What it's like to live in Union City
Union City is a small city in Tennessee with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Union City deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, and a population that has been shrinking.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- Shrinking population
- High poverty rate
- Above-average rainfall
How Union City compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Union City
Based on Union City's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,478
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $29,560 a year
- 35% of Union City renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$29,200
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $14,600
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 48% below US
$739/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $739 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $146,000. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $146,000 · 35% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Obion County is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Obion County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 41% above US
463 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 2138/100k · Union City Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 37% below US
17 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 16.5 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 29°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 42% below US
21% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail (44 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Union City's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($739/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Union City
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