Union County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Union County, Kentucky had an estimated 13,178 residents on July 1, 2024, down 3.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 13,671, across 343 square miles. County output reached $1.15 bn in 2024, 249 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2 7(a) approvals worth $851,000 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 2020-202413,260
- Households5,198
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$60,327
- Median age42.4
- Median gross rent$790 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$104,500
- Home value to household income1.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher13.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over9,478
- Population under 182,499
- Share under 1818.8 percent
- Population 65 and over2,631
- Share 65 and over19.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 648,130
- Civilian labor force5,795
- Unemployment rate2.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over53.9 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties81st of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2271st of 3,222
Union County is the 81st largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 1.7 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 19.8 percent against 18.8 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, 202413,178
- Census 2020 base population13,671
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.61 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202462
- Births, 2024165
- Deaths, 2024198
- Natural change, 2024-33
- Net domestic migration, 202494
- Net international migration, 2024-1
- Total net migration, 202493
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-263
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2841st of 3,144
The county has lost 3.61 percent of its population 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 arriving215
- People arriving, from those returns412
- Tax returns filed by households leaving252
- Net household movement-37
- Adjusted gross income arriving$8.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-3.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$38,893
- Average income of a leaving household$46,345
- Largest single originHenderson County (67 households)
- Largest single destinationHenderson County (75 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson County | 67 | 138 | $2.2 m |
| Webster County | 22 | 61 | $499,000 |
Households arriving report $7,452 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Henderson 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$1.15 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.24 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-7.9 percent
- GDP change over five years41.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes44th of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1730th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$86,415
Output grew -7.9 percent in the latest year and 41.2 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
Employment by industry in Union County
- Covered employment, annual average5,225
- Establishments reporting390
- Average annual pay$61,075
- Average weekly wage$1,175
- Manufacturing, employment952
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$58,065
- Retail trade, employment539
- Retail trade, average annual pay$30,161
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment331
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$73,707
- Accommodation and food services, employment255
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$17,537
- Wholesale trade, employment169
- Construction, employment152
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 952 | 18 | $58,065 |
| Retail trade | 539 | 50 | $30,161 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 331 | 21 | $73,707 |
| Accommodation and food services | 255 | 27 | $17,537 |
| Wholesale trade | 169 | 24 | $83,792 |
| Construction | 152 | 25 | $62,974 |
| Finance and insurance | 106 | 18 | $79,861 |
| Other services, except public administration | 68 | 19 | $39,328 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 952 jobs, 18.2 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 industries249
- Employment at those establishments3,980
- Annual payroll$228.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.8
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. 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, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorized0
- Multifamily units authorized0
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Union County
SBA loans in Union County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded2
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$851,000
- Average 7(a) approval$425,500
- Median 7(a) approval$425,500
- Largest single approval$751,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)12
- Jobs per approval6.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term210 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer50.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$911,000
- Average 504 approval$455,500
- Median 504 approval$455,500
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval7.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved16.5
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$1.8 m
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
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Union County
Do SBA loans in Union County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
Only 0 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
How large is Union County?
- Land area343 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties51st of 120
- Width, east to west23.3 mi
- Height, north to south29.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land39
- Establishments per square mile0.73
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 210301
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- 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 210301), 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 2020-202413,260
- Households5,198
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$60,327
- Median age42.4
Common questions
Union County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Union County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 13,178 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 13,260, in 5,198 households, ranking 81st of 120 Kentucky 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 3.61 percent since the 2020 census base of 13,671, to 13,178 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 165 births against 198 deaths, with net migration of 93. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Union County?
$60,327. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $104,500, which is 1.7 times income, and median gross rent is $790 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Union County?
249 establishments, employing 3,980 people with an annual payroll of $228.0 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?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 952 jobs, 18.2 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 5,225 jobs at an average annual pay of $61,075, or $1,175 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?
2 7(a) approvals totaling $851,000 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $425,500, plus 2 504 approvals worth $911,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Union County?
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. 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 Henderson County, with 67 households. Arriving households report an average income of $38,893 against $46,345 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.
5 Census places lie wholly or partly in Union County. All 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morganfield | city | 3,185 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Sturgis | city | 1,864 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Breckinridge Center | CDP | 1,467 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Uniontown | city | 874 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Waverly | city | 403 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |