Union County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Union County, IL 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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B
Health Around averageLess healthy than 77% of counties in Illinois
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 79% of counties in Illinois
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Union County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,997 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 40.3 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.33% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.0 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,868 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Union County declined by 6.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,997 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Union County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.7% of residents. That is 1.4 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,153 18.5% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,164 18.6% -3.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,696 21.7% +1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,508 20.6% +3.7 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 Illinois, 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 49.9% of the people living in Union County and men 50.1%.
- Women 49.9% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 50.1% Illinois 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 | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,637 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.60% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Union County is about 34% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Union County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $113,636 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $647 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.4% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Union County is about 14.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $647 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Union County spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 157 hours, about 6.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Union County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.9 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.8 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 157 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,877 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.2% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,156 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 561 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Illinois:
Edgar County (12.0 min), Brown County (12.7 min), Morgan County (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Calhoun County (43.8 min), Pulaski County (31.2 min), Pope County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Union County is 19 minutes, shorter than the 24 minutes in Illinois.
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 | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.1% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Illinois:
DuPage County (0.4), Champaign County (0.4), Lake County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hardin County (0.2), Fayette County (0.2), Perry County (0.2).
Health
Union County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Union County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.7 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.0% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.3% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Illinois:
DuPage County (0.8), Champaign County (0.8), Monroe County (0.8).
Lowest:
Alexander County (0.8), Pulaski County (0.8), Gallatin County (0.8).
Union County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Union County, IL compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, IL | 16,997 | $55,637 #2/3 | $113,636 #1/3 | 18.9 min #3/3 |
| Jackson County, IL | 53,061 | $48,884 | $69,066 | 16.5 min |
| Williamson County, IL | 66,874 | $65,527 | $94,999 | 18.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Union County, Illinois.
How many people live in Union County, Illinois?
About 16,997 people live in Union County, Illinois, in 6,868 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 43.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Union County, Illinois?
Averaged over its land area, Union County, Illinois has 40 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 47% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Union County, Illinois?
The median home costs 2.0 times the median household income ($113,636 against $55,637), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $647 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Union County, Illinois?
Unemployment in Union County, Illinois is only 3.9%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Union County, Illinois?
20.1% of adults in Union County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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