Population 2,352 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Union Mills
Household size in Union Mills
| Period | Union Mills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.52 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.27 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.50 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.47 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.05 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Union Mills run small, averaging 2.47 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. North Carolina as a whole looks much the same.
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 Mills
| Period | Union Mills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.0 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.9 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.2 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.2 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 49.2, Union Mills 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 44.0, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Mills
| Period | Union Mills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.3% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Union Mills than nationally: 14.3%, against 11.6%.
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 Mills
Renters in Union Mills
| Period | Union Mills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.6% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.9% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.7% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −7.9 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Union Mills is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 8.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 62.5% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Mills
| Period | Union Mills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.5% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 24.0% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.6% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Union Mills: 22.6% of homes are empty, 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.
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 Mills
| Period | Union Mills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1984 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Union Mills is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1989, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. That is in line with the rest of North Carolina.
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 Mills
| Period | Union Mills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $485 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $546 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $545 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,028 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$543 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Union Mills runs $1,028 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 47.8% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Mills
Bachelor's degrees in Union Mills
| Period | Union Mills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.6% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.8% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.4% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.6 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Union Mills have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 25.4%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Mills
| Period | Union Mills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.9% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.5% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.5% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.0% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Union Mills never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 Mills
| Period | Union Mills | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 15.6% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.1% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Union Mills is close to the national rate: 5.5% of the labor force, against 5.4%. 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 Mills compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Mills | 2.47 | 49.2 | 14.3% | 8.7% | 22.6% | 1989 | $1,028 | 25.4% | 87.0% | 5.5% |
| Vein Mountain | 2.75 | 43.3 | 18.1% | 11.1% | 15.8% | 1997 | $611 | 26.5% | 85.3% | 2.4% |
| Shingle Hollow | 2.31 | 52.5 | 10.0% | 29.5% | 13.8% | 1985 | $886 | 22.6% | 81.5% | 0.7% |
| Westminster | 1.89 | 60.9 | 2.2% | 6.5% | 15.5% | 1988 | $1,577 | 14.9% | 84.8% | 9.5% |
| Green Hill | 2.37 | 53.0 | 8.1% | 11.4% | 3.3% | 1994 | $654 | 29.9% | 90.6% | 1.7% |
| Ruth | 2.93 | 49.9 | 11.1% | 24.1% | 9.8% | 1977 | $667 | 18.3% | 87.8% | 1.9% |
| Rutherfordton | 2.52 | 45.2 | 11.4% | 21.8% | 11.9% | 1986 | $796 | 25.7% | 88.2% | 3.9% |
| Spindale | 2.17 | 45.7 | 15.5% | 49.4% | 11.7% | 1968 | $757 | 15.7% | 81.2% | 9.8% |
| Bostic | 2.14 | 52.8 | 5.6% | 18.2% | 16.2% | 1986 | $999 | 19.8% | 88.8% | 5.6% |
| Pea Ridge | 2.29 | 41.9 | 14.3% | 32.4% | 18.2% | 1992 | $608 | 16.3% | 85.9% | 4.0% |
| Lake Lure | 1.95 | 60.1 | 5.4% | 17.7% | 49.4% | 1993 | $1,285 | 43.3% | 94.7% | 5.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Tillson, NY · Haysi, VA · Independence, WV · Iron River, WI · Isle, MN · Lake, MS · Newburgh Heights, OH · Orleans, MI · Robards, KY · Stanfordville, NY
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 Mills. 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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