Union County, OR

County

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2024 Population

26,144

US Senator

Ron Wyden

Democratic Party

US Senator

Jeff Merkley

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

0.249% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

16.1%

1.58% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$65,661

2.26% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$294,600

13.1% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

11,774

1% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Union County, OR 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.

97.6% of the residents in Union County, OR are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Union County, OR are Eastern Oregon University (825 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Union County, OR was $294,600, and the homeownership rate was 65.5%.

Most people in Union County, OR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 16.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Union County, OR was 2 cars per household.

Union County, OR borders Baker County, OR, Grant County, OR, Umatilla County, OR, and Wallowa County, OR.

United States Oregon La Grande, OR

Population & Diversity

Union County, OR is home to a population of 26.1k people, from which 97.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.82% of Union County, OR residents were born outside of the country (1k people).

In 2024, there were 30.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (22.4k people) in Union County, OR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 728 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 582 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.6%

2024 Citizenship

98.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.6% of Union County, OR residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Union County, OR was 98.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Union County, OR

White (Non-Hispanic)
22.4k ± 225
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
728 ± 122
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
582 ± 180

5.51%

Hispanic Population

1.44k people

5.51% of the people in Union County, OR are hispanic (1.44k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Union County, OR 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 Oregon.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
141,836 ± 9,090 people
Vietnam
22,252 ± 3,653 people
China
21,575 ± 3,597 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Oregon was Mexico, the natal country of 141,836 Oregon residents, followed by Vietnam with 22,252 and China with 21,575.

Foreign-Born Population

3.82%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1k people

3.26%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

854 people

As of 2024, 3.82% of Union County, OR residents (1k 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, OR was 3.26%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
516 ± 161
Vietnam
500 ± 124
Gulf War (1990s)
116 ± 59

Union County, OR has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.03 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Union County, OR employs 11.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Union County, OR were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,788 people), Retail Trade (1,569 people), and Educational Services (1,122 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($115,865), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($79,716), and Information ($79,583).

Employment

Occupations

11.8k

2024 Value

± 708

1 Year growth

± 8.16%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Union County, OR grew at a rate of 1%, from 11.7k employees to 11.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Union County, OR, are Sales & Related Occupations (1,165 people), Management Occupations (1,162 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,130 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Union County, OR.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Oregon (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

11.8k

2024 Value

± 708

1 Year growth

± 8.16%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Union County, OR grew at a rate of 1%, from 11.7k employees to 11.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Union County, OR, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,788 people), Retail Trade (1,569 people), and Educational Services (1,122 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Union County, OR, though some of these residents may live in Union County, OR and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$52,804

Median earning men ± $3,314

$31,003

Median earning women ± $1,777

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($106,731), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($90,938), and Public Administration ($74,083).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($61,552), Wholesale Trade ($60,296), and Manufacturing ($47,917).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.87%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.97M people employed in Oregon. This represents a 2.87% 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 13.1%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

73
Construction
55
Other Services (except Public Administration)
35
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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

$96.1k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$69.1k
Manufacturing
$53k
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 Oregon went to Kamala Harris with 55.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (41%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.5%).

Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are the senators currently representing the state of Oregon. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Oregon is currently represented by 6 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, OR. Showing the available data for Oregon.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (55.3%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (41%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.5%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Oregon went to Kamala Harris with 55.3% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (41%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.5%).

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

Senator Elections

US Senators from Oregon

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

Ron Wyden

Senator from Oregon

Assumed office on February 5, 1996
Elected to the seat following the resignation of Bob Packwood.

Jeff Merkley

Senator from Oregon

Assumed office on January 3, 2009

Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are the senators currently representing Oregon.

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Union County, OR awarded 825 degrees. The student population of Union County, OR in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,159 male students and 1,639 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Union County, OR are White (577 and 70.5%), Hispanic or Latino (119 and 14.5%), Two or More Races (37 and 4.52%), and Unknown (29 and 3.54%).

The largest universities in Union County, OR by number of degrees awarded are Eastern Oregon University (825 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Union County, OR are Other Business Administration, Management, & Operations (104 and 12.6%), Teacher Education & Professional Development (88 and 10.7%), and General Health & Physical Education (73 and 8.85%).

The median tuition cost in Union County, OR for a public four year colleges is $8,618 for in-state students and $22,289 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Union County, OR, the percentage of applicants admitted was 98.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 18.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 2,798 (41.4% men and 58.6% 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 2,798 students enrolled in Union County, OR, 41.4% men and 58.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,916 records, of which 60.6% were women and 39.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
49 degrees awarded
Other Business Administration, Management, & Operations
104 degrees awarded
General Health & Physical Education
73 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Union County, OR was General Psychology with 49 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Eastern Oregon University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

825 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Eastern Oregon University with 825 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 307 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Union County, OR, which is 0.593 times less than the 518 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 577 degrees mean that there were 4.85 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 119 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, 4-year or above ($8,618) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,091) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,305) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Union County, OR was $294,600 in 2024, which is 0.885 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $260,500 to $294,600, a 13.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Union County, OR is 65.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Union County, OR have an average commute time of 16.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Union County, OR is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Union County, OR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.0973%.

Housing

Property

$294,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$14,624

$7,141

Median Property Taxes

±$478

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

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

Rent vs Own

65.5%

Homeownership

2024

69.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 65.5% of the housing units in Union County, OR were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 64.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Union County, OR 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.

$65,661

Median Household Income

± $3,326

10.9k

Number of Households

± 635

In 2024, the median household income of the 10.9k households in Union County, OR grew to $65,661 from the previous year's value of $64,212.

The following chart displays the households in Union County, OR 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, OR is from Oregon.

0.461

2023 Wage GINI in Oregon

0.463

2022 Wage GINI in Oregon

In 2023, the income inequality in Oregon was 0.461 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.437% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Oregon was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Oregon in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (71.9%)
Carpooled (9.69%)
Worked At Home (8.53%)

In 2024, 71.9% of workers in Union County, OR drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.69%) and those who worked at home (8.53%).

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

16.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Union County, OR have a shorter commute time (16.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.51% of the workforce in Union County, OR have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Union County, OR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.0973%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

16.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Union County, OR (4.14k out of 25.8k 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 18 - 24, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Union County, OR 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, 16.4% of the children was living in poverty in Union County, OR. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 8.2%.

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 137 in Union County, OR. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 5.28 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

93.1% of the population of Union County, OR has health coverage, with 41.9% on employee plans, 21.1% on Medicaid, 15.7% on Medicare, 13.2% on non-group plans, and 1.19% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Union County, OR see 1,191 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,191 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1540 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 208 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

1,191 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Union County, OR

Primary care physicians in Union County, OR see an average of 1,191 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,191 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Union County, OR 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, 21.5% between 18 and 34 years, 34.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.2% 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

6.94%

Uninsured

41.9%

Employer Coverage

21.1%

Medicaid

15.7%

Medicare

13.2%

Non-Group

1.19%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Union County, OR grew by 0.357% from 6.92% to 6.94%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 56.8 in Union County, OR.

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

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 35.6% in Union County, OR.

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