Union County, IL

County

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2024 Population

16,997

US Senator

Dick Durbin

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tammy Duckworth

Democratic Party

2024 Poverty Rate

20.2%

4.48% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$55,728

1.23% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$131,700

2024 Employed Population

6,783

0.953% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Union County, IL 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.

98.5% of the residents in Union County, IL are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Union County, IL was $131,700, and the homeownership rate was 77.4%.

Most people in Union County, IL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Union County, IL was 2 cars per household.

Union County, IL borders Alexander County, IL, Jackson County, IL, Johnson County, IL, Pulaski County, IL, Williamson County, IL, Cape Girardeau County, MO, and Perry County, MO.

United States Illinois

Population & Diversity

Union County, IL is home to a population of 17k people, from which 98.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.95% of Union County, IL residents were born outside of the country (502 people).

In 2024, there were 18 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (15.2k people) in Union County, IL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 843 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 497 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.5%

2024 Citizenship

98.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.5% of Union County, IL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Union County, IL was 98.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Union County, IL

White (Non-Hispanic)
15.2k ± 50
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
843 ± 63
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
497 ± 67

5.48%

Hispanic Population

932 people

5.48% of the people in Union County, IL are hispanic (932 people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Illinois.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
633,244 ± 19,044 people
India
161,770 ± 9,812 people
Poland
119,556 ± 8,449 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Illinois was Mexico, the natal country of 633,244 Illinois residents, followed by India with 161,770 and Poland with 119,556.

Foreign-Born Population

2.95%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

502 people

2.86%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

485 people

As of 2024, 2.95% of Union County, IL residents (502 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Union County, IL was 2.86%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
471 ± 118
Gulf War (1990s)
127 ± 62
Gulf War (2001-)
77 ± 42

Union County, IL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.71 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Union County, IL.

Economy

The economy of Union County, IL employs 6.78k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Union County, IL were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,406 people), Accommodation & Food Services (662 people), and Retail Trade (653 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($158,587), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($65,357), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($61,650).

Employment

Occupations

6.78k

2024 Value

± 495

0.953%

1 Year growth

± 10.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Union County, IL grew at a rate of 0.953%, from 6.72k employees to 6.78k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Union County, IL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (673 people), Management Occupations (538 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (525 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Union County, IL.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Illinois (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

6.78k

2024 Value

± 495

0.953%

1 Year growth

± 10.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Union County, IL grew at a rate of 0.953%, from 6.72k employees to 6.78k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Union County, IL, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,406 people), Accommodation & Food Services (662 people), and Retail Trade (653 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Union County, IL, though some of these residents may live in Union County, IL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$46,887

Median earning men ± $5,398

$35,768

Median earning women ± $3,591

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($106,515), Other Services Except Public Administration ($95,735), and Public Administration ($73,043).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($56,302), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($48,414), and Manufacturing ($47,708).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.47%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 6.03M people employed in Illinois. This represents a 2.47% 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%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

34
Other Services (except Public Administration)
26
Construction
25
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

$41k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$20.4k
Retail Trade
$9.96k
Manufacturing

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

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Illinois went to Kamala Harris with 54.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.43%).

Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are the senators currently representing the state of Illinois. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Illinois is currently represented by 17 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, IL. Showing the available data for Illinois.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (54.4%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (43.5%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.43%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Illinois went to Kamala Harris with 54.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.43%).

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

Senator Elections

US Senators from Illinois

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

Dick Durbin

Senator from Illinois

Assumed office on January 3, 1997

Tammy Duckworth

Senator from Illinois

Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are the senators currently representing Illinois.

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 Illinois over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Housing & Living

People in Union County, IL have an average commute time of 24.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Union County, IL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 9.18% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Union County, IL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.621%.

Housing

Property

$131,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$11,589

$5,319

Median Property Taxes

±$434

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

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

Rent vs Own

77.4%

Homeownership

2024

61.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 77.4% of the housing units in Union County, IL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 76.8%.

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

Equity

Household Income

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

$55,728

Median Household Income

± $5,408

6.87k

Number of Households

± 510

In 2024, the median household income of the 6.87k households in Union County, IL declined from $55,728 from the previous year's value of $56,420.

The following chart displays the households in Union County, IL 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, IL is from Illinois.

0.474

2023 Wage GINI in Illinois

0.477

2022 Wage GINI in Illinois

In 2023, the income inequality in Illinois was 0.474 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.554% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Illinois was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Illinois in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Illinois across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (81.4%)
Carpooled (7.22%)
Worked At Home (6.22%)

In 2024, 81.4% of workers in Union County, IL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.22%) and those who worked at home (6.22%).

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

24.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Union County, IL have a shorter commute time (24.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.89% of the workforce in Union County, IL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 9.18% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Union County, IL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.621%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

20.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Union County, IL (3.35k out of 16.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 35 - 44 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Union County, IL 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 2025, 19.5% of the children was living in poverty in Union County, IL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.1%.

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 212 in Union County, IL. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 111 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

93.6% of the population of Union County, IL has health coverage, with 36.7% on employee plans, 28.6% on Medicaid, 16.5% on Medicare, 10.6% on non-group plans, and 1.28% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Union County, IL see 1,302 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,302 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1397 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 407 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.8% were men and 49.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,302 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Union County, IL

Primary care physicians in Union County, IL see an average of 1,302 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,302 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.9% under 18 years, 16.7% between 18 and 34 years, 38% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.8% were men and 49.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.38%

Uninsured

36.7%

Employer Coverage

28.6%

Medicaid

16.5%

Medicare

10.6%

Non-Group

1.28%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Union County, IL declined by 3.97% from 6.65% to 6.38%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2021, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 70.4 in Union County, IL.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, 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 37.6% in Union County, IL.

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