Union County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Union County, TN 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 78% of counties in Tennessee
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 95% of counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Union County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,431 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 82.6 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.86% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.5 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,931 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Union County grew by 7.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,431 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Union County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.8% of residents. That is 1.6 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,953 19.3% -2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,130 20.2% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,462 21.8% +1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,166 20.4% +3.1 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 Tennessee, 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% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 49.6% Tennessee 49.1%
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 | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,970 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.66% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Union County is about 8% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Union County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $294,999 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $846 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.2% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Union County is about 29.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $846 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Union County spend about 66 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 277 hours, about 11.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Union County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 33.2 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 66.4 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 277 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,582 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.5% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,522 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,114 | 1,225 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Tennessee:
Dyer County (15.9 min), Henry County (16.7 min), Obion County (17.1 min).
Slowest:
Cannon County (33.3 min), Union County (33.2 min), Fayette County (33.1 min).
The average commute time in Union County is 33 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Tennessee.
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 | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.3% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.4), Davidson County (0.3), Knox County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.1), Van Buren County (0.1), Lauderdale County (0.1).
Health
Union County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Union County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.3 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.8% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 28.6% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.8), Rutherford County (0.8), Wilson County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.8), Lake County (0.8), Hancock County (0.8).
Union County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
Union County, TN is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 20,431 residents against a local median of 39,761. Where Union County, TN breaks from the counties next to it is commute, sitting 44% above the local median of 23.1 min at 33.2 min. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $294,999 against a local median of $212,931, 39% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: median household income runs ahead of the neighbourhood while commute runs behind it, so Union County, TN is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 10.5 min on commute, so Union County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Union County, TN has the 6th lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County, TN | 20,431 | $63,970 #3/6 | $294,999 #1/6 | 33.2 min #6/6 |
| Claiborne County, TN | 32,466 | $49,273 | $207,311 | 20.6 min |
| Knox County, TN | 494,148 | $74,263 | $263,740 | 21.3 min |
| Grainger County, TN | 24,266 | $50,783 | $212,931 | 31.1 min |
| Campbell County, TN | 39,761 | $51,969 | $219,444 | 26.1 min |
| Anderson County, TN | 79,153 | $67,394 | $210,366 | 23.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Union County, Tennessee.
How many people live in Union County, Tennessee?
About 20,431 people live in Union County, Tennessee, in 7,931 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 43.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Union County, Tennessee urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Union County, Tennessee has 83 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Union County, Tennessee an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.6 times the median household income ($294,999 against $63,970), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $846 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Union County, Tennessee?
Unemployment in Union County, Tennessee is only 2.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Union County, Tennessee?
12.3% of adults in Union County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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