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Union County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Union County, North Carolina has a population of 250,958 across 632 square miles, up 10.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $13.11 bn in 2024, 5,732 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 289 7(a) approvals worth $159.6 m.
128 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Union County
How many people live in Union County
- Population250,958
- Households84,237
- Average household size2.98
- Median household income$102,900
- Median age39.2
- Median gross rent$1,496 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$417,300
- Home value to household income4.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher40.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree14.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over162,928
- Population under 1864,232
- Share under 1825.6 percent
- Population 65 and over33,972
- Share 65 and over13.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64152,754
- Civilian labor force132,592
- Unemployment rate4.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.0 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties8th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents286th
Union County is the 8th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 4.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.6 percent against 13.5 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 base10.56 percent
- Census 2020 base population238,237
- Births, 20242,559
- Deaths, 20241,808
- Natural change, 2024751
- Net domestic migration, 20243,669
- Net international migration, 20241,479
- Total net migration, 20245,148
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202417,435
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents134th
The county has grown 10.56 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
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 arriving8,112
- People arriving, from those returns17,456
- Adjusted gross income arriving$879.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$108,429
- Largest single originUnion County Non-migrants (82,532 households)
- Largest single destination (82,532 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union County Non-migrants | 82,532 | 195,786 | $10.62 bn |
| Mecklenburg County | 3,124 | 6,615 | $340.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,427 | 5,482 | $285.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,053 | 2,203 | $102.2 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 624 | 1,418 | $86.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 387 | 945 | $50.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 363 | 916 | $46.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 328 | 591 | $20.4 m |
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$13.11 bn
- County GDP, 2023$12.18 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.6 percent
- GDP change over five years58.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Carolina counties10th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents357th
- GDP per resident$52,250
Output grew 7.6 percent in the latest year and 58.2 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 average74,299
- Establishments reporting7,848
- Average annual pay$61,500
- Average weekly wage$1,183
- Sector 31-33, employment12,424
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$70,526
- Sector 23, employment10,057
- Sector 23, average annual pay$81,876
- Sector 44-45, employment8,237
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$38,131
- Sector 72, employment6,297
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,470
- Sector 62, employment5,162
- Sector 56, employment4,812
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 12,424 | 288 | $70,526 |
| Sector 23 | 10,057 | 1,121 | $81,876 |
| Sector 44-45 | 8,237 | 650 | $38,131 |
| Sector 72 | 6,297 | 383 | $21,470 |
| Sector 62 | 5,162 | 567 | $52,788 |
| Sector 56 | 4,812 | 668 | $57,246 |
| Sector 42 | 3,205 | 542 | $101,326 |
| Sector 54 | 3,094 | 1,243 | $85,734 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 12,424 jobs, 16.7 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Union County
What businesses operate in Union County
- Establishments, all industries5,732
- Employment at those establishments66,082
- Annual payroll$3.52 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.8
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, 20242,334
- Declared construction value permitted$536.5 m
- Single family units authorised2,166
- Multifamily units authorised168
- Multifamily share of units7.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$229,859
- Units authorised per 1,000 households27.7
Multifamily is 7.2 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 recorded289
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$159.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$552,274
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,625,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,507
- Jobs per approval8.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active63
- Distinct industries receiving approvals126
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms47
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter225
- Franchise loans59
- Franchise share of approvals20.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFitness and Recreational Sports Centers (10)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (23)
- 504 approvals recorded49
- 504 gross approval dollars$47.8 m
- Average 504 approval$976,041
- Median 504 approval$576,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval14.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.0
- Most active CDCBusiness Expansion Funding Corporation (37)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals85.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$207.4 m
The average approval of $552,274 sits well above the median of $250,000, 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 16.3 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. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 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 recorded53
- Paid in full50
- Charged off3
- Charge off rate on resolved loans5.7 percent
- Status: Paid in full50
- Status: Exempt from disclosure196
- Status: Charged off3
- Status: Cancelled32
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed8
Of the 53 loans that have reached a final outcome, 5.7 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
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 lending11
- MONROE, approvals99
- WAXHAW, approvals72
- INDIAN TRAIL, approvals57
- MATTHEWS, approvals33
- STALLINGS, approvals10
- Weddington, approvals7
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| MONROE | 99 | $74,983,000 |
| WAXHAW | 72 | $37,451,300 |
| INDIAN TRAIL | 57 | $25,339,300 |
| MATTHEWS | 33 | $8,253,400 |
| STALLINGS | 10 | $4,465,700 |
| Weddington | 7 | $3,015,000 |
| CHARLOTTE | 3 | $1,012,000 |
| WINGATE | 3 | $3,029,000 |
MONROE accounts for 99 approvals against 72 in WAXHAW. 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 area632 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties23rd of 100
- Width, east to west32 mi
- Height, north to south27.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land397
- Establishments per square mile9.07
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.
Union County
What hazards affect Union County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book15
- Of those, participating in the NFIP15
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
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.
- 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.
- Population250,958
- Households84,237
- Average household size2.98
- Median household income$102,900
- Median age39.2
Common questions
Union County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Union County, North Carolina?
250,958, in 84,237 households, ranking 8th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Union County growing?
The population has grown 10.56 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 2,559 births against 1,808 deaths, with net migration of 5,148. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Union County?
$102,900. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $417,300, which is 4.1 times income, and median gross rent is $1,496 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Union County?
5,732 establishments, employing 66,082 people with an annual payroll of $3.52 bn. 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 $61,500, or $1,183 a week, across 74,299 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?
289 7(a) approvals totalling $159.6 m since FY2020, across 63 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 49 504 approvals worth $47.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Union County get paid back?
Of the 53 loans that have reached a final outcome, 50 were paid in full and 3 charged off, a charge off rate of 5.7 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Union County?
2,334 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $536.5 m. Multifamily was 7.2 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 82,532 households. Arriving households report an average income of $108,429 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.