HomeSouth DakotaUnion County
Union County, South Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Union County, South Dakota has a population of 17,081 across 461 square miles, up 3.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.26 bn in 2024, 555 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 16 7(a) approvals worth $21.3 m.
119 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Union County
How many people live in Union County
- Population17,081
- Households7,310
- Average household size2.34
- Median household income$89,636
- Median age41.5
- Median gross rent$1,069 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$301,100
- Home value to household income3.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher37.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,842
- Population under 184,108
- Share under 1824.1 percent
- Population 65 and over3,328
- Share 65 and over19.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,645
- Civilian labor force9,220
- Unemployment rate3.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.1 percent
- Rank by population among South Dakota counties13th of 66
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2032nd
Union County is the 13th largest of 66 South Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 3.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.1 percent against 19.5 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 base3.50 percent
- Census 2020 base population16,814
- Births, 2024245
- Deaths, 2024150
- Natural change, 202495
- Net domestic migration, 2024107
- Net international migration, 202415
- Total net migration, 2024122
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024268
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents778th
The county has grown 3.50 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 arriving633
- People arriving, from those returns1,131
- Adjusted gross income arriving$84.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$133,352
- Largest single originUnion County Non-migrants (6,505 households)
- Largest single destination (6,505 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union County Non-migrants | 6,505 | 14,159 | $1.32 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 263 | 446 | $23.6 m |
| Woodbury County | 175 | 354 | $21.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 173 | 282 | $12.8 m |
| Minnehaha County | 58 | 90 | $3.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 51 | 96 | $5.9 m |
| Lincoln County | 46 | 93 | $4.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 40 | 68 | $2.6 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$2.26 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.22 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.0 percent
- GDP change over five years34.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Dakota counties6th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1183rd
- GDP per resident$132,391
Output grew 2.0 percent in the latest year and 34.8 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 average9,633
- Establishments reporting878
- Average annual pay$73,276
- Average weekly wage$1,409
- Sector 31-33, employment2,230
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$75,782
- Sector 62, employment1,296
- Sector 62, average annual pay$75,809
- Sector 54, employment809
- Sector 54, average annual pay$113,003
- Sector 52, employment654
- Sector 52, average annual pay$91,354
- Sector 72, employment603
- Sector 44-45, employment587
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 2,230 | 31 | $75,782 |
| Sector 62 | 1,296 | 98 | $75,809 |
| Sector 54 | 809 | 142 | $113,003 |
| Sector 52 | 654 | 85 | $91,354 |
| Sector 72 | 603 | 40 | $21,628 |
| Sector 44-45 | 587 | 54 | $48,641 |
| Sector 23 | 467 | 73 | $76,476 |
| Sector 42 | 467 | 90 | $99,093 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,230 jobs, 23.1 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 industries555
- Employment at those establishments9,844
- Annual payroll$700.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents32.5
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, 202448
- Declared construction value permitted$18.9 m
- Single family units authorised40
- Multifamily units authorised8
- Multifamily share of units16.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$392,986
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.6
Multifamily is 16.7 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 recorded16
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$21.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,329,944
- Median 7(a) approval$760,500
- 10th percentile approval$45,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,000,000
- Largest single approval$3,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)147
- Jobs per approval9.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals8
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter15
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals12.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countMeat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (7)
- Most active lenderGBC International Bank (7)
- 504 approvals recorded30
- 504 gross approval dollars$14.0 m
- Average 504 approval$467,100
- Median 504 approval$371,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval7.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.8
- Most active CDCDakota Business Finance (21)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals34.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$35.3 m
The average approval of $1,329,944 sits well above the median of $760,500, 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 0.0 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 recorded8
- Paid in full7
- Charged off1
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure8
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 8 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 lending5
- NORTH SIOUX CITY, approvals9
- Jefferson, approvals4
- ALCESTER, approvals1
- Beresford, approvals1
- Mccook Lake, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| NORTH SIOUX CITY | 9 | $19,716,500 |
| Jefferson | 4 | $1,385,500 |
| ALCESTER | 1 | $45,000 |
| Beresford | 1 | $62,100 |
| Mccook Lake | 1 | $70,000 |
NORTH SIOUX CITY accounts for 9 approvals against 4 in Jefferson. 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 area461 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Dakota counties62nd of 66
- Width, east to west18.5 mi
- Height, north to south41.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land37
- Establishments per square mile1.20
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.
- Population17,081
- Households7,310
- Average household size2.34
- Median household income$89,636
- Median age41.5
Common questions
Union County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Union County, South Dakota?
17,081, in 7,310 households, ranking 13th of 66 South Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Union County growing?
The population has grown 3.50 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 245 births against 150 deaths, with net migration of 122. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Union County?
$89,636. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $301,100, which is 3.4 times income, and median gross rent is $1,069 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Union County?
555 establishments, employing 9,844 people with an annual payroll of $700.7 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 $73,276, or $1,409 a week, across 9,633 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?
16 7(a) approvals totalling $21.3 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $760,500, plus 30 504 approvals worth $14.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Union County?
48 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $18.9 m. Multifamily was 16.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Union County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 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 6,505 households. Arriving households report an average income of $133,352 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.