Union County, Arkansas: commercial real estate data.
Union County, Arkansas has a population of 37,900 across 1,039 square miles, down 5.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $3.38 bn in 2024, 1,036 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 28 7(a) approvals worth $18.2 m.
107 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Union County
How many people live in Union County
- Population37,900
- Households15,002
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$55,259
- Median age41.4
- Median gross rent$847 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$120,900
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over25,911
- Population under 188,984
- Share under 1823.7 percent
- Population 65 and over7,288
- Share 65 and over19.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6421,628
- Civilian labor force16,966
- Unemployment rate5.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.7 percent
- Rank by population among Arkansas counties21st of 75
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1257th
Union County is the 21st largest of 75 Arkansas counties by population. A median home costs 2.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.7 percent against 19.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Union County
Is Union County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-5.25 percent
- Census 2020 base population39,057
- Births, 2024444
- Deaths, 2024582
- Natural change, 2024-138
- Net domestic migration, 2024-293
- Net international migration, 202431
- Total net migration, 2024-262
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,519
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2995th
The county has lost 5.25 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Union County
Where people moving to Union County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving642
- People arriving, from those returns1,259
- Adjusted gross income arriving$33.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$51,520
- Largest single originUnion County Non-migrants (13,352 households)
- Largest single destination (13,352 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union County Non-migrants | 13,352 | 28,064 | $969.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 312 | 624 | $18.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 240 | 483 | $14.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 182 | 361 | $8.3 m |
| Ouachita County | 59 | 105 | $2.3 m |
| Other flows - West | 45 | 86 | $3.0 m |
| Columbia County | 37 | 74 | $1.6 m |
| Pulaski County | 31 | 53 | $774,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Union County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Union County
What the Union County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$3.38 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.48 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-3.0 percent
- GDP change over five years32.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Arkansas counties12th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents910th
- GDP per resident$89,061
Output grew -3.0 percent in the latest year and 32.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Union County
Who employs people in Union County
- Covered employment, annual average16,449
- Establishments reporting1,165
- Average annual pay$61,648
- Average weekly wage$1,186
- Sector 31-33, employment2,792
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$83,301
- Sector 44-45, employment2,022
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,103
- Sector 62, employment1,992
- Sector 62, average annual pay$45,673
- Sector 23, employment1,366
- Sector 23, average annual pay$73,285
- Sector 72, employment1,189
- Sector 56, employment1,060
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 2,792 | 49 | $83,301 |
| Sector 44-45 | 2,022 | 173 | $32,103 |
| Sector 62 | 1,992 | 219 | $45,673 |
| Sector 23 | 1,366 | 70 | $73,285 |
| Sector 72 | 1,189 | 83 | $18,603 |
| Sector 56 | 1,060 | 48 | $68,062 |
| Sector 48-49 | 706 | 48 | $73,984 |
| Sector 42 | 510 | 62 | $72,117 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,792 jobs, 17.0 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Union County
What businesses operate in Union County
- Establishments, all industries1,036
- Employment at those establishments15,851
- Annual payroll$988.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents27.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Union County
What is being built in Union County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202420
- Declared construction value permitted$3.2 m
- Single family units authorised20
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$161,955
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.3
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Union County
How much SBA lending happens in Union County
- 7(a) approvals recorded28
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$18.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$650,650
- Median 7(a) approval$460,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,169,300
- Largest single approval$2,347,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)293
- Jobs per approval10.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active11
- Distinct industries receiving approvals22
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer21.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter20
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countElectrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (2)
- Most active lenderSouthern Bancorp Bank (11)
The average approval of $650,650 sits well above the median of $460,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 21.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Union County
Do SBA loans in Union County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Exempt from disclosure22
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 4 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Union County
Which parts of Union County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- EL DORADO, approvals21
- STRONG, approvals6
- JUNCTION CITY, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| EL DORADO | 21 | $11,693,700 |
| STRONG | 6 | $5,774,500 |
| JUNCTION CITY | 1 | $750,000 |
EL DORADO accounts for 21 approvals against 6 in STRONG. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Union County
How big is Union County
- Land area1,039 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Arkansas counties1st of 75
- Width, east to west53.3 mi
- Height, north to south25.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land36
- Establishments per square mile1.00
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Union County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Union County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population37,900
- Households15,002
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$55,259
- Median age41.4
Common questions
Union County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Union County, Arkansas?
37,900, in 15,002 households, ranking 21st of 75 Arkansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Union County growing?
The population has fallen 5.25 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 444 births against 582 deaths, with net migration of -262. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Union County?
$55,259. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $120,900, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $847 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Union County?
1,036 establishments, employing 15,851 people with an annual payroll of $988.1 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Union County?
Average annual pay is $61,648, or $1,186 a week, across 16,449 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Union County?
28 7(a) approvals totalling $18.2 m since FY2020, across 11 lenders, with a median approval of $460,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Union County?
20 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $3.2 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Union County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Union County come from?
The largest single origin is Union County Non-migrants, with 13,352 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,520 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Union County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Union County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.