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COUNTY

Union County

North Carolina · 267,674 residents (2025 est.) · 633 sq mi
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Part of the Charlotte metro area
The short version

With 250,958 people, Union County is a county in North Carolina. Since 2000 the county has more than doubled, up 127,281 people. Few US counties rank higher on income. Owners hold 82% of the housing stock. Households here earn about 42% more than in North Carolina as a whole. Households take in $102,900 a year at the median, 25% more than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.2
US median: 38.9
More educated
40% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 86%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
250,958
+103%since 2000
from 123,677 in 2000
267,674 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
397 / sq mi
+38%since 2009
from 287 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
39.2
+15%since 2000
from 34.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
633 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
68K118K168K218K268K19902000201020202024Union County
2024251K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.4%(13,585)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.8%(16,954)
US avg: 6%
10 to 148.1%(20,351)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198.5%(21,313)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.3%(15,827)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3410%(25,032)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.4%(33,530)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5415.5%(38,907)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.5%(31,487)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.2%(20,576)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.1%(10,352)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.2%(3,044)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$102,900
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $50,638 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$46,949
+114%since 2000
from $21,978 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
65.1%
+26.8 ptssince 2009
from 38.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
7.7%
−0.5 ptssince 2000
from 8.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.445
+2%since 2010
from 0.437 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Other services11.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Information11.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade11%
US avg: 9.9%
Public administration9.7%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade8.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance4.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.8%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$417,300
+86%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $123,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,496
+40%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $587 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
81.6%
+1.1 ptssince 2000
from 80.5% in 2000
18.4% rent
Vacancy rate
5.2%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.95 people
+2%since 2009
from 2.90 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
18.2%
−9.3 ptssince 2009
from 27.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
39.0%
−5.0 ptssince 2009
from 44.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.1
+28%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
85
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic79.7%(98,612)
Black12.4%(15,312)
Hispanic / Latino6.2%(7,637)
Asian0.6%(705)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic66.8%(167,601)
Black10.9%(27,313)
Hispanic / Latino13.4%(33,636)
Asian4.5%(11,323)
Other4.4%(11,085)
Diversity Score
65
+28%since 2009
from 51 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
24
−19%since 2020
from 30 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

Hispanic origin
Mexican6.9%(17,263)
Central American2.2%(5,608)
Puerto Rican1.1%(2,876)
Honduran0.7%(1,749)
Guatemalan0.7%(1,661)
Salvadoran0.6%(1,610)
Venezuelan0.6%(1,458)
Colombian0.6%(1,425)
Ecuadorian0.5%(1,216)
Peruvian0.3%(767)
Dominican0.3%(734)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Cuban0.2%(585)
Spaniard0.2%(555)
Costa Rican0.1%(221)
Panamanian0.1%(193)
Nicaraguan0.1%(174)
Chilean0%(72)
Argentine0%(32)
Bolivian0%(12)
Asian origin
Asian Indian2.4%(6,119)
Chinese0.5%(1,364)
Filipino0.4%(926)
Nepalese0.3%(765)
Vietnamese0.2%(565)
Korean0.2%(386)
Hmong0.1%(295)
Burmese0.1%(132)
Laotian0%(89)
Thai0%(72)
Pakistani0%(51)
Taiwanese0%(48)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Tongan0%(33)
Samoan0%(31)
Chamorro0%(20)
Guamanian0%(11)
Ancestry
English12.4%(31,120)
German10.4%(25,997)
Irish9.4%(23,548)
American6.7%(16,937)
Italian4.9%(12,202)
Scottish2.3%(5,764)
Polish2%(4,972)
Scotch-Irish1.8%(4,401)
French1.7%(4,274)
Dutch0.7%(1,813)
Greek0.7%(1,718)
+ 46 more ancestry groups with data
West Indian0.6%(1,548)
Russian0.6%(1,535)
Norwegian0.6%(1,447)
Ukrainian0.6%(1,428)
Hungarian0.5%(1,345)
Swedish0.4%(1,124)
Romanian0.4%(957)
Welsh0.4%(913)
British0.3%(863)
Jamaican0.3%(813)
Brazilian0.3%(778)
Czech0.3%(637)
Arab0.2%(627)
Swiss0.2%(585)
Portuguese0.2%(496)
Lithuanian0.2%(458)
Austrian0.2%(436)
Danish0.2%(412)
Slovak0.2%(385)
Lebanese0.2%(377)
Ghanaian0.1%(275)
Nigerian0.1%(236)
Finnish0.1%(184)
Ethiopian0.1%(180)
Turkish0.1%(175)
Haitian0.1%(170)
Belgian0.1%(165)
Bulgarian0.1%(163)
Canadian0.1%(163)
Egyptian0.1%(135)
Armenian0%(113)
Latvian0%(111)
Guyanese0%(101)
Slovene0%(93)
Iranian0%(89)
Israeli0%(73)
Croatian0%(60)
Jordanian0%(58)
Serbian0%(30)
Moroccan0%(23)
Barbadian0%(16)
Syrian0%(8)
Kenyan0%(8)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
40.5%
+19.2 ptssince 2000
from 21.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
90.9%
+10.7 ptssince 2000
from 80.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
14.1%
+8.5 ptssince 2000
from 5.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
29.8 min
+44%since 2000
from 20.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
69.6%
−11.6 ptssince 2009
from 81.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.9%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
19.5%
+13.9 ptssince 2009
from 5.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.7%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
2.4%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.2%
−4.1 ptssince 2011
from 8.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
67.7%
−2.0 ptssince 2011
from 69.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.2%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 73.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
10.7%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
47.0%
+13.2 ptssince 2009
from 33.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Female
50.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Foreign born
12.2%
+4.5 ptssince 2009
from 7.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.3%
−2.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.6%
+1.3 ptssince 2012
from 8.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.7%
−6.4 ptssince 2013
from 14.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.1%
+7.0 ptssince 2017
from 87.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.9%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 94.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
89.6%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 87.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
82.6%
−4.1 ptssince 2016
from 86.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
10.3%
+1.1 ptssince 2016
from 9.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married30.3%(29,870)
Married61.7%(60,731)
Widowed1.7%(1,647)
Divorced6.3%(6,226)
Women 15+
Never married25.6%(26,009)
Married58.5%(59,437)
Widowed7.1%(7,242)
Divorced8.8%(8,906)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
7.7%
−6.4 ptssince 2013
from 14.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
61.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 62.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 15.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
14.2%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 13.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
13.4%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 12.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
76.0%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 76.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
26.8%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 25.3% 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)25.4%(3,005)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)32.4%(3,835)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era28.6%(3,380)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3%(354)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.7%(79)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 11,834 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.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Union County to nearby counties

UNION COUNTY VS
Lancaster County
Income$78,869−23%
Home value$329,900−21%
Population114,296−57%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
UNION COUNTY VS
Anson County
Income$47,302−54%
Home value$148,600−64%
Population21,758−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
UNION COUNTY VS
Mecklenburg County
Income$87,005−15%
Home value$406,800−3%
Population1,233,383+361%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
UNION COUNTY VS
Stanly County
Income$60,704−41%
Home value$242,400−42%
Population68,830−74%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Union County, North Carolina?

Union County, North Carolina has about 250,958 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Union County, North Carolina?

The typical household in Union County, North Carolina earns about $102,900 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Union County, North Carolina expensive?

In Union County, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $417,300, and the typical rent is about $1,496 a month.

How educated are people in Union County, North Carolina?

About 40.5% of adults age 25 and over in Union County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Union County, North Carolina?

About 7.7% of people in Union County, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Union County, North Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Union County, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 166,747 residents, a change of about 198 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →