Union County, Georgia: commercial real estate data.
Union County, Georgia had an estimated 27,601 residents on July 1, 2024, up 12.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 24,625, across 322 square miles. County output reached $1.26 bn in 2024, 666 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 13 7(a) approvals worth $10.9 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 2020-202426,304
- Households11,490
- Average household size2.29
- Median household income$66,176
- Median age55.9
- Median gross rent$808 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$307,400
- Home value to household income4.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher26.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over20,871
- Population under 183,923
- Share under 1814.9 percent
- Population 65 and over8,987
- Share 65 and over34.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6413,394
- Civilian labor force10,328
- Unemployment rate2.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over46.1 percent
- Rank by population among Georgia counties74th of 159
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1604th of 3,222
Union County is the 74th largest of 159 Georgia counties by population. A median home costs 4.6 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 34.2 percent against 14.9 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Union County
Is Union County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202427,601
- Census 2020 base population24,625
- Population change since the 2020 census base12.09 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024486
- Births, 2024165
- Deaths, 2024381
- Natural change, 2024-216
- Net domestic migration, 2024675
- Net international migration, 202426
- Total net migration, 2024701
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20243,709
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents107th of 3,144
The county has grown 12.09 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration 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 are people moving to Union County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,121
- People arriving, from those returns2,098
- Tax returns filed by households leaving694
- Net household movement427
- Adjusted gross income arriving$102.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$59.1 m
- Average income of an arriving household$91,426
- Average income of a leaving household$62,517
- Largest single originTowns County (67 households)
- Largest single destinationTowns County (63 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Towns County | 67 | 117 | $3.0 m |
| Fannin County | 57 | 118 | $4.5 m |
| Gwinnett County | 45 | 79 | $9.1 m |
| Cherokee County | 38 | 84 | $1.8 m |
| Cobb County | 33 | 53 | $5.0 m |
| Clay County | 33 | 63 | $1.7 m |
| Cherokee County | 30 | 60 | $4.2 m |
| Hillsborough County | 26 | 46 | $2.4 m |
Households arriving report $28,909 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Towns 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$1.26 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.17 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.1 percent
- GDP change over five years46.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Georgia areas BEA publishes76th of 159
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1659th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$47,828
Output grew 7.1 percent in the latest year and 46.8 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
Employment by industry in Union County
- Covered employment, annual average7,867
- Establishments reporting770
- Average annual pay$46,683
- Average weekly wage$898
- Retail trade, employment1,313
- Retail trade, average annual pay$30,924
- Accommodation and food services, employment892
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$22,498
- Manufacturing, employment523
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$55,675
- Construction, employment410
- Construction, average annual pay$49,341
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment263
- Transportation and warehousing, employment250
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,313 | 106 | $30,924 |
| Accommodation and food services | 892 | 58 | $22,498 |
| Manufacturing | 523 | 38 | $55,675 |
| Construction | 410 | 106 | $49,341 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 263 | 68 | $77,761 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 250 | 22 | $56,721 |
| Wholesale trade | 196 | 22 | $61,347 |
| Other services, except public administration | 162 | 40 | $44,126 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,313 jobs, 16.7 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 industries666
- Employment at those establishments7,629
- Annual payroll$337.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.3
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, 2024281
- Declared construction value permitted$116.1 m
- Single family units authorized281
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$413,289
- Units authorized per 1,000 households24.5
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 recorded13
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$10.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$835,385
- Median 7(a) approval$696,800
- Largest single approval$2,422,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)163
- Jobs per approval12.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active11
- Distinct industries receiving approvals12
- Median 7(a) term126 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer46.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter6
- Franchise loans4
- Franchise share of approvals30.8 percent
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 recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure11
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Cancelled1
Only 1 loan has 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
How large is Union County?
- Land area322 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Georgia counties92nd of 159
- Width, east to west22.6 mi
- Height, north to south23.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land82
- Establishments per square mile2.07
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
Flood risk in Union County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Union County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 130254
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Union County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Union County (community 130254), 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 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 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 2020-202426,304
- Households11,490
- Average household size2.29
- Median household income$66,176
- Median age55.9
Common questions
Union County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Union County, Georgia?
The Census Bureau estimates 27,601 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 26,304, in 11,490 households, ranking 74th of 159 Georgia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Union County's population growing?
The population has grown 12.09 percent since the 2020 census base of 24,625, to 27,601 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 165 births against 381 deaths, with net migration of 701. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Union County?
$66,176. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $307,400, which is 4.6 times income, and median gross rent is $808 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Union County?
666 establishments, employing 7,629 people with an annual payroll of $337.0 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?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 1,313 jobs, 16.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 7,867 jobs at an average annual pay of $46,683, or $898 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?
13 7(a) approvals totaling $10.9 m since FY2020, across 11 lenders, with a median approval of $696,800. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Union County?
281 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $116.1 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 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 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 Towns County, with 67 households. Arriving households report an average income of $91,426 against $62,517 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.
1 Census place lies wholly or partly in Union County. It carries enough published place level data for a page of its own and is linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blairsville | city | 902 | 13 | Wholly in this county |