Union County, IA

County

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2023 Population

12,038

0.57% 1-year decline

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

40.6

1.5% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

12.6%

6% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$56,813

0.563% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$117,800

3.51% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

5,558

0.821% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Union County, IA had a population of 12k people with a median age of 40.6 and a median household income of $56,813. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Union County, IA declined from 12,107 to 12,038, a −0.57% decrease and its median household income grew from $56,495 to $56,813, a 0.563% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Union County, IA are White (Non-Hispanic) (92.6%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (2.96%), White (Hispanic) (1.63%), Other (Hispanic) (1.51%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (0.457%).

None of the households in Union County, IA 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, IA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Union County, IA are Southwestern Community College (512 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2023, the median property value in Union County, IA was $117,800, and the homeownership rate was 72.1%.

Most people in Union County, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 15.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Union County, IA was 2 cars per household.

Union County, IA borders Adair County, IA, Adams County, IA, Clarke County, IA, Decatur County, IA, Madison County, IA, Ringgold County, IA, and Taylor County, IA.

United States Iowa

Population & Diversity

Union County, IA is home to a population of 12k people, from which 99.4% are citizens. As of 2023, 0.972% of Union County, IA residents were born outside of the country (117 people).

In 2023, there were 31.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (11.1k people) in Union County, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 356 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 196 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.4%

2023 Citizenship

98.5%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.4% of Union County, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Union County, IA was 98.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Union County, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
11.1k ± 46
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
356 ± 49
White (Hispanic)
196 ± 53

3.49%

Hispanic Population

420 people

3.49% of the people in Union County, IA are hispanic (420 people).

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

Foreign-Born Population

0.972%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

117 people

1.92%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

232 people

As of 2023, 0.972% of Union County, IA residents (117 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, IA was 1.92%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
337 ± 120
Gulf War (1990s)
111 ± 57
Gulf War (2001-)
99 ± 57

Union County, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.04 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Union County, IA employs 5.56k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Union County, IA were Manufacturing (999 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (798 people), and Retail Trade (649 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($113,676), Wholesale Trade ($80,987), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($76,389).

Employment

Occupations

5.56k

2023 Value

± 437

−0.821%

1 Year decline

± 11.1%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Union County, IA declined at a rate of −0.821%, from 5.6k employees to 5.56k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Union County, IA, are Production Occupations (713 people), Management Occupations (680 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (505 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Union County, IA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Iowa (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

5.56k

2023 Value

± 437

−0.821%

1 Year decline

± 11.1%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Union County, IA declined at a rate of −0.821%, from 5.6k employees to 5.56k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Union County, IA, are Manufacturing (999 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (798 people), and Retail Trade (649 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Union County, IA, though some of these residents may live in Union County, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,961

Median earning men ± $2,794

$30,417

Median earning women ± $2,953

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($123,000), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($98,056), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($84,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($54,500), Wholesale Trade ($40,781), and Manufacturing ($39,444).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

1.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.57M people employed in Iowa. This represents a 1.48% 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 10.9%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

29
Construction
25
Other Services (except Public Administration)
19
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

$51.7k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$35.2k
Manufacturing
$20.2k
Retail Trade

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

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing the state of Iowa. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Union County, IA. Showing the available data for Iowa.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (55.7%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (42.5%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.789%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Iowa for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Iowa

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Chuck Grassley

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 1981

Joni Ernst

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing Iowa.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Iowa over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Iowa

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Iowa have changed over time starting in 2008.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Union County, IA awarded 512 degrees. The student population of Union County, IA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 668 male students and 965 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Union County, IA are White (443 and 88.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (24 and 4.81%), Black or African American (15 and 3.01%), and Unknown (7 and 1.4%).

The largest universities in Union County, IA by number of degrees awarded are Southwestern Community College (512 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Union County, IA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (112 and 21.9%), Electrician (48 and 9.38%), and Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training (43 and 8.4%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,633 students enrolled in Union County, IA, 40.9% men and 59.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,396 records, of which 60.3% were women and 39.7% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
112 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
43 degrees awarded
Electrician
22 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Union County, IA was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 112 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Southwestern Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

512 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Southwestern Community College with 512 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 258 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Union County, IA, which is 1.02 times more than the 254 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 443 degrees mean that there were 18.5 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 24 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

Public, 2-year ($6,120) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($390) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,351) 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 Iowa.

Measure

In 2023, 0.708% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.723% 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 Iowa.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (748k), Some college (554k), and Bachelors Degree (481k).

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, IA was $117,800 in 2023, which is 0.388 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $113,800 to $117,800, a 3.51% increase. The homeownership rate in Union County, IA is 72.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65%.

People in Union County, IA have an average commute time of 15.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Union County, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Union County, IA is $56,813. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Union County, IA was Census Tract 1903, Union County, IA with a value of $75,000, followed by Census Tract 1901, Union County, IA and Census Tract 1904, Union County, IA, with respective values of $59,679 and $53,914.

In 2024, 8.85% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Union County, IA. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 5.95%.

Housing

Property

$117,800

Median Property Value 2023

±$6,135

$3,645

Median Property Taxes

±$343

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, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

72.1%

Homeownership

2023

62.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 72.1% of the housing units in Union County, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 74.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Union County, IA 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 1903, Union County, IA
Census Tract 1901, Union County, IA
Census Tract 1904, Union County, IA

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Union County, IA was Census Tract 1903, Union County, IA with a value of $75,000, followed by Census Tract 1901, Union County, IA and Census Tract 1904, Union County, IA, with respective values of $59,679 and $53,914.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Union County, IA 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.

$56,813

Median Household Income

± $4,860

5.06k

Number of Households

± 403

In 2023, the median household income of the 5.06k households in Union County, IA grew to $56,813 from the previous year's value of $56,495.

The following chart displays the households in Union County, IA 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

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

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, IA across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (78.7%)
Carpooled (11.3%)
Walked (5.69%)

In 2023, 78.7% of workers in Union County, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.3%) and those who walked to work (5.69%).

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

15.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Union County, IA have a shorter commute time (15.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.23% of the workforce in Union County, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Union County, IA 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, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Union County, IA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 8.85% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Union County, IA. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 5.95%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

12.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Union County, IA (1.48k out of 11.7k 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 16 - 17 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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, 16.9% of the children was living in poverty in Union County, IA. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 4%.

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 219 in Union County, IA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 24.1 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

92.1% of the population of Union County, IA has health coverage, with 40.3% on employee plans, 22.3% on Medicaid, 15.2% on Medicare, 12.5% on non-group plans, and 1.81% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Union County, IA see 1,002 patients per year on average, which represents a 17.6% decrease from the previous year (1,216 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1981 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 425 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,002 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Union County, IA

Primary care physicians in Union County, IA see an average of 1,002 patients per year. This represents a 17.6% decrease from the previous year (1,216 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.2% under 18 years, 18.1% between 18 and 34 years, 36.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 20% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.87%

Uninsured

40.3%

Employer Coverage

22.3%

Medicaid

15.2%

Medicare

12.5%

Non-Group

1.81%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Union County, IA grew by 18.5% from 6.64% to 7.87%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2015, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 93.1 in Union County, IA.

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

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 37.8% in Union County, IA.

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