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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Union County

North Carolina · 238,267 residents · 632.737 sq mi
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The short version

Union County is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $82,557. The county has grown rapidly, with population up 93% since 2000. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $254,100. Households here earn about 46% more than the North Carolina median.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 38.9
US median: 38.8
Average education
36% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 37%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
238,267
+93%since 2000
from 123,677 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
38.9
+14%since 2000
from 34.0 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
68K118K168K218K268K1990201020202024Union County
2024251K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.5%(13,007)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.2%(17,155)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 148.8%(21,000)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 198.7%(20,749)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.8%(13,824)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 349.4%(22,446)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.3%(31,590)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5415.8%(37,644)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.2%(29,177)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 748.1%(19,328)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844%(9,548)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.2%(2,799)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$82,557
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $50,638 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$37,667
+71%since 2000
from $21,978 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
55.0%
+16.7 ptssince 2009
from 38.3% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
7.4%
−0.7 ptssince 2000
from 8.1% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade12.3%
US avg: 10%
Information12.1%
US avg: 11.1%
Other services10.1%
US avg: 6.6%
Wholesale trade8.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration8.4%
US avg: 4.7%
Finance & insurance4.4%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical3.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing3.1%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services1.1%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.9%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$254,100
+37%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $123,300 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,078
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $587 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
81.4%
+0.9 ptssince 2000
from 80.5% in 2000
18.6% rent
Afford Score
3.1
−3%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Union County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic79.7%(98,612)
Black12.4%(15,312)
Hispanic / Latino6.2%(7,637)
Asian0.6%(705)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic67.6%(161,113)
Black11.1%(26,500)
Hispanic / Latino12.6%(30,110)
Asian4%(9,516)
Other2.6%(6,232)
Segregation Score
30
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
Mexican6.6%(15,614)
Puerto Rican1.2%(2,806)
South American1.2%(2,800)
Colombian0.5%(1,208)
Guatemalan0.4%(951)
Honduran0.3%(684)
Cuban0.3%(667)
Ecuadorian0.3%(647)
Salvadoran0.2%(517)
Spaniard0.2%(374)
Venezuelan0.1%(353)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(348)
Dominican0.1%(253)
Argentine0.1%(132)
Chilean0%(38)
Bolivian0%(32)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.6%(3,863)
Vietnamese0.4%(1,006)
Chinese0.4%(1,004)
Filipino0.2%(566)
Korean0.2%(412)
Hmong0.1%(343)
Laotian0%(102)
Nepalese0%(89)
Japanese0%(78)
Taiwanese0%(70)
Pakistani0%(67)
Cambodian0%(35)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(28)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(57)
Ancestry
German11.1%(26,284)
English10%(23,512)
Irish9.4%(22,067)
American7.1%(16,651)
Italian5%(11,846)
Scotch-Irish2.7%(6,251)
Polish2.4%(5,767)
Scottish2%(4,655)
French1.6%(3,842)
British0.9%(2,046)
Dutch0.8%(1,965)
+ 45 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.8%(1,794)
Hungarian0.7%(1,566)
Swedish0.7%(1,539)
Greek0.6%(1,446)
Ukrainian0.6%(1,425)
Welsh0.6%(1,301)
French Canadian0.6%(1,298)
Norwegian0.5%(1,142)
West Indian0.5%(1,065)
Brazilian0.4%(827)
Swiss0.3%(718)
Romanian0.3%(664)
Czech0.2%(485)
Slovak0.2%(396)
Portuguese0.2%(384)
Jamaican0.2%(376)
Lithuanian0.1%(335)
Nigerian0.1%(323)
Lebanese0.1%(308)
Austrian0.1%(305)
Danish0.1%(295)
Finnish0.1%(264)
Haitian0.1%(261)
Belgian0.1%(254)
Ghanaian0.1%(234)
Ethiopian0.1%(233)
Turkish0.1%(204)
Armenian0.1%(195)
Canadian0.1%(182)
Croatian0.1%(153)
Jordanian0.1%(131)
Slovene0%(112)
Egyptian0%(83)
Iranian0%(69)
Bulgarian0%(61)
Syrian0%(49)
Barbadian0%(42)
Guyanese0%(39)
Serbian0%(39)
Latvian0%(19)
Kenyan0%(8)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest Mexican population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
36.0%
+14.7 ptssince 2000
from 21.3% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
89.6%
+9.4 ptssince 2000
from 80.2% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
11.4%
+5.8 ptssince 2000
from 5.6% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
29.9 min
+44%since 2000
from 20.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
78.7%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 81.3% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
2.7%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.7%
−3.7 ptssince 2011
from 8.3% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
67.5%
−2.2 ptssince 2011
from 69.7% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Management & professional
42.4%
−18.9 ptssince 2009
from 61.3% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.2%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Female
50.8%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Foreign born
9.5%
+1.9 ptssince 2009
from 7.7% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
8.7%
−77.2 ptssince 2013
from 85.9% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Marital status (2024)
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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Union County to nearby counties

UNION COUNTY VS
Lancaster County
Income$78,869−4%
Home value$329,900+30%
Population114,296−57%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
UNION COUNTY VS
Anson County
Income$47,302−43%
Home value$148,600−42%
Population21,758−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
UNION COUNTY VS
Mecklenburg County
Income$87,005+5%
Home value$406,800+60%
Population1,233,383+361%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
UNION COUNTY VS
Stanly County
Income$60,704−26%
Home value$242,400−5%
Population68,830−74%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Union County, North Carolina?

Union County, North Carolina has about 238,267 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Union County, North Carolina earns about $82,557 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 $254,100, and the typical rent is about $1,078 a month.

How educated are people in Union County, North Carolina?

About 36.0% 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 7.4% 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 154,056 residents, a change of about 183 percent over that period.

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48 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 210.13Census Tract 203.05Census Tract 203.08Census Tract 203.17Census Tract 201Census Tract 203.07Census Tract 210.04Census Tract 210.07Census Tract 209.02Census Tract 204.01Census Tract 207.01Census Tract 206.01Census Tract 210.17Census Tract 203.16Census Tract 203.14Census Tract 210.06Census Tract 203.10Census Tract 205.01Census Tract 208Census Tract 210.19
8 ZIP codes
ZIP 28173ZIP 28110ZIP 28079ZIP 28104ZIP 28112ZIP 28103ZIP 28174ZIP 28108
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →