Union County, Arkansas: commercial real estate data.
Union County, Arkansas had an estimated 37,008 residents on July 1, 2024, down 5.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 39,057, across 1,039 square miles. 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 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Union County
How many people live in Union County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202437,900
- 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-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1257th of 3,222
Union County is the 21st largest of 75 Arkansas counties by population. A median home costs 2.2 times median household income, which is affordable 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's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202437,008
- Census 2020 base population39,057
- Population change since the 2020 census base-5.25 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-401
- 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 of 3,144
The county has lost 5.25 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Union County
Where are people moving to Union County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving642
- People arriving, from those returns1,259
- Tax returns filed by households leaving794
- Net household movement-152
- Adjusted gross income arriving$33.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-20.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$51,520
- Average income of a leaving household$67,578
- Largest single originOuachita County (59 households)
- Largest single destinationPulaski County (85 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ouachita County | 59 | 105 | $2.3 m |
| Columbia County | 37 | 74 | $1.6 m |
| Pulaski County | 31 | 53 | $774,000 |
| Union Parish | 21 | 42 | $1.3 m |
Households arriving report $16,058 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Ouachita County, 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 is the Union County economy?
- 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 the Arkansas areas BEA publishes12th of 75
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes910th of 3,127
- 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
Employment by industry in Union County
- Covered employment, annual average16,449
- Establishments reporting1,165
- Average annual pay$61,648
- Average weekly wage$1,186
- Manufacturing, employment2,792
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$83,301
- Retail trade, employment2,022
- Retail trade, average annual pay$32,103
- Health care and social assistance, employment1,992
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$45,673
- Construction, employment1,366
- Construction, average annual pay$73,285
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,189
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment1,060
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2,792 | 49 | $83,301 |
| Retail trade | 2,022 | 173 | $32,103 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,992 | 219 | $45,673 |
| Construction | 1,366 | 70 | $73,285 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,189 | 83 | $18,603 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 1,060 | 48 | $68,062 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 706 | 48 | $73,984 |
| Wholesale trade | 510 | 62 | $72,117 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 2,792 jobs, 17.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Union County
How many businesses are 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. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Union County
Building permits in Union County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202420
- Declared construction value permitted$3.2 m
- Single family units authorized20
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$161,955
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.3
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Union County
SBA loans in Union County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded28
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$18.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$650,650
- Median 7(a) approval$455,000
- 10th percentile approval$42,500
- 90th percentile approval$1,703,590
- 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
- Most active lenderSouthern Bancorp Bank (11)
The average approval of $650,650 sits well above the median of $455,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here 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
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in 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
Only 4 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Union County
SBA lending by place in Union County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- El Dorado, approvals21
- Strong, approvals6
- Junction City, approvals1
| Borrower city | 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 large 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 boundary7
- 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.
Union County
Flood risk in Union County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Union County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 050205
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book9
- Of those, participating in the NFIP8
- NFIP participation rate88.9 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Union County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Union County (community 050205), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Union County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 88.9 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
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.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202437,900
- 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?
The Census Bureau estimates 37,008 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 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's population growing?
The population has fallen 5.25 percent since the 2020 census base of 39,057, to 37,008 on July 1, 2024. 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 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 employment by industry in Union County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 2,792 jobs, 17.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 16,449 jobs at an average annual pay of $61,648, or $1,186 a week. 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 totaling $18.2 m since FY2020, across 11 lenders, with a median approval of $455,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Union County?
20 housing units were authorized 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 Ouachita County, with 59 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,520 against $67,578 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?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Union County
Cities and places in Union.
11 Census places lie wholly or partly in Union County. All 11 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Dorado | city | 17,115 | 21 | Wholly in this county |
| Smackover | city | 2,419 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Norphlet | city | 1,003 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Junction City | city | 564 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Strong | city | 434 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Huttig | city | 401 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Calion | city | 355 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Urbana | CDP | 147 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lawson | CDP | 86 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Felsenthal | town | 40 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mount Holly | CDP | 18 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |