185 10.0 Administrative/Support 15,167 8.3 Professional/Technical 15,387 8.5 Wholesale Trade 10,562 5.8 Construction 9,142 5.0 Finance/Insurance 6,215 3.4 Other 21,976 12.1 Source: New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development, Bureau of Labor Force Statistics, 2020
Largest Non-Government Businesses in Union County by Employment Firm Location Nature of Business Employees Merck & Co. Kenilworth & Pharmaceuticals 4,000 Rahway Overlook Hospital Summit Hospital 3,700 Trinitas Regional Medical Center Elizabeth Hospital 2,300 Blue Apron Linden Meal Service 2,000 Nokia New Providence Telecommunication 1,800 Phillips 66 Bayway Linden Refinery 1,000 Summit Medical Group Various locations Medical Practice 1,000 Source: UCEDC Major Employers Report, 2020 Please Note: The number of employees shown above is approximate.
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COMMERCIAL PROPERTY
Nearly Completed Major Development Projects
Municipality Project Name $ Value Expected Date of Completion Elizabeth Vinty 100 Million Summer 2021
Linden Meridia Lifestyles II 40 Million 2021
Elizabeth FreezPak 34 Million Fall 2021
Springfield Evergreen Theranostics 2.5 2021
Source: UCEDC Major Development Projects Report, 2021. To see major projects that are proposed, in progress or completed, click here.
Major Industrial/Office Parks in Union County Name Address City Management Phone# Company Connell Corporate I, II, III & IV 200 Connell Drive Berkeley Connell Realty & Dev 908-673-3736 Heights Co. Lee Martino Cranford Business Parks #1 14-25 Commerce Drive Cranford Signature Acquisitions 201-470-5200 Eric Zabarkus Cranford Business Parks #2 65 Jackson Drive Cranford Signature Acquisitions 201-470-5200 Eric Zabarkus Cranford Office & Industrial Park Commerce Drive Cranford Signature Acquisitions 201-470-5200 Eric Zabarkus Liberty Hall Corporate Center Morris and North Union Colliers International 732-807-0400 Avenue Morris Plaza I & II Morris Avenue Union M. Alfieri Co. 732-491-4200 Murray Hill Office Park South Street and New Kislak Commercial 908-447-6022 Central Avenue Providence Real Estate Services Stephen Gianis
Office Evolution - Clark 100 Walnut Avenue Clark Office Evolution Dianna Kopolow 908-280-5699 Office Evolution - Summit 350 Springfield Avenue Summit Office Evolution Deborah Barbella 908-356-6326
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HOUSING
Housing Summary, 2019 2019 Union County New Jersey
Housing units 203,054 3,641,812 Homeownership rate 58.6% 63.9% Median value of owner-occupied housing units $367,200 $335,600 Households 188,987 3,213,362 Persons per household 2.89 2.71 Source: US Census Bureau - Census 2019
Housing Prices and Real Estate Taxes, Union County Municipality Average Average Average Average Sale Price Sale Price Taxes Taxes 2016 2020 2016 2019 Berkeley Heights 581,913 584,134 12,311 13,079 Clark 432,217 455,331 9,866 10,674 Cranford 438,883 497,697 10,845 11,995 Elizabeth 255,238 339,462 9,626 9,962 Fanwood 436,123 490,090 11,722 12,522 Garwood 395,841 428,888 9,613 10,363 Hillside 227,954 302,438 9,171 9,354 Kenilworth 321,812 373,889 8,601 9,161 Linden 259,823 321,752 8,686 9,068 Mountainside 624,515 623,234 12,038 12,426
New Providence 592,062 599,629 13,612 14,486
Plainfield 273,096 298,380 8,525 9,014
Rahway 240,880 292,213 8,424 9,078
Roselle 183,949 266,035 9,523 9,900
273,320 305,487 9,649 10,171 Roselle Park Scotch Plains 507,464 530,904 12,804 13,687 Springfield 362,616 438,795 10,852 11,078 Summit 988,205 1,038,972 17,580 18,224 Union 290,737 345,093 8,548 9,100 Westfield 756,949 804,266 16,283 17,096 Winfield Not Available Not Available 395 3,669
Source: NJ Department of Treasury - Division of Taxation
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TRANSPORTATION
Major Highways in Union County Highway Direction of Union County Travel Exits Garden State Parkway (Toll North & South 8 Road) New Jersey Turnpike (Toll Road) North & South 2 Interstate 78 East & West 8 Interstate 278 East & West 2 US Routes 1&9 North & South Ample US Route 22 East & West Ample Source: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Travel Times and Distances Destination Distance (miles) Drive Time (min.) Midtown Manhattan, NY 16-30 30-60 Newark International Airport 0-18 5-35 Downtown Philadelphia, PA 72-84 100-120 Source: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Rail & Bus Services Passenger Lines (click here) - There are 4 major lines which serve Union County: the Northeast Corridor Line, the Raritan Valley Line, the North Jersey Coast Line, and the Morris & Essex Line (which includes the Gladstone Line & Morristown Line). Bus Routes (click here) - There are several bus routes that serve Union County.
Freight Lines - The Chemical Coast, Conrail, Lehigh Line of Conrail, Northeast Corridor, and the Raritan Valley Line.
ExpressRail - The ExpressRail On-Dock Cargo Transfer Facility at Port Elizabeth is a daily rail service that connects the Port and Union County to all Midwest and Canadian markets. Source: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Air Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) – EWR is one of the most modern, efficient, fastest-growing airports in the world. Almost half of the airport is located within Union County boundaries. The number of passengers passing through Newark Airport in 2019 was more than 46 million (This includes domestic, international, commuter and regional passengers). Source: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Linden Municipal Airport – Linden Airport provides a vital transportation link in the Union County infrastructure. The airport is a federal-designated reliever facility for Newark Liberty and operates a full-service facility. The airport is home to approximately 23 aircraft and close to 57,000 arrivals and departures each year. Source: Airport IQ 5010
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Sea Port - Port Elizabeth Port Elizabeth is the largest containerized, deep-water shipping terminal on the East Coast.
Facts about Port Newark/Elizabeth: •2,230 acres/902.4 hectares of maritime property •41,000 linear feet/12,496.8 meter of berthing space •Accommodates 3,700 vessels annually •3.3 million containers, approximately, handled each year •U.S. Foreign Trade Zone No. 49 is the largest foreign trade zone in the U.S. with 3,587 contiguous acres and over 6 million sq. ft. for storage and distribution. Elizabeth Port, NJ
Port Activity: NY/NJ General Cargo Tonnage Volume Year Total Imports Exports 2019 41,251,000 29,871,000 11,380,000 2018 41,297,000 29,898,000 11,399,000 Source: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Port Activity: NY/NJ Containers/Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit's Year Containers TEU's 2019 4,238,107 7,471,131 2018 4,095,454 7,179,788 Source: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
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COMMUNITY LIFE
Hospitals Located in Union County Hospital Municipality Number of beds Overlook (Acute Care) Summit 504 RWJ at Rahway (Acute) Rahway 251 Trinitas Regional Medical Center (Acute Care) Elizabeth 407 Summit Oaks Hospital (Psychiatric) Summit 126 *Each municipality has a rescue squad and/or emergency medical service that serves the population of each town. Source: State of New Jersey Department of Health, Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing (2019)
Parks & Recreation Union County is a rich and diverse region that boasts thirty-six parks, spanning 6,200 acres. These woodlands and open spaces comprise approximately 8.5 percent of the County’s total land.
