Union County, IL

County

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2023 Population

16,972

0.876% 1-year decline

US Senator

N/ADick Durbin

Democratic Party

US Senator

N/ATammy Duckworth

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

44.3

0.895% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

19.4%

3.71% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$56,420

4.31% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$131,700

1.86% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

6,719

1% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Union County, IL had a population of 17k people with a median age of 44.3 and a median household income of $56,420. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Union County, IL declined from 17,122 to 16,972, a −0.876% decrease and its median household income grew from $54,090 to $56,420, a 4.31% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Union County, IL are White (Non-Hispanic) (90.1%), Two+ (Hispanic) (4.3%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.28%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (0.778%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (0.442%).

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.

98.7% of the residents in Union County, IL are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Union County, IL was $131,700, and the homeownership rate was 76.8%.

Most people in Union County, IL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.9 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 98.7% are citizens. As of 2023, 2.86% of Union County, IL residents were born outside of the country (485 people).

In 2023, there were 21 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (15.3k people) in Union County, IL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 730 Two+ (Hispanic) and 556 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.7%

2023 Citizenship

98.8%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98.7% of Union County, IL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Union County, IL was 98.8%, 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)
15.3k ± 27
Two+ (Hispanic)
730 ± 91.8
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
556 ± 58.6

5.2%

Hispanic Population

882 people

5.2% of the people in Union County, IL are hispanic (882 people).

The following chart shows the 7 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
622,347 ± 18,890 people
India
165,336 ± 9,918 people
Poland
123,006 ± 8,569 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Illinois was Mexico, the natal country of 622,347 Illinois residents, followed by India with 165,336 and Poland with 123,006.

Foreign-Born Population

2.86%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

485 people

2.75%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

470 people

As of 2023, 2.86% of Union County, IL residents (485 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Union County, IL was 2.75%, 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
480 ± 123
Gulf War (1990s)
110 ± 61
Gulf War (2001-)
85 ± 51

Union County, IL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 4.36 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Union County, IL employs 6.72k people. The largest industries in Union County, IL are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,408 people), Retail Trade (629 people), and Construction (578 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($153,417), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($64,952), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($59,918).

Males in Illinois have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $66,581. The income inequality in Illinois (measured using the Gini index) is 0.477, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

6.72k

2023 Value

± 513

−1%

1 Year decline

± 10.8%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Union County, IL declined at a rate of −1%, from 6.79k employees to 6.72k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Union County, IL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (598 people), Transportation Occupations (526 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (503 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 false.

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

6.72k

2023 Value

± 513

−1%

1 Year decline

± 10.8%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Union County, IL declined at a rate of −1%, from 6.79k employees to 6.72k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Union County, IL, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,408 people), Retail Trade (629 people), and Construction (578 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

$47,222

Median earning men ± $5,084

$38,926

Median earning women ± $6,467

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($103,438), Other Services Except Public Administration ($91,016), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($60,625).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($132,890), Construction ($67,917), and Public Administration ($57,571).

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.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or 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 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Union County, IL went to Donald J. Trump with 69.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (29%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1%).

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

2020 Election Results

N/ADonald J. Trump (69.3%)
Republican Party
N/AJoseph R Biden Jr. (29%)
Democratic Party
N/AJo Jorgensen (1%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Union County, IL went to Donald J. Trump with 69.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (29%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Union County, IL for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Illinois

N/ADick Durbin

Senator from Illinois

Assumed office on January 3, 1997

N/ATammy 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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Illinois

Illinois is currently represented by 17 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 Illinois have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 1.08% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.01% 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 Illinois.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.62M), Some college (2.15M), and Bachelors Degree (2.1M).

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, IL was $131,700 in 2023, which is 0.434 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $129,300 to $131,700, a 1.86% increase. The homeownership rate in Union County, IL is 76.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Union County, IL have an average commute time of 25.9 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.

Median household income in Union County, IL is $56,420. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Union County, IL was Census Tract 9502 with a value of $75,966, followed by Census Tract 9501 and Census Tract 9505, with respective values of $67,083 and $66,972.

In 2023, 11.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Union County, IL. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 1.47%.

Housing

Property

$131,700

Median Property Value 2023

±$8,860

$5,312

Median Property Taxes

±$450

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 < $800 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

76.8%

Homeownership

2023

65.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 76.8% of the housing units in Union County, IL were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 78.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Union County, IL 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 9502
Census Tract 9501
Census Tract 9505

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Union County, IL was Census Tract 9502 with a value of $75,966, followed by Census Tract 9501 and Census Tract 9505, with respective values of $67,083 and $66,972.

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

$56,420

Median Household Income

± $4,692

6.91k

Number of Households

± 516

In 2023, the median household income of the 6.91k households in Union County, IL grew to $56,420 from the previous year's value of $54,090.

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.

0.477

2022 Wage GINI in Illinois

0.478

2021 Wage GINI in Illinois

In 2022, the income inequality in Illinois was 0.477 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.371% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Illinois was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (84.1%)
Carpooled (7.19%)
Worked At Home (5.63%)

In 2023, 84.1% of workers in Union County, IL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.19%) and those who worked at home (5.63%).

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

25.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Union County, IL have a shorter commute time (25.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.08% 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 2023, 11.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Union County, IL. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 1.47%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

19.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Union County, IL (3.2k out of 16.6k 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 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 2023, 21.2% of the children was living in poverty in Union County, IL. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.4%.

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.

Health

93.4% of the population of Union County, IL has health coverage, with 38.4% on employee plans, 28% on Medicaid, 16.5% on Medicare, 9.38% on non-group plans, and 1.15% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Union County, IL see 1375 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.937% decrease from the previous year (1388 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1692 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 470 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,375 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Union County, IL

Primary care physicians in Union County, IL see an average of 1,375 patients per year. This represents a 0.937% decrease from the previous year (1,388 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 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.9% under 18 years, 16.5% between 18 and 34 years, 39.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.65%

Uninsured

38.4%

Employer Coverage

28%

Medicaid

16.5%

Medicare

9.38%

Non-Group

1.15%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Union County, IL grew by 4.27% from 6.38% to 6.65%.

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 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was N/A in Union County, IL.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, 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 36.8% in Union County, IL.

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