Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2023 Population

117,656

0.0034% 1-year decline

US Senator

Cory Booker

Democratic Party

US Senator

Andy Kim

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

37.5

0% 1-year change

2023 Poverty Rate

9.13%

5.7% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$127,979

3.91% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$651,200

5.42% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

56,725

9.89% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ had a population of 118k people with a median age of 37.5 and a median household income of $127,979. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ declined from 117,660 to 117,656, a −0.0034% decrease and its median household income grew from $123,169 to $127,979, a 3.91% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ are White (Non-Hispanic) (41.7%), Other (Hispanic) (21.3%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (17%), Two+ (Hispanic) (6.69%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (5.48%).

37.9% of the households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

82.7% of the residents in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ are JFK Muhlenberg Harold B. and Dorothy A. Snyder Schools (182 degrees awarded in 2022) and Union County Vocational Technical School (57 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was $651,200, and the homeownership rate was 64.9%.

Most people in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 33.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was 2 cars per household.

Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ borders Middlesex County (Northwest)--North Piscataway & South Plainfield PUMA, NJ, Somerset County (Central)--Bridgewater, Somerville & North Plainfield PUMA, NJ, Union County (Northwest)--Summit & Cranford PUMA, NJ, and Union County (Southeast)--Linden, Rahway & Roselle PUMA, NJ.

United States New Jersey

Population & Diversity

Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ is home to a population of 118k people, from which 82.7% are citizens. As of 2023, 27.2% of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ residents were born outside of the country (32.1k people).

In 2023, there were 1.96 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (49.1k people) in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ than any other race or ethnicity. There were 25k Other (Hispanic) and 20k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary langauge in households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ are Spanish (30,271 households), Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (1,130 households), and Portuguese (991 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

56,486

Women

49.2%

58,432

Men

50.8%

The resident population of United States in 2022 was 114,918 inhabitants, with 50.8% men, and 49.2% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in the United States.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

82.7%

2023 Citizenship

84.5%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 82.7% of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was 84.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ

White (Non-Hispanic)
49.1k ± 1.5k
Other (Hispanic)
25k ± 1.85k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
20k ± 1.4k

31.4%

Hispanic Population

36.9k people

31.4% of the people in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ are hispanic (36.9k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Guatemala
4,949 ± 1,690 people
El Salvador
3,543 ± 1,439 people
Honduras
1,653 ± 991 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was Guatemala, the natal country of 4,949 Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ residents, followed by El Salvador with 3,543 and Honduras with 1,653.

Foreign-Born Population

27.2%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

32.1k people

25.3%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

29.8k people

As of 2023, 27.2% of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ residents (32.1k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was 25.3%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
30,271 households (27.6%)
Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)
1,130 households (1.03%)
Portuguese
991 households (0.905%)

37.9% of the households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is higher than the national average of 22%. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

In 2023, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was Spanish. 27.6% of the households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,063 ± 255
Gulf War (2001-)
373 ± 146
Gulf War (1990s)
299 ± 129

Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.85 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ employs 56.7k people. The largest industries in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ are Elementary & secondary schools (4,319 people), Construction (3,741 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (2,200 people), and the highest paying industries are Other personal services ($430,866), Nondepository credit & related activities ($299,025), and Periodical, book, & directory publishers ($262,696).

Males in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ have an average income that is 1.44 times higher than the average income of females, which is $86,987. The income inequality in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ (measured using the Gini index) is 0.53, which is higher than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

22,364

Women

45.9%

26,332

Men

54.1%

The workforce of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ in 2020 was 48,696 people, with 45.9% woman, and 54.1% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Occupations

56.7k

2022 Value

9.89%

1 Year growth

± 9.89%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ grew at a rate of 9.89%, from 51.6k employees to 56.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ, are Other managers (1,919 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (1,348 people), and Construction laborers (1,271 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in New Jersey (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

56.7k

2022 Value

9.89%

1 Year growth

± 9.89%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ grew at a rate of 9.89%, from 51.6k employees to 56.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ, are Elementary & secondary schools (4,319 people), Construction (3,741 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (2,200 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ, though some of these residents may live in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$69,952

Median earning men ± $4,822

$47,658

Median earning women ± $4,391

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($216,343), Information ($153,516), and Manufacturing ($87,340).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($113,036), Information ($82,700), and Public Administration ($82,048).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Jersey.

Y-Axis

2.27%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.24M people employed in New Jersey. This represents a 2.27% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 16.5%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in New Jersey.

Education

In 2022, universities in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ awarded 239 degrees. The student population of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 165 male students and 525 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ are White (77 and 32.2%), followed by Black or African American (63 and 26.4%), Hispanic or Latino (53 and 22.2%), and Asian (19 and 7.95%).

The largest universities in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ by number of degrees awarded are JFK Muhlenberg Harold B. and Dorothy A. Snyder Schools (182 and 76.2%) and Union County Vocational Technical School (57 and 23.8%).

The most popular majors in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ are Registered Nursing (167 and 69.9%), Electrician (24 and 10%), and General Cosmetology (22 and 9.21%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

Measure

In 2022 in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ, the percentage of applicants admitted was 100%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 100%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 690 (23.9% men and 76.1% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 690 students enrolled in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ, 23.9% men and 76.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 204 records, of which 76.5% were women and 23.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
167 degrees awarded
Diagnostic Medical Sonography & Ultrasound Technician
8 degrees awarded
Radiographer
7 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for 2 to 4 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was Registered Nursing with 167 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 2 to 4 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

JFK Muhlenberg Harold B. and Dorothy A. Snyder Schools
182 degrees awarded
Union County Vocational Technical School
57 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was JFK Muhlenberg Harold B. and Dorothy A. Snyder Schools with 182 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 60 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ, which is 0.335 times less than the 179 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 77 degrees mean that there were 1.22 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 63 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($6,420) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($18,496) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 2-year ($789) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2022, 1.3% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.49% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ in 2022 were Bachelors Degree (23.3k), High School or Equivalent (18.6k), and Graduate Degree (16.6k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was $651,200 in 2023, which is 2.15 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $617,700 to $651,200, a 5.42% increase. The homeownership rate in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ is 64.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ have an average commute time of 33.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ is $127,979. In 2023, the PUMA with the highest Median Household Income in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was Bergen County (Central)--Ridgewood Village, Glen Rock & Westwood PUMA, NJ with a value of $192,020, followed by Essex County (Southwest)--West Orange & Livingston PUMA, NJ and Somerset County (North & West) PUMA, NJ, with respective values of $175,885 and $174,167.

Housing

Property

$651,200

Median Property Value 2023

±$13,668

$24,953

Median Property Taxes

±$971

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

64.9%

Homeownership

2023

60.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 64.9% of the housing units in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 65.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2023, the PUMA with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was Bergen County (Central)--Ridgewood Village, Glen Rock & Westwood PUMA, NJ with a value of $192,020, followed by Essex County (Southwest)--West Orange & Livingston PUMA, NJ and Somerset County (North & West) PUMA, NJ, with respective values of $175,885 and $174,167.

The following map shows all of the PUMAs in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$127,979

Median Household Income

± $7,228

38.5k

Number of Households

± 1,499

In 2023, the median household income of the 38.5k households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ grew to $127,979 from the previous year's value of $123,169.

The following chart displays the households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

0.53

2022 Wage GINI in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ

0.531

2021 Wage GINI in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ

In 2022, the income inequality in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was 0.53 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.181% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ was higher than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (58%)
Worked At Home (18.5%)
Other (8.91%)

In 2023, 58% of workers in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (18.5%) and those who used some unspecified means to get work (8.91%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

33.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ have a longer commute time (33.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 6.56% of the workforce in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

9.13% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ (10.6k out of 116k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 35 - 44 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ is Hispanic, followed by Other and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

86.2% of the population of Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ has health coverage, with 53% on employee plans, 15.3% on Medicaid, 10.1% on Medicare, 7.35% on non-group plans, and 0.444% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in New Jersey see 1181 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.854% increase from the previous year (1171 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1168 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 370 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Jersey.

1,181 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in New Jersey

Primary care physicians in New Jersey see an average of 1,181 patients per year. This represents a 0.854% increase from the previous year (1,171 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in New Jersey in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 29.3% under 18 years, 17.7% between 18 and 34 years, 40% between 35 and 64 years, and 13% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

13.8%

Uninsured

53%

Employer Coverage

15.3%

Medicaid

10.1%

Medicare

7.35%

Non-Group

0.444%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ grew by 5.48% from 13.1% to 13.8%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Union County (Southwest)--Plainfield & Westfield PUMA, NJ changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.