Jobs, pay and daily life in Union City, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Union City is a city in Tennessee with 10,982 residents. The median household earns $50,870 a year and the median rent is $739 a month, which is 17.4% of the median household income. The nearest metropolitan area with BLS wage data is Jackson, TN (84,530 jobs), about 39 miles away; this place is probably not part of it, so its pay tables are a reference only.
How Union City compares. Among the 80 largest places in Tennessee, Union City is #61 by population, #79 for remote work (#1 = most), #3 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #65 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Obion County, is #63 of 95 counties for average pay ($47,932).
Union City has 10,982 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Tennessee. It covers 12 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 907 people per square mile. The median age is 37.4, 4% younger than the state median (37.4 against 38.9).
The median gross rent is $739 a month (rent plus utilities), 38% below the state median ($739 against $1,189). Over a year that is 17.4% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $146,000, which is 2.9 times the median household income ($50,870); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 53.0% of households own their home, 21% below the state average (53.0% against 66.9%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The nearest metropolitan area with wage data is Jackson, TN, metropolitan area has 84,530 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $44,790 a year, 12% below the national median ($44,790 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are production (11,040 jobs, median $45,250); office and administrative support (9,920 jobs, median $42,750); transportation and material moving (9,240 jobs, median $39,550). The area is most specialised in production (2.4 times) and transportation and material moving (1.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are healthcare practitioners and technical ($65,370) and production ($45,250). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Obion County was 3.2%. 57.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Obion County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 77.3% drive alone, 0.2% use public transit, 1.8% walk, 2.5% work from home. 10.1% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 34% below the state average (10.1% against 15.2%).
20.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 33% below the state share (20.8% against 31.1%). 5.8% of residents were born outside the United States, 5% below the state share (5.8% against 6.1%). The poverty rate is 23.5%, 71% above the state rate (23.5% against 13.8%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 79°F (26.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 35°F (1.8°C). About 1,288 mm (51 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (133 mm) and Aug the driest (82 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Martin (13 miles, rent 16% higher); Mayfield (31 miles, rent 13% lower); Dyersburg (32 miles, rent 6% higher); Milan (39 miles, rent 9% higher). Rent differences are against Union City; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Tennessee (395) →State guide: TennesseeCountry guideObion CountyTennessee rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 395 federal postings open in Tennessee (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Tennessee →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,410 | 1.50 | $36,710 | $29,780 | $46,560 | -9% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,390 | 1.13 | $30,990 | $22,660 | $47,150 | -12% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,370 | 1.13 | $26,360 | $21,520 | $33,220 | -16% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 2,280 | 0.97 | $31,120 | $28,030 | $36,170 | -13% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,930 | 1.05 | $75,610 | $57,840 | $91,680 | -22% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 1,890 | 2.48 | $40,340 | $33,710 | $48,500 | -10% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,870 | 1.67 | $55,160 | $37,530 | $76,110 | -6% |
| Cashiers | 1,780 | 1.06 | $27,690 | $19,940 | $33,440 | -16% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,470 | 0.95 | $34,410 | $29,070 | $46,470 | -8% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,220 | 0.64 | $98,040 | $48,490 | $210,440 | -7% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,170 | 0.87 | $37,750 | $23,970 | $55,280 | -16% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,080 | 1.38 | $36,900 | $29,800 | $39,880 | -13% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 1,080 | 2.07 | $38,100 | $29,790 | $55,430 | -17% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,040 | 1.25 | $48,080 | $32,220 | $65,140 | -3% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 1,040 | 1.33 | $61,270 | $40,550 | $98,230 | -12% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 970 | 0.69 | $38,680 | $29,790 | $55,950 | -14% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 930 | 0.76 | $20,490 | $15,080 | $45,530 | -42% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 890 | 1.18 | $51,470 | $42,850 | $63,530 | -20% |
| Production Workers, All Other | 870 | 6.33 | $45,500 | $32,030 | $60,000 | +13% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 850 | 1.10 | $29,190 | $22,680 | $39,320 | -21% |
These figures are for the nearest metropolitan area with wage data, Jackson, TN, about 39 miles away. They show what the regional labour market pays; they are not a measure of this city.
Median pay across all occupations: $44,790 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.7% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 28.5% |
| Education and health care | 21.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.5% |
| Retail trade | 9.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.0% |
| Public administration | 6.6% |
| Other services | 5.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.2% |
| Construction | 2.9% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 2.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.3% |
| Information | 1.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.2% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Union City lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obion County | 30,453 | $1,688 million | $55,425 | 12,200 | 751 | $47,932 | +0.1% | 3.2% | 13,652 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3,757 | 42.3% | $54,419 | 3.75 |
| Retail trade | 1,636 | 18.4% | $36,046 | 1.34 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,026 | 11.6% | $20,072 | 0.92 |
| Construction | 539 | 6.1% | $62,955 | 0.84 |
| Wholesale trade | 393 | 4.4% | $64,339 | 0.82 |
| Administrative and waste services | 372 | 4.2% | $48,733 | 0.52 |
| Finance and insurance | 312 | 3.5% | $63,898 | 0.63 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 247 | 2.8% | $46,448 | 1.20 |
| Professional and technical services | 188 | 2.1% | $66,810 | 0.22 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 164 | 1.8% | $41,319 | 0.45 |
| Real estate and rental | 97 | 1.1% | $56,358 | 0.51 |
| Management of companies | 74 | 0.8% | $87,629 | 0.36 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 51 | 0.6% | $42,965 | 0.52 |
| Information | 18 | 0.2% | $47,133 | 0.08 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 77.3% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 1.8% |
| Work from home | 2.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 10.1% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $50,870 |
| Income per person | $25,466 |
| Median gross rent per month | $739 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 17.4% |
| Median home value | $146,000 |
| Homeowners | 53.0% |
| Poverty rate | 23.5% |
| Price level of the nearest metro area (US = 100) | 85.5 |
| Nearest metro median pay, all occupations | $44,790 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 37.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 83.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 20.8% |
| Born abroad | 5.8% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 57.5% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.8 | 35 | 89 |
| Feb | 3.5 | 38 | 114 |
| Mar | 9.1 | 48 | 121 |
| Apr | 14.8 | 59 | 127 |
| May | 19.8 | 68 | 133 |
| Jun | 24.2 | 76 | 92 |
| Jul | 26.0 | 79 | 107 |
| Aug | 26.2 | 79 | 82 |
| Sep | 22.6 | 73 | 85 |
| Oct | 15.5 | 60 | 106 |
| Nov | 8.7 | 48 | 107 |
| Dec | 3.7 | 39 | 125 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin | TN | 13 mi | 10,915 | $43,381 | $859 |
| Mayfield | KY | 31 mi | 9,868 | $40,965 | $644 |
| Dyersburg | TN | 32 mi | 15,979 | $52,064 | $782 |
| Milan | TN | 39 mi | 8,244 | $43,886 | $805 |
| Paris | TN | 42 mi | 10,338 | $41,012 | $780 |
| Murray | KY | 42 mi | 18,080 | $44,091 | $870 |
| Sikeston | MO | 43 mi | 16,320 | $58,915 | $891 |
| Paducah | KY | 50 mi | 26,845 | $49,915 | $834 |
| Jackson | TN | 55 mi | 68,435 | $53,032 | $1,145 |
| Blytheville | AR | 59 mi | 12,790 | $47,865 | $855 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
10,982 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$739 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 17.4% of the median household income.
$50,870 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.2% (BLS county, Obion County (latest month 2026M09)).
Tennessee. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.