Union County, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Union County, SC 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 averageLess healthy than 76% of counties in South Carolina
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 89% of counties in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Union County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,885 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 52.2 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.51% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.9 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 11,611 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Union County declined by 3.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,885 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Union County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.9% of residents. That is 2.8 points above South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,966 18.5% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,920 18.3% -2.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,167 22.9% +2.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,548 20.6% +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 South 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 52.9% of the people living in Union County and men 47.1%.
- Women 52.9% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 47.1% South Carolina 48.8%
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 | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $41,432 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.21% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Union County is about 40% lower than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Union County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $189,062 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $804 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.3% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Union County is about 19.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $804 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Union County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 184 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Union County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.0 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.1 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 184 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,694 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.4% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,755 | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 368 | 1,499 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
South Carolina:
Greenwood County (16.5 min), Sumter County (18.2 min), Florence County (18.3 min).
Slowest:
McCormick County (33.9 min), Fairfield County (30.8 min), Chester County (30.6 min).
The average commute time in Union County is about the same as in South 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 F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Union County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.0% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.28 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
South Carolina:
Charleston County (0.4), Beaufort County (0.3), Richland County (0.3).
Lowest:
Allendale County (0.1), Marlboro County (0.2), Chesterfield County (0.2).
Health
Union County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Union County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.5 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.1% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.1% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
South Carolina:
Beaufort County (0.8), Charleston County (0.8), Dorchester County (0.8).
Lowest:
Dillon County (0.8), Allendale County (0.8), Marlboro County (0.8).
Union County, SC Compared With Nearby Counties
Union County, SC is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 26,885 residents against a local median of 56,649. Union County, SC's median household income, at $41,432, runs 28% below the $57,581 typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $189,062 against a local median of $161,273, 17% above it. The counties themselves spread $15,852 on median household income, so Union County, SC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Union County, SC has the 6th highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, SC | 26,885 | $41,432 #6/6 | $189,062 #3/6 | 22.0 min #3/6 |
| Cherokee County, SC | 56,649 | $50,370 | $429,025 | 21.7 min |
| Newberry County, SC | 38,435 | $62,057 | $224,444 | 21.9 min |
| Laurens County, SC | 68,664 | $57,581 | $82,578 | 23.0 min |
| Spartanburg County, SC | 347,752 | $66,222 | $158,720 | 22.2 min |
| Chester County, SC | 32,186 | $53,740 | $161,273 | 30.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Union County, South Carolina.
How many people live in Union County, South Carolina?
About 26,885 people live in Union County, South Carolina, in 11,611 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 42.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Union County, South Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Union County, South Carolina has 52 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 60% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Union County, South Carolina an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.6 times the median household income ($189,062 against $41,432), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $804 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Union County, South Carolina?
Unemployment in Union County, South Carolina is 7.9%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Union County, South Carolina?
13.0% of adults in Union County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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