Union County, Oregon Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Union County, OR Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Union County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,138 | 4,252,306 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 12.8 | 43.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.19% | 0.82% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.0 | 40.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,894 | 1,717,698 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Union County grew by 5.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,138 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Union County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.3% of residents. That is 1.6 points above Oregon as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,830 22.3% +1.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,904 18.8% -4.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,795 18.3% -1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,277 20.2% +2.2 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 Oregon, 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 50.4% of the people living in Union County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Oregon 50.1%
- Men 49.6% Oregon 49.9%
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 C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Union County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,574 | $83,617 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.68% | 5.70% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Union County is about 22% lower than in Oregon.
Housing
| Metric | Union County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $271,710 | $406,603 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $981 | $1,525 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.5% | 63.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Union County is about 23.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $981 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Union County spend about 23 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 96 hours, about 4.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Union County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.5 | 20.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 23.0 | 40.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 96 | 168 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,974 | $5,203 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.5% | 19.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,292 | 7,643 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 265 | 967 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Oregon:
Lake County (7.7 min), Harney County (8.6 min), Baker County (8.9 min).
Slowest:
Columbia County (31.7 min), Clackamas County (23.9 min), Polk County (22.2 min).
The average commute time in Union County is 12 minutes, shorter than the 20 minutes in Oregon.
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 | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.7% | 32.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 2.41 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Oregon:
Benton County (0.4), Multnomah County (0.4), Washington County (0.4).
Lowest:
Morrow County (0.2), Malheur County (0.2), Gilliam County (0.2).
Health
Union County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Union County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.4 | 78.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.2% | 15.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.1% | 17.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Oregon:
Benton County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Clackamas County (0.8).
Lowest:
Josephine County (0.8), Malheur County (0.8), Lake County (0.8).
Union County, OR Compared With Nearby Counties
How Union County, OR compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, OR | 26,138 | $65,574 #3/3 | $271,710 #1/3 | 11.5 min #1/3 |
| Umatilla County, OR | 79,928 | $68,282 | $260,068 | 16.0 min |
| Walla Walla County, WA | 62,160 | $74,258 | $38,811 | 12.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Union County, Oregon.
How many people live in Union County, Oregon?
About 26,138 people live in Union County, Oregon, in 10,894 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Union County, Oregon?
Averaged over its land area, Union County, Oregon has 13 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 15% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Union County, Oregon?
The median home costs 4.1 times the median household income ($271,710 against $65,574), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $981 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Union County, Oregon?
22.7% of adults in Union County, Oregon hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →