Union County, SC

County

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2022 Population

27,158

0.542% 1-year decline

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2022 Median Age

44.2

0.455% 1-year increase

2022 Poverty Rate

21%

0.845% 1-year increase

2022 Median Household Income

$42,305

5.64% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$95,300

17.1% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

10,913

1.23% 1-year decline

About

In 2022, Union County, SC had a population of 27.2k people with a median age of 44.2 and a median household income of $42,305. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Union County, SC declined from 27,306 to 27,158, a −0.542% decrease and its median household income grew from $40,048 to $42,305, a 5.64% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Union County, SC are White (Non-Hispanic) (64.2%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (28.9%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.65%), White (Hispanic) (0.884%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (0.365%).

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.

99.3% of the residents in Union County, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Union County, SC are University of South Carolina-Union (97 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2022, the median property value in Union County, SC was $95,300, and the homeownership rate was 69.5%.

Most people in Union County, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.8 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 27.2k people, from which 99.3% are citizens. As of 2022, 1.2% of Union County, SC residents were born outside of the country (327 people).

In 2022, there were 2.22 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (17.4k people) in Union County, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.85k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.26k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.3%

2022 Citizenship

99.4%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 99.3% of Union County, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Union County, SC was 99.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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)
17.4k ± 15
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
7.85k ± 334
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
1.26k ± 339

1.83%

Hispanic Population

496 people

1.83% of the people in Union County, SC are hispanic (496 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Union County, SC 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 South Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
58,419 ± 5,900 people
India
18,341 ± 3,319 people
Honduras
13,844 ± 2,885 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 58,419 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 18,341 and Honduras with 13,844.

Foreign-Born Population

1.2%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

327 people

0.916%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

250 people

As of 2022, 1.2% of Union County, SC residents (327 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Union County, SC was 0.916%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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-)
595 ± 200
Vietnam
428 ± 110
Gulf War (1990s)
294 ± 117

Union County, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.39 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Union County, SC employs 10.9k people. The largest industries in Union County, SC are Manufacturing (2,930 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,532 people), and Retail Trade (1,158 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($71,719), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($53,000), and Public Administration ($48,333).

Males in South Carolina have an average income that is 1.37 times higher than the average income of females, which is $52,636. The income inequality in South Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.464, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

10.9k

2022 Value

± 755

−1.23%

1 Year decline

± 9.92%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Union County, SC declined at a rate of −1.23%, from 11k employees to 10.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Union County, SC, are Production Occupations (1,856 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,170 people), and Material Moving Occupations (900 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 false.

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

10.9k

2022 Value

± 755

−1.23%

1 Year decline

± 9.92%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Union County, SC declined at a rate of −1.23%, from 11k employees to 10.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Union County, SC, are Manufacturing (2,930 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,532 people), and Retail Trade (1,158 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

$41,629

Median earning men ± $3,651

$29,911

Median earning women ± $2,662

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Public Administration ($56,127), Information ($53,636), and Manufacturing ($50,188).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Public Administration ($37,315), Wholesale Trade ($36,833), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($35,096).

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

129
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
108
Manufacturing
104
Retail Trade

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

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Union County, SC went to Donald J. Trump with 61.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (37.2%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.724%).

Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott are the senators currently representing the state of South Carolina. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

South Carolina is currently represented by 7 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

Donald J. Trump (61.7%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (37.2%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (0.724%)
Libertarian Party

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

Senator Elections

US Senators from South Carolina

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

Lindsey Graham

Senator from South Carolina

Assumed office on January 3, 2003

Tim Scott

Senator from South Carolina

Assumed office on January 2, 2013
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Jim DeMint.

Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott are the senators currently representing South Carolina.

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

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from South Carolina

South Carolina is currently represented by 7 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 South Carolina have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Union County, SC awarded 97 degrees. The student population of Union County, SC in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 497 male students and 601 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Union County, SC are White (70 and 72.2%), followed by Black or African American (20 and 20.6%), Hispanic or Latino (3 and 3.09%), and Two or More Races (3 and 3.09%).

The largest universities in Union County, SC by number of degrees awarded are University of South Carolina-Union (97 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Union County, SC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (97 and 100%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Union County, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 80.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 58.2%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 1,098 (45.3% men and 54.7% 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 2022 there were 1,098 students enrolled in Union County, SC, 45.3% men and 54.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 742 records, of which 53.8% were women and 46.2% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Liberal Arts & Sciences

Most Common

97 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Union County, SC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 97 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

97 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of South Carolina-Union with 97 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 38 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Union County, SC, which is 0.644 times less than the 59 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 70 degrees mean that there were 3.5 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 20 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 2022.

Public, 2-year ($400) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

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 2022, 0.83% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.688% 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 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.18M), Some college (892k), and Bachelors Degree (705k).

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 $95,300 in 2022, which is 0.338 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $81,400 to $95,300, a 17.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Union County, SC is 69.5%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Union County, SC have an average commute time of 27.8 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 $42,305. In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Union County, SC was Census Tract 308 with a value of $63,508, followed by Census Tract 301 and Census Tract 305, with respective values of $55,909 and $50,857.

In 2023, 11.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Union County, SC. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.58%.

Housing

Property

$95,300

Median Property Value 2022

±$4,349

$8,045

Median Property Taxes

±$560

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

69.5%

Homeownership

2022

64.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 69.5% of the housing units in Union County, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68.3%.

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
Census Tract 301
Census Tract 305

In 2022, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Union County, SC was Census Tract 308 with a value of $63,508, followed by Census Tract 301 and Census Tract 305, with respective values of $55,909 and $50,857.

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.

$42,305

Median Household Income

± $3,766

11.6k

Number of Households

± 706

In 2022, the median household income of the 11.6k households in Union County, SC grew to $42,305 from the previous year's value of $40,048.

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 South Carolina.

0.464

2022 Wage GINI in South Carolina

0.463

2021 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.334% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Carolina in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (82.4%)
Carpooled (12.7%)
Worked At Home (2.12%)

In 2022, 82.4% of workers in Union County, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.7%) and those who worked at home (2.12%).

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

27.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Union County, SC have a longer commute time (27.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 3.07% 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 2023, 11.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Union County, SC. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.58%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

21% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Union County, SC (5.62k out of 26.7k 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 6 - 11, followed by Females 55 - 64 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 2023, 29.3% of the children was living in poverty in Union County, SC. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.6%.

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

88.5% of the population of Union County, SC has health coverage, with 35.7% on employee plans, 21.8% on Medicaid, 16.6% on Medicare, 12.1% on non-group plans, and 2.23% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Union County, SC see 2454 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.17% decrease from the previous year (2483 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3859 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1039 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.3% were men and 52.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,454 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Union County, SC

Primary care physicians in Union County, SC see an average of 2,454 patients per year. This represents a 1.17% decrease from the previous year (2,483 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 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.5% under 18 years, 18% between 18 and 34 years, 39.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.3% were men and 52.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

11.5%

Uninsured

35.7%

Employer Coverage

21.8%

Medicaid

16.6%

Medicare

12.1%

Non-Group

2.23%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Union County, SC grew by 2.65% from 11.2% to 11.5%.

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 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 68.9 in Union County, SC.

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

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 39% in Union County, SC.

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