Population 26,885 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Union County
Household size in Union County
| Period | Union County | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.33 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.38 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.34 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.00 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
Households in Union County are small: just 2.34 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Union County has smaller households than the great majority of South Carolina counties.
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 | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.2 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.8 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.6 | 40.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.5 | 41.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.2 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.5, Union County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 42.2, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the southwest and oldest in the northwest.
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 | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.6% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.8% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.3% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.0% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in Union County (17.0%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.4 points, even as the national share fell. Few South Carolina counties have a higher share of single-parent households: only four of 46.
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 | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.8% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.8% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.7% | 30.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.7% | 28.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | −2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Union County rent their homes (28.7%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 68.3% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the south and least common in the northeast. The renter share is up 1.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.0% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.1% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.7% | 13.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.0% | 11.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 15.0% of the housing in Union County, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is up 1.0 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 | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1972 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1971 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | −0 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Union County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1971, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center. Union County has the oldest homes of any South Carolina county.
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 | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $564 | $780 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $602 | $859 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $695 | $984 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $821 | $1,294 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$256 | +$514 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Union County costs $821 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $256 a month since 2006–10, up 45%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.6% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southeast and lowest in the northwest.
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 | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 25.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.9% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.7% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Union County: 14.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 1.6 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Union County has a lower share of college graduates than the great majority of South Carolina counties.
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 | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.4% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.9% | 85.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.3% | 87.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 82.0% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in six adults in Union County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 82.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 6.6 points, as it has nationally. Union County has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five South Carolina counties.
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 | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 9.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.9% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.1% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.2 pts | −4.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Union County than nationally: unemployment was 7.2%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 5.2 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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 | 2.34 | 44.5 | 17.0% | 28.7% | 15.0% | 1971 | $821 | 14.7% | 82.0% | 7.2% |
| Chester County | 2.48 | 42.6 | 14.7% | 21.6% | 11.2% | 1979 | $962 | 14.0% | 85.1% | 5.8% |
| Greenville County | 2.50 | 39.2 | 10.5% | 31.1% | 8.3% | 1991 | $1,363 | 41.3% | 90.9% | 4.5% |
| Lancaster County | 2.62 | 43.6 | 9.5% | 16.7% | 8.8% | 1996 | $1,153 | 34.9% | 90.4% | 4.3% |
| Pickens County | 2.48 | 38.8 | 8.8% | 29.1% | 12.1% | 1986 | $1,017 | 33.9% | 89.0% | 4.0% |
| Oconee County | 2.34 | 45.9 | 9.7% | 23.8% | 18.0% | 1988 | $913 | 28.4% | 87.2% | 5.5% |
| Chesterfield County | 2.51 | 42.3 | 16.1% | 27.2% | 15.7% | 1985 | $801 | 13.7% | 82.1% | 7.2% |
| Rabun County | 2.24 | 48.6 | 8.5% | 22.9% | 33.4% | 1988 | $1,039 | 30.6% | 89.7% | 1.9% |
| Marlboro County | 2.51 | 41.3 | 14.1% | 37.0% | 19.9% | 1978 | $740 | 9.1% | 78.4% | 10.9% |
| Scotland County | 2.50 | 39.5 | 18.3% | 38.2% | 12.2% | 1981 | $829 | 16.5% | 82.4% | 10.8% |
| Union County | 2.27 | 54.9 | 5.4% | 15.6% | 21.8% | 1995 | $945 | 26.6% | 87.8% | 2.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Jefferson County, KS · Winston County, MS · King George County, VA · Wise County, VA · Woodford County, KY · Woodward County, OK · Worth County, GA · Wright County, MO · Wyandot County, OH · Juncos Municipio, PR
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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