Union County, Arkansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Union County, AR Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 88% of counties in Arkansas
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 78% of counties in Arkansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Union County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,897 | 3,049,066 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 35.9 | 57.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.78% | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.1 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Households | 15,001 | 1,205,703 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Union County declined by 12.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 37,897 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Union County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.3% of residents. That is 1.2 points below Arkansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,686 20.3% -1.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,339 19.4% -1.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,642 20.2% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,228 19.1% +1.0 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Arkansas, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.0% of the people living in Union County and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% Arkansas 50.6%
- Men 49.0% Arkansas 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Union County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Union County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Union County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,805 | $60,940 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.09% | 4.58% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Union County is about 10% lower than in Arkansas.
Housing
| Metric | Union County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $24,462 | $111,957 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $846 | $947 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.7% | 66.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Union County is about 2.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $846 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Union County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 140 hours, about 5.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Union County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.9 | 18.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.7 | 37.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 140 | 155 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,355 | $4,807 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.9% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,073 | 6,306 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 421 | 912 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Arkansas:
Arkansas County (11.9 min), Phillips County (13.2 min), Howard County (13.4 min).
Slowest:
Perry County (32.2 min), Newton County (31.6 min), Madison County (31.1 min).
The average commute time in Union County is 17 minutes, shorter than the 19 minutes in Arkansas.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Union County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Union County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.9% | 22.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.49 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Arkansas:
Pulaski County (0.3), Benton County (0.3), Washington County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lee County (0.2), Lincoln County (0.2), Scott County (0.2).
Health
Union County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Union County | Arkansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.1 | 75.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.8% | 22.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.2% | 23.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Arkansas:
Benton County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Newton County (0.8).
Lowest:
Phillips County (0.7), Chicot County (0.7), Desha County (0.8).
Union County, AR Compared With Nearby Counties
How Union County, AR compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, AR | 37,897 | $54,805 #1/3 | $24,462 #3/3 | 16.9 min #1/3 |
| Union Parish, LA | 20,797 | $42,659 | $85,426 | 27.7 min |
| Ouachita County, AR | 22,085 | $48,857 | $86,219 | 18.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Union County, Arkansas.
How many people live in Union County, Arkansas?
About 37,897 people live in Union County, Arkansas, in 15,001 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 42.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Union County, Arkansas mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Union County, Arkansas has 36 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 42% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Union County, Arkansas an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.4 times the median household income ($24,462 against $54,805), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $846 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Union County, Arkansas?
17.9% of adults in Union County, Arkansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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