Union County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Union County, NC 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 averageHealthier than 94% of counties in North Carolina
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B
Income Around averageAmong the top 3 wealthiest counties in North Carolina
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 87% of counties in North Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Union County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 250,888 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 392.5 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.79% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.7 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 84,211 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Union County grew by 37.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 250,888 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Union County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.4% of residents. That is 2.9 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 54,194 21.6% -0.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 51,895 20.7% -0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 58,825 23.4% +2.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 34,434 13.7% -3.3 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 North Carolina, 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% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 49.5% North Carolina 48.9%
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 B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Union County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $104,427 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.61% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Union County is about 44% higher than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Union County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $419,934 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,495 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.6% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Union County is about 23.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,495 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Union County spend about 56 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 234 hours, about 9.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Union County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 28.0 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 56.1 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 234 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,241 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 19.5% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 11,177 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,160 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Carolina:
Macon County (17.2 min), Watauga County (17.2 min), Dare County (17.4 min).
Slowest:
Gates County (35.9 min), Currituck County (33.9 min), Tyrrell County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Union County is 28 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
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 B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Union County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.7% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.94 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.5), Wake County (0.4), Durham County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hyde County (0.2), Greene County (0.2), Tyrrell County (0.2).
Health
Union County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Union County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.3 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.8% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.4% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.8), Wake County (0.8), Watauga County (0.8).
Lowest:
Robeson County (0.8), Lenoir County (0.8), Halifax County (0.8).
Union County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Union County, NC is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 250,888 residents against a local median of 104,481. Union County, NC's median home price, at $419,934, runs 47% above the $286,251 typical of the counties around it.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $104,427 against a local median of $81,073, 29% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 29% above the local median it puts Union County, NC at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $214,323 on median home price, so Union County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Union County, NC has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, NC | 250,888 | $104,427 #1/6 | $419,934 #1/6 | 28.0 min #6/6 |
| Lancaster County, SC | 104,481 | $81,073 | $286,251 | 27.9 min |
| Mecklenburg County, NC | 1,154,528 | $87,854 | $336,691 | 23.0 min |
| Cabarrus County, NC | 236,149 | $88,863 | $227,299 | 25.8 min |
| Stanly County, NC | 64,639 | $60,751 | $296,127 | 22.9 min |
| Anson County, NC | 22,289 | $48,739 | $122,368 | 27.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Union County, North Carolina.
How big is Union County, North Carolina by population?
About 250,888 people live in Union County, North Carolina, in 84,211 households of 2.9 people on average. The median age is 37.7, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Union County, North Carolina urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Union County, North Carolina has 393 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 4.5 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Union County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 4.0 times the median household income ($419,934 against $104,427), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,495 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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