Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Union City, California
A $1,058,000 home here costs
$7,530per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $5,439. The real number is $2,091 higher every month — 38% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Union City against Alameda County and California
| Measure | Union City | Alameda County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,058,200 | $1,057,400 |
| Median property tax | $8,139 | $8,061 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.769% | 0.762% |
| Median gross rent | $2,713 | $2,318 |
| Population | 68,141 | 1,651,949 |
The weather behind that power bill
Union City sits in Alameda County, which averages a high of 87.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 37.5°F in its coldest, with 15.18" of precipitation a year and 56% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 847 cooling and 2,709 heating degree days, which is what sets the $299 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Alameda County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Alameda County
Full Alameda County cost breakdown · Every county in California
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Union City?
A $1,058,000 home in Union City, California costs approximately $7,530 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $5,439 principal and interest, $678 property tax, $164 homeowners insurance, $367 utilities and $882 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Union City?
Union City has an effective property tax rate of 0.769%, based on a median home value of $1,058,200 and median real estate taxes of $8,139. That is in line with the Alameda County average of 0.762%.
What is the average home price in Union City?
The median owner-occupied home value in Union City, California is $1,058,200, against $1,057,400 across Alameda County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Union City?
Median gross rent in Union City is $2,713 a month, against $7,530 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Union City — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for California.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.