Union County, NJ

Union County’s tension is measurable income against high carrying costs: Zillow’s median home value is $641,174 and median asking rent is $2,515 per month, for a reported 4.71% gross yield before operating costs. Asking rent grew faster year over year than value. Investigate only where unit rents and expenses can be verified; be cautious where the case depends on appreciation or unusually low operating costs.

At a 1.89% effective property-tax rate, the reported median tax is $10,001, material against gross income but not a property-specific bill. HUD’s $2,205 two-bedroom FMR is a payment standard, not market asking rent, so it cannot substitute in a yield calculation. Zillow and Realtor observations are 2026-06, whereas FHFA’s annual figure is 2025. Its 5.47% gain is a repeat-transaction index, not a home value; it corroborates Zillow’s upward direction but cannot be averaged with it.

Realtor.com’s MLS data show active listings grew 12.39% and median marketing time was 30 days. They show visible asking supply and marketing time—not sale prices or buyer demand by themselves. Outmovers exceeded movers-in by a calculated 1,878 tax-return households, even though arriving households had higher average income, creating an uneven demand signal. Investors represented 13.37% of 3,934 purchases, showing nonowner participation but not bid behavior. The supplied 2025 QCEW annual workplace data name Trade, transportation, and utilities as the largest disclosed private supersector; they are not resident employment or unemployment data.

Modeled climate loss is 0.13% of building value per year and inland flood is the stated dominant hazard; this is modeled expected loss, not an insurance quote or parcel flood determination. Missing parcel flood maps and insurance terms, property-level assessments, operating expenses, vacancy and collections, financing, and closed-sale comparables prevent a net-yield, insurance-adjusted carrying-cost, or resale-liquidity conclusion. Next checks should pair actual unit rent with the tax bill, flood coverage and exclusions, utility and maintenance history, and recent closed comparables.