Union County, SC

County

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2023 Population

26,990

0.619% 1-year decline

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

44.3

0.226% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

22.7%

7.91% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$41,200

2.61% 1-year decline

2023 Median Property Value

$100,000

4.93% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

10,872

0.376% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Union County, SC had a population of 27k people with a median age of 44.3 and a median household income of $41,200. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Union County, SC declined from 27,158 to 26,990, a −0.619% decrease and its median household income declined from $42,305 to $41,200, a −2.61% decrease.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Union County, SC are White (Non-Hispanic) (64.1%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (28.9%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (4.4%), White (Hispanic) (1.01%), and Black or African American (Hispanic) (0.348%).

None of the households in Union County, SC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.4% of the residents in Union County, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Union County, SC are University of South Carolina-Union (118 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2023, the median property value in Union County, SC was $100,000, and the homeownership rate was 69.3%.

Most people in Union County, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Union County, SC was 2 cars per household.

Union County, SC borders Cherokee County, SC, Chester County, SC, Fairfield County, SC, Laurens County, SC, Newberry County, SC, Spartanburg County, SC, and York County, SC.

United States South Carolina Spartanburg, SC

Population & Diversity

Union County, SC is home to a population of 27k people, from which 99.4% are citizens. As of 2023, 1.19% of Union County, SC residents were born outside of the country (322 people).

In 2023, there were 2.22 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (17.3k people) in Union County, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.79k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.19k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.4%

2023 Citizenship

99.3%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.4% of Union County, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Union County, SC was 99.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Union County, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Union County, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
17.3k ± 46
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
7.79k ± 306
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.19k ± 301

1.93%

Hispanic Population

520 people

1.93% of the people in Union County, SC are hispanic (520 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Union County, SC as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

1.19%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

322 people

1.2%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

327 people

As of 2023, 1.19% of Union County, SC residents (322 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Union County, SC was 1.2%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Union County, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
545 ± 195
Vietnam
441 ± 132
Gulf War (1990s)
319 ± 115

Union County, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.24 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Union County, SC employs 10.9k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Union County, SC were Manufacturing (2,876 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,571 people), and Retail Trade (1,137 people), and the highest paying industries were Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($135,625), Utilities ($95,521), and Information ($51,250).

Employment

Occupations

10.9k

2023 Value

± 762

−0.376%

1 Year decline

± 9.88%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Union County, SC declined at a rate of −0.376%, from 10.9k employees to 10.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Union County, SC, are Production Occupations (1,893 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,011 people), and Material Moving Occupations (970 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Union County, SC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

10.9k

2023 Value

± 762

−0.376%

1 Year decline

± 9.88%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Union County, SC declined at a rate of −0.376%, from 10.9k employees to 10.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Union County, SC, are Manufacturing (2,876 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,571 people), and Retail Trade (1,137 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Union County, SC, though some of these residents may live in Union County, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,884

Median earning men ± $4,461

$34,084

Median earning women ± $2,063

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($135,694), Public Administration ($58,750), and Information ($53,533).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($39,950), Wholesale Trade ($39,038), and Public Administration ($38,125).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

Y-Axis

2.54%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.26M people employed in South Carolina. This represents a 2.54% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in South Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

56
Other Services (except Public Administration)
56
Retail Trade
28
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$101k
Manufacturing
$53.1k
Transportation and Warehousing
$22.2k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Union County, SC awarded 118 degrees. The student population of Union County, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 648 male students and 744 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Union County, SC are White (86 and 72.9%), followed by Black or African American (16 and 13.6%), Hispanic or Latino (7 and 5.93%), and Two or More Races (6 and 5.08%).

The largest universities in Union County, SC by number of degrees awarded are University of South Carolina-Union (118 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Union County, SC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (118 and 100%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Union County, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 69.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 66%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 1,392 (46.6% men and 53.4% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 1,392 students enrolled in Union County, SC, 46.6% men and 53.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 880 records, of which 55% were women and 45% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Liberal Arts & Sciences

Most Common

118 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Union County, SC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 118 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Union County, SC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

University of South Carolina-Union

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

118 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of South Carolina-Union with 118 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 56 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Union County, SC, which is 0.903 times less than the 62 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 86 degrees mean that there were 5.38 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 16 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 2-year ($7,158) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($400) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,600) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

Measure

In 2023, 0.922% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.743% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (1.19M), Some college (897k), and Bachelors Degree (746k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Union County, SC was $100,000 in 2023, which is 0.33 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $95,300 to $100,000, a 4.93% increase. The homeownership rate in Union County, SC is 69.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65%.

People in Union County, SC have an average commute time of 27.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Union County, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Union County, SC is $41,200. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Union County, SC was Census Tract 308, Union County, SC with a value of $66,045, followed by Census Tract 307, Union County, SC and Census Tract 306, Union County, SC, with respective values of $55,107 and $51,250.

In 2024, 10.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Union County, SC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 2.83%.

Housing

Property

$100,000

Median Property Value 2023

±$7,582

$8,131

Median Property Taxes

±$568

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Union County, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Union County, SC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

69.3%

Homeownership

2023

63.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 69.3% of the housing units in Union County, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 69.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Union County, SC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 308, Union County, SC
Census Tract 307, Union County, SC
Census Tract 306, Union County, SC

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Union County, SC was Census Tract 308, Union County, SC with a value of $66,045, followed by Census Tract 307, Union County, SC and Census Tract 306, Union County, SC, with respective values of $55,107 and $51,250.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Union County, SC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$41,200

Median Household Income

± $2,534

11.7k

Number of Households

± 740

In 2023, the median household income of the 11.7k households in Union County, SC declined from $41,200 from the previous year's value of $42,305.

The following chart displays the households in Union County, SC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Union County, SC is from Union County, SC.

N/A Wage GINI in N/A

In N/A, the income inequality in N/A was N/A according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a N/A N/A from N/A to N/A, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat N/A even. The GINI for N/A was N/A than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed N/A evenly in N/A in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Union County, SC across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (80.4%)
Carpooled (14.6%)
Worked At Home (2.5%)

In 2023, 80.4% of workers in Union County, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (14.6%) and those who worked at home (2.5%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

27.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Union County, SC have a longer commute time (27.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.57% of the workforce in Union County, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Union County, SC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Union County, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Union County, SC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 10.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Union County, SC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 2.83%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

22.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Union County, SC (6.04k out of 26.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Union County, SC is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2024, 25.8% of the children was living in poverty in Union County, SC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 7.1%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 671 in Union County, SC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 27.4 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

88.3% of the population of Union County, SC has health coverage, with 34.5% on employee plans, 24.1% on Medicaid, 15% on Medicare, 12.6% on non-group plans, and 2.04% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Union County, SC see 3,002 patients per year on average, which represents a 22.3% increase from the previous year (2,454 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4459 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 922 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.9% were men and 53.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,002 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Union County, SC

Primary care physicians in Union County, SC see an average of 3,002 patients per year. This represents a 22.3% increase from the previous year (2,454 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Union County, SC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.3% under 18 years, 18.1% between 18 and 34 years, 39.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.9% were men and 53.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

11.7%

Uninsured

34.5%

Employer Coverage

24.1%

Medicaid

15%

Medicare

12.6%

Non-Group

2.04%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Union County, SC grew by 1.34% from 11.5% to 11.7%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Union County, SC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2024, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 111 in Union County, SC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Union County, SC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2024, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 41.1% in Union County, SC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Union County, SC.