Union County, SC

County

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2024 Population

26,885

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

44.5

0.451% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

22.6%

0.387% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$41,621

1.02% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$103,600

3.6% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

10,790

0.754% 1-year decline

About

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.

98.9% of the residents in Union County, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Union County, SC are University of South Carolina-Union (118 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Union County, SC was $103,600, and the homeownership rate was 71.3%.

Most people in Union County, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.4 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 26.9k people, from which 98.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.45% of Union County, SC residents were born outside of the country (391 people).

In 2024, there were 2.34 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (17.3k people) in Union County, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.39k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.48k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.9%

2024 Citizenship

99.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.9% of Union County, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, 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)
17.3k ± 53
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
7.39k ± 437
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.48k ± 436

2.08%

Hispanic Population

559 people

2.08% of the people in Union County, SC are hispanic (559 people).

The following chart shows the 8 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
63,986 ± 6,172 people
India
20,779 ± 3,532 people
Honduras
17,281 ± 3,222 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 63,986 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 20,779 and Honduras with 17,281.

Foreign-Born Population

1.45%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

391 people

1.19%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

322 people

As of 2024, 1.45% of Union County, SC residents (391 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, SC was 1.19%, 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-)
553 ± 195
Gulf War (1990s)
353 ± 130
Vietnam
314 ± 98

Union County, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.57 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Union County, SC employs 10.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Union County, SC were Manufacturing (2,775 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,695 people), and Transportation & Warehousing (998 people), and the highest paying industries were Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($177,614), Utilities ($77,188), and Information ($49,901).

Employment

Occupations

10.8k

2024 Value

± 778

−0.754%

1 Year decline

± 10.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Union County, SC declined at a rate of −0.754%, from 10.9k employees to 10.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Union County, SC, are Production Occupations (1,931 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,040 people), and Material Moving Occupations (942 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 South Carolina.

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

10.8k

2024 Value

± 778

−0.754%

1 Year decline

± 10.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Union County, SC declined at a rate of −0.754%, from 10.9k employees to 10.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Union County, SC, are Manufacturing (2,775 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,695 people), and Transportation & Warehousing (998 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

$42,195

Median earning men ± $3,140

$35,281

Median earning women ± $2,604

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($60,901), Information ($56,136), and Manufacturing ($54,615).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($70,542), Manufacturing ($37,796), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($36,688).

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

56
Other Services (except Public Administration)
56
Retail Trade
28
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

$101k
Manufacturing
$53.1k
Transportation and Warehousing
$22.2k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Union County, SC awarded 118 degrees. The student population of Union County, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 648 male students and 744 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Union County, SC are White (86 and 72.9%), Black or African American (16 and 13.6%), Hispanic or Latino (7 and 5.93%), and Two or More Races (6 and 5.08%).

The largest universities in Union County, SC by number of degrees awarded are University of South Carolina-Union (118 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Union County, SC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (118 and 100%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Union County, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 69.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 66%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 1,392 (46.6% men and 53.4% 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 1,392 students enrolled in Union County, SC, 46.6% men and 53.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 880 records, of which 55% were women and 45% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Liberal Arts & Sciences

Most Common

118 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Union County, SC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 118 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

118 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of South Carolina-Union with 118 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 56 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Union County, SC, which is 0.903 times less than the 62 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 86 degrees mean that there were 5.38 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 16 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 2023.

Public, 2-year ($400) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Union County, SC was $103,600 in 2024, which is 0.311 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $100,000 to $103,600, a 3.6% increase. The homeownership rate in Union County, SC is 71.3%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Union County, SC have an average commute time of 27.4 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.

In 2025, 10.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Union County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.72%.

Housing

Property

$103,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,425

$8,276

Median Property Taxes

±$578

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

71.3%

Homeownership

2024

62.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 71.3% of the housing units in Union County, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 69.3%.

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

$41,621

Median Household Income

± $3,477

11.6k

Number of Households

± 759

In 2024, the median household income of the 11.6k households in Union County, SC grew to $41,621 from the previous year's value of $41,200.

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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Union County, SC is from South Carolina.

0.464

2023 Wage GINI in South Carolina

0.464

2022 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.102% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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 2024

Drove Alone (83.5%)
Carpooled (11.7%)
Worked At Home (3.4%)

In 2024, 83.5% of workers in Union County, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.7%) and those who worked at home (3.4%).

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

27.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Union County, SC have a longer commute time (27.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.35% 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 2025, 10.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Union County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.72%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

22.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Union County, SC (5.99k out of 26.5k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Males 55 - 64.

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 2025, 34.8% of the children was living in poverty in Union County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 1.9%.

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 671 in Union County, SC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 27.4 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

89.5% of the population of Union County, SC has health coverage, with 36.5% on employee plans, 23.2% on Medicaid, 15.7% on Medicare, 12.2% on non-group plans, and 1.91% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Union County, SC see 3,002 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,002 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4459 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 918 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.9% were men and 53.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,002 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Union County, SC

Primary care physicians in Union County, SC see an average of 3,002 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,002 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 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.5% under 18 years, 17.5% between 18 and 34 years, 38.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.9% were men and 53.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

10.5%

Uninsured

36.5%

Employer Coverage

23.2%

Medicaid

15.7%

Medicare

12.2%

Non-Group

1.91%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Union County, SC declined by 10.5% from 11.7% to 10.5%.

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 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 105 in Union County, SC.

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

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 42.9% in Union County, SC.

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