Major Parks, Recreation and Facilities in Union County Park Name Town(s) Park Name Town(s) Black Brook Park Kenilworth Lenape Park Cranford/Kenilworth/Springfield/Union/ Westfield Briant Park Summit Madison Ave Park Rahway Cedar Brook Park Plainfield/S. Plainfield Mattano Park Elizabeth Echo Lake Park Mountainside/Westfield McConnell Park Cranford Elizabeth River Parkway Hillside/Union Milton Lake Park Clark/Rahway Chatfield Hillside/Union Nomahegan Park Cranford Lightning Brook Hillside/Union Oak Ridge Park Clark/Edison Pruden/Pearl Oval Elizabeth Passaic River Parkway Berkeley Heights/New Providence/Summit Salem Hillside/Union Phil Rizzuto Park Union/Elizabeth Woodruff Hillside/Union Rahway River Parkway Clark/Rahway
Green Brook Park Plainfield/N. Plainfield Sperry Park Cranford Hanson Park Cranford Unami Park Cranford/Garwood/Westfield Esposito Park Clark Ponderosa Park Scotch Plains Houdaille Quarry Springfield Warinaco Park Elizabeth/Roselle Kawameeh Park Union Wheeler Park Linden
Other Recreation Areas in Union County Golf Courses & Recreational Areas Towns
Ashbrook Golf Course (18 Regulation Holes) Scotch Plains
Galloping Hill Golf Course (27 Regulation Holes) Kenilworth, Union Berkeley Hts., Mountainside
Watchung Reservation Scotch Plains, Springfield, Summit Watchung Stables Mountainside Hyatt Hills Golf Course (18 Holes) Clark
Scotch Hills Country Club (9 Holes) Scotch Plains Galloping Hill Golf Course, Kenilworth, NJ Summit Municipal Golf Course (9 Holes) Summit There are a number of other private and public facilities offering a variety of recreational activities throughout the county.
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Resource List
County of Union, New Jersey (2021) Hospitals. State of New Jersey Department of Health (2020) Union County Board of Commissioners: www.state.nj.us/health/healthfacilities/ www.ucnj.org/commissioners Division of Parks & Recreation (2020). Union County Parks: County of Union, New Jersey (2021). Union County Budget: www.ucnj.org/parks-activities/ www.ucnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2021-Adopted- Budget.pdf Air Port Information (2019) Newark Liberty International: County of Union, New Jersey (2021). County Registered Voters: www.panynj.gov/airports/general-information.html www.ucnj.org/boe/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2021/05/main.pdf Linden Municipal: www.airportiq5010.com/5010Web/dashboard/basedaircraft Union County Population. U.S. Census Bureau (2019): www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/unioncountynewjersey,NJ/PST Port Activity (2019). NY/NJ Port Authority: 045219 www.panynj.gov/port/en/our-port/facts-and-figures.html
Union County/NJ State Comparisons. U.S. Census Bureau (2019): Facts about Port Newark/Elizabeth (2019). NY/NJ Port Authority: www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/34039,00 www.panynj.gov/port/ftz-facts-features.html
Population Characteristics, 2000 - 2019 Employment (2019). New Jersey Department of Labor (2019): U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 - 2019 http://lwd.state.nj.us/lpaapp/app www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045214/00 Housing (Average Residential Sale Prices) Municipal Populations. U.S. Census Bureau (2019): NJ State Department of Treasury (2020): www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045214/00 http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/lpt/statdata.shtml
Education. New Jersey Department of Education (2019-2020): Housing (Average Real Estate Taxes - NJ State Department of www.state.nj.us/education/data Treasury (2019): http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/lpt/statdata.shtml Child Care Facilities in Union County. Marge Zarowski, Community Coordinated Childcare of Union County, personal communication, Union County Employment by industry (2019): May 17, 2021. http://lwd.state.nj.us/labor/lpa/employ/emp_index.html
Average Cost of Education per student. NJ Department of Education Labor Force and Unemployment (2019): (2019): http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/lpa/employ/uirate/lfest_index.html www.state.nj.us/education/data/
Institutes of Higher Education in Union County (2020): www.kean.edu/about and www.ucc.edu/discover-union
Institutes of Higher Education within 20 miles (2020): www.nj.gov/highereducation/colleges/schools_county.shtml
Union County and New Jersey Unemployment Rates (2021) http://www.lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/lpa/employ/uirate/lfest_index.ht ml
Employment by Industry (2020) www.nj.gov/labor/lpa/reports/datareports_index.html
Largest Non-Government Business in Union County by Employment: UCEDC Major Employers List (2019)
Top Nearly Completed Major Development Projects: UCEDC Major Development Report (2020)
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75 CHESTNUT STREET, CRANFORD, NJ 07016 908-527-1166/[email protected] WWW.UCEDC.COM