United States › Illinois › Union County COUNTY
Union County Illinois · 16,656 residents (2025 est.) · 413 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
With 16,997 people, Union County is a county in Illinois. 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. At a median age of 44.3, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $131,700. 77% of homes are owner-occupied. Households here earn about 33% less than in Illinois as a whole.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 44.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 18,293 in 2000
16,656 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 44 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 40.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
17K 17K 18K 18K 18K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Union County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $55,728
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,994 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $16,450 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 19.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 16.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.437 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 6.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 4.7%
Public administration 3.1%
Transportation & warehousing 1.7%
Education & health services 1.3%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.3%
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$131,700
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $60,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$648
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $341 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 75.4% in 2000
22.6% rent
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.35 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.36 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 19.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 30.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.2 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 95.2%(17,407)
Hispanic / Latino 2.6%(481)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 89.5%(15,208)
Hispanic / Latino 5.5%(932)
from 15 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 16 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 21 more ancestry groups with data from 15.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 74.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 6.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 16.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 81.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 10.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 54.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 65.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 18.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 32.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 12.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 16.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 13.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 61.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 78.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 91.8% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 95.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 4.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 29.5%(2,124)
Women 15+
Never married 23.9%(1,649)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 13.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 53.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 10.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 22.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 26.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 62.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 45.9% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 7.6%(77)
Gulf War (1990s) 14.4%(147)
Share of the 1,018 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Union County Head to head
Compare Union County to nearby counties UNION COUNTY VS
Pulaski County
Income $42,463 −24%
Home value $85,100 −35%
Population 4,820 −71%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
UNION COUNTY VS
Johnson County
Income $62,528 +12%
Home value $160,500 +22%
Population 13,363 −20%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
UNION COUNTY VS
Alexander County
Income $47,043 −16%
Home value $59,800 −55%
Population 4,570 −73%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
UNION COUNTY VS
Jackson County
Income $48,763 −12%
Home value $137,300 +4%
Population 52,501 +215%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Union County, Illinois? Union County, Illinois has about 16,997 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Union County, Illinois? The typical household in Union County, Illinois earns about $55,728 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Union County, Illinois expensive? In Union County, Illinois, the median home is worth about $131,700, and the typical rent is about $648 a month.
How educated are people in Union County, Illinois? About 20.9% of adults age 25 and over in Union County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Union County, Illinois? About 20.2% of people in Union County, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.
Has Union County, Illinois grown since 1990? Yes, Union County, Illinois has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 622 residents, a change of about -4 percent over that period.
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