HomeSouth CarolinaUnion County
Union County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Union County, South Carolina has a population of 26,885 across 514 square miles, down 2.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $904.8 m in 2024, 418 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 6 7(a) approvals worth $2.7 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Union County
How many people live in Union County
- Population26,885
- Households11,611
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$41,621
- Median age44.5
- Median gross rent$804 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$103,600
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income23.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree3.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over19,376
- Population under 185,590
- Share under 1820.8 percent
- Population 65 and over5,810
- Share 65 and over21.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6415,485
- Civilian labor force11,720
- Unemployment rate7.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.0 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties35th of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1584th
Union County is the 35th largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.6 percent against 20.8 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
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-2.06 percent
- Census 2020 base population27,240
- Births, 2024236
- Deaths, 2024484
- Natural change, 2024-248
- Net domestic migration, 2024128
- Net international migration, 202445
- Total net migration, 2024173
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024350
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2511th
The county has lost 2.06 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
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 arriving426
- People arriving, from those returns797
- Adjusted gross income arriving$17.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$40,113
- Largest single originUnion County Non-migrants (9,118 households)
- Largest single destination (9,118 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union County Non-migrants | 9,118 | 18,223 | $435.0 m |
| Spartanburg County | 157 | 315 | $6.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 115 | 204 | $4.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 85 | 157 | $3.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 83 | 150 | $3.6 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 30 | 47 | $1.4 m |
| Greenville County | 26 | 53 | $995,000 |
| Cherokee County | 25 | 40 | $771,000 |
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$904.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$859.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.3 percent
- GDP change over five years22.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Carolina counties36th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1921st
- GDP per resident$33,656
Output grew 5.3 percent in the latest year and 22.0 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 average7,424
- Establishments reporting490
- Average annual pay$48,510
- Average weekly wage$933
- Sector 31-33, employment1,843
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$64,878
- Sector 48-49, employment961
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$46,425
- Sector 44-45, employment837
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$27,921
- Sector 62, employment267
- Sector 62, average annual pay$33,433
- Sector 56, employment212
- Sector 23, employment157
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,843 | 28 | $64,878 |
| Sector 48-49 | 961 | 20 | $46,425 |
| Sector 44-45 | 837 | 99 | $27,921 |
| Sector 62 | 267 | 36 | $33,433 |
| Sector 56 | 212 | 26 | $34,442 |
| Sector 23 | 157 | 26 | $56,752 |
| Sector 52 | 156 | 32 | $57,071 |
| Sector 22 | 87 | 8 | $84,551 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,843 jobs, 24.8 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 industries418
- Employment at those establishments5,632
- Annual payroll$233.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents15.5
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, 2024101
- Declared construction value permitted$13.5 m
- Single family units authorised101
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$133,813
- Units authorised per 1,000 households8.7
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 recorded6
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$456,667
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- 10th percentile approval$5,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,340,000
- Largest single approval$2,340,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)33
- Jobs per approval5.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals16.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (1)
- Most active lenderCountybank (1)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.1 m
- Average 504 approval$2,109,000
- Median 504 approval$2,109,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval0.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved0.0
- Most active CDCFlorida Business Development Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals85.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$4.8 m
The average approval of $456,667 sits well above the median of $100,000, 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 16.7 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 recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 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 lending2
- UNION, approvals5
- JONESVILLE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| UNION | 5 | $2,640,000 |
| JONESVILLE | 1 | $100,000 |
UNION accounts for 5 approvals against 1 in JONESVILLE. 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 area514 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties32nd of 46
- Width, east to west24.7 mi
- Height, north to south32.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land52
- Establishments per square mile0.81
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 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.
- Population26,885
- Households11,611
- Average household size2.32
- Median household income$41,621
- Median age44.5
Common questions
Union County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Union County, South Carolina?
26,885, in 11,611 households, ranking 35th of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Union County growing?
The population has fallen 2.06 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 236 births against 484 deaths, with net migration of 173. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Union County?
$41,621. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $103,600, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $804 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Union County?
418 establishments, employing 5,632 people with an annual payroll of $233.0 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 $48,510, or $933 a week, across 7,424 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?
6 7(a) approvals totalling $2.7 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $2.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Union County?
101 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $13.5 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 9,118 households. Arriving households report an average income of $40,113 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.