Population 16,997 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Union County
Household size in Union County
| Period | Union County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.38 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.48 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.50 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.43 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Households in Union County run small, averaging 2.43 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has crept up from 2.38 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Union County
| Period | Union County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.3 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.3 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.7 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.5 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.2 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Union County is 43.5 years old, older than the national median of 40.1. The youngest areas are in the southwest, the oldest in the north.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Union County
| Period | Union County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Union County (10.2%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged down 1.1 points, mirroring the country.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Union County
Renters in Union County
| Period | Union County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.2% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.9% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.7% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.6% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 22.6% of households in Union County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly six in ten owners (57.8%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 1.6 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Union County
| Period | Union County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.6% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.8% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.1% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Union County: 13.1% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is up 1.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Union County
| Period | Union County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1970 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Union County was built around 1977, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Illinois overall, where the median home dates to 1970. The median year built has moved up from 1970 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Union County
| Period | Union County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $542 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $593 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $626 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $747 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$205 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in Union County runs $747 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $205 a month since 2006–10, up 38%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.0% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southwest; the highest are in the northeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Union County
Bachelor's degrees in Union County
| Period | Union County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.9% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.6% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.1% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.4% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Union County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.4%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 2.5 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the southeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Union County
| Period | Union County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.6% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.4% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.3% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.8% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.2 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in eight adults in Union County never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 7.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Of Illinois' 102 counties, only six have a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Union County
| Period | Union County | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.1% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Union County than nationally: unemployment was 4.2%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 4.1 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Union County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County | 2.43 | 43.5 | 10.2% | 22.6% | 13.1% | 1977 | $747 | 20.4% | 86.8% | 4.2% |
| Johnson County | 2.75 | 41.6 | 10.5% | 18.0% | 30.2% | 1978 | $896 | 21.8% | 86.9% | 10.2% |
| Cape Girardeau County | 2.53 | 39.4 | 9.0% | 33.2% | 11.4% | 1982 | $983 | 33.3% | 92.5% | 2.6% |
| Pope County | 2.65 | 53.5 | 6.3% | 13.7% | 38.2% | 1983 | $475 | 15.0% | 93.6% | 2.6% |
| Bollinger County | 2.68 | 43.7 | 10.0% | 17.7% | 20.8% | 1982 | $776 | 13.1% | 90.6% | 3.5% |
| Hardin County | 2.27 | 53.4 | 9.3% | 20.5% | 33.7% | 1974 | $444 | 13.1% | 91.8% | 2.8% |
| Madison County | 2.76 | 41.0 | 11.6% | 26.3% | 17.9% | 1975 | $812 | 16.9% | 88.0% | 4.5% |
| Crittenden County | 2.56 | 43.5 | 11.4% | 21.8% | 16.4% | 1976 | $788 | 15.1% | 83.6% | 3.2% |
| Iron County | 2.45 | 45.4 | 11.8% | 24.9% | 18.0% | 1975 | $651 | 19.2% | 85.5% | 3.6% |
| Webster County | 2.68 | 40.2 | 11.2% | 26.2% | 13.9% | 1980 | $857 | 12.4% | 85.1% | 5.5% |
| Hopkins County | 2.44 | 40.8 | 14.6% | 29.3% | 13.1% | 1977 | $824 | 17.3% | 88.1% | 6.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Yancey County, NC · Johnson County, IL · Johnson County, KY · Johnson County, TN · Yoakum County, TX · Yellow Medicine County, MN · Juneau County, WI · Juniata County, PA · Yell County, AR · Yazoo County, MS
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Union County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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