Union County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Union County, MS 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 averageHealthier than 86% of counties in Mississippi
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D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 78% of counties in Mississippi
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Union County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,122 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 67.5 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.07% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.3 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,849 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Union County grew by 4.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 28,122 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Union County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.1% of residents. That is 1.1 points below Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,922 21.1% -1.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,843 20.8% +0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,514 19.6% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,734 16.8% -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 Mississippi, 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 50.5% of the people living in Union County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 49.5% Mississippi 48.5%
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 | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,904 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.25% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Union County is about the same as in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Union County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $257,292 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $864 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.7% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Union County is about 24.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $864 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Union County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 179 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Union County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.5 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.0 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 179 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,548 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 1.4% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,971 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,154 | 914 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Mississippi:
Sharkey County (11.9 min), Coahoma County (13.2 min), Leflore County (15.2 min).
Slowest:
Wilkinson County (36.8 min), Tate County (32.8 min), Greene County (32.7 min).
The average commute time in Union County is 21 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Mississippi.
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 F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Union County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.8% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.83 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Mississippi:
Madison County (0.4), Lafayette County (0.3), Oktibbeha County (0.3).
Lowest:
Issaquena County (0.1), Tallahatchie County (0.2), Greene County (0.2).
Health
Union County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Union County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.0 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.0% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.9% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Mississippi:
Madison County (0.8), Lafayette County (0.8), Oktibbeha County (0.8).
Lowest:
Holmes County (0.7), Quitman County (0.7), Sharkey County (0.7).
Union County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
Union County, MS is the 4th largest of the 5 counties compared here, 28,122 residents against a local median of 44,926. Where Union County, MS breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 35% above the local median of $190,293 at $257,292.
The counties themselves spread $244,844 on median home price, so Union County, MS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Union County, MS has the 2nd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, MS | 28,122 | $56,904 #3/5 | $257,292 #2/5 | 21.5 min #4/5 |
| Pontotoc County, MS | 31,525 | $52,298 | $95,972 | 23.7 min |
| Tippah County, MS | 21,523 | $53,704 | $340,816 | 21.3 min |
| Lee County, MS | 83,034 | $68,266 | $162,980 | 18.4 min |
| Lafayette County, MS | 58,327 | $70,279 | $217,605 | 16.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Union County, Mississippi.
How many people live in Union County, Mississippi?
About 28,122 people live in Union County, Mississippi, in 9,849 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 35.3, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Union County, Mississippi urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Union County, Mississippi has 67 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Union County, Mississippi an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.5 times the median household income ($257,292 against $56,904), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $864 a month takes about 18% 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, Mississippi?
16.8% of adults in Union County, Mississippi hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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