Population
Merkel
2,630
Union
2,401
Median Income
Merkel
$62,368
Union
$56,767
Home Value
Merkel
$99,000
Union
$220,300
Rent
Merkel
$992
Union
$1,028
Crime Rate
Merkel
2.48
Union
N/A
Cost of Living
Merkel
92.3
Union
98.0
Avg Temp
Merkel
N/A
Union
N/A
Unemployment
Merkel
1.9%
Union
1.5%
How Similar Are Merkel & Union?
Union is Merkel's #10 most similar city
6 of 8 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Merkel
2,630
Union
2,401
Both cities have similar populations — Merkel at 2,630 and Union at 2,401.
Political Leaning
Merkel
74.4%
Union
68.7%
Both cities lean Republican with similar vote shares — 8% difference.
Unemployment
Merkel
1.9%
Union
1.5%
Merkel has a 23% higher unemployment than Union.
Median Income
Merkel
$62,368
Union
$56,767
Both cities have similar median income — just a 9% difference.
Home Values
Merkel
$99,000
Union
$220,300
Union's home values is significantly higher than Merkel's — 55% difference.
Education
Merkel
8.3%
Union
7.9%
Both cities have similar education — just a 5% difference.
Demographics
Merkel
81.4%
Union
88.5%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 8% difference.
Cost of Living
Merkel
92.3
Union
98.0
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 6% difference.
6 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Merkel and Union share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Merkel
0
Union
Merkel leads in 3 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability
Source: City Stats Index / HUDMerkel scores 84.9 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 110.4 in Union. Union scores 86.8 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 95.3 in Merkel. Merkel scores 92.3 on the overall cost index (100 = national avg) vs 98.0 in Union.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Merkel leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSUnion has a vacancy rate of 7.8% compared to 15.7% in Merkel. Union has a median home value of $220,300 vs $99,000 in Merkel (55% higher). Merkel has a median property tax of $1,159 vs $1,757 in Union (34% lower).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Union leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSUnion has a unemployment rate of 1.5% compared to 1.9% in Merkel. Merkel has a poverty rate of 14.5% compared to 20.1% in Union. Merkel has a median household income of $62,368 vs $56,767 in Union (10% higher).
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety
Source: FBI UCRViolent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Merkel leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauMerkel has a high school diploma or higher of 40.2% compared to 36.6% in Union. Merkel has a bachelor's degree or higher of 8.3% compared to 7.9% in Union.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSMerkel has a population of 2,630, about 1.1x the size of Union (2,401). Merkel skews younger with a median age of 36.2 vs 40.5.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Merkel
Union
Healthcare — Merkel leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareMerkel: 5 vs Union: 3 for nearby hospitals. Union: 3.0 vs Merkel: 2.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Merkel: 4 vs Union: 3 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Union leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSUnion has a public transit of 0.6% compared to 0.4% in Merkel. Merkel has a work from home of 4.8% compared to 4.6% in Union. Union has a drive alone of 77.4% compared to 76.4% in Merkel.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Merkel, TX
Compare Merkel against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.