Union County, Oregon: commercial real estate data.
Union County, Oregon had an estimated 26,058 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 26,195, across 2,037 square miles. County output reached $1.34 bn in 2024, 740 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 42 7(a) approvals worth $5.5 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 2020-202426,144
- Households10,900
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$65,661
- Median age40.0
- Median gross rent$982 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$294,600
- Home value to household income4.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher26.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over17,593
- Population under 185,591
- Share under 1821.4 percent
- Population 65 and over5,584
- Share 65 and over21.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6414,969
- Civilian labor force12,490
- Unemployment rate5.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.8 percent
- Rank by population among Oregon counties24th of 36
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1609th of 3,222
Union County is the 24th largest of 36 Oregon counties by population. A median home costs 4.5 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.4 percent against 21.4 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, 202426,058
- Census 2020 base population26,195
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.52 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202420
- Births, 2024261
- Deaths, 2024379
- Natural change, 2024-118
- Net domestic migration, 202494
- Net international migration, 202444
- Total net migration, 2024138
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024164
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2025th of 3,144
The county has lost 0.52 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 arriving626
- People arriving, from those returns1,105
- Tax returns filed by households leaving658
- Net household movement-32
- Adjusted gross income arriving$33.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-4.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$53,353
- Average income of a leaving household$57,229
- Largest single originUmatilla County (63 households)
- Largest single destinationUmatilla County (69 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Umatilla County | 63 | 99 | $2.8 m |
| Baker County | 42 | 85 | $1.3 m |
| Multnomah County | 29 | 44 | $2.6 m |
| Ada County | 24 | 49 | $1.3 m |
| Deschutes County | 23 | 43 | $1.4 m |
| Wallowa County | 22 | 43 | $1.2 m |
Households arriving report $3,876 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Umatilla 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$1.34 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.32 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.7 percent
- GDP change over five years28.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Oregon areas BEA publishes26th of 36
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1607th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$51,241
Output grew 1.7 percent in the latest year and 28.7 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 average10,486
- Establishments reporting1,047
- Average annual pay$52,345
- Average weekly wage$1,007
- Health care and social assistance, employment1,820
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$61,367
- Retail trade, employment1,427
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,896
- Manufacturing, employment1,220
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$60,378
- Accommodation and food services, employment922
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$22,872
- Construction, employment595
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment393
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 1,820 | 162 | $61,367 |
| Retail trade | 1,427 | 98 | $33,896 |
| Manufacturing | 1,220 | 33 | $60,378 |
| Accommodation and food services | 922 | 77 | $22,872 |
| Construction | 595 | 117 | $60,088 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 393 | 85 | $51,348 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 329 | 69 | $58,886 |
| Other services, except public administration | 310 | 94 | $33,641 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 1,820 jobs, 17.4 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 industries740
- Employment at those establishments7,702
- Annual payroll$396.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.3
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, 202438
- Declared construction value permitted$13.7 m
- Single family units authorized36
- Multifamily units authorized2
- Multifamily share of units5.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$361,469
- Units authorized per 1,000 households3.5
Single-family homes are 94.7 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 recorded42
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$131,105
- Median 7(a) approval$50,000
- 10th percentile approval$24,100
- 90th percentile approval$347,120
- Largest single approval$1,386,200
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)114
- Jobs per approval2.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals28
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer4.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter40
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals7.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAll Other Specialty Trade Contractors (5)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (17)
The average approval of $131,105 sits well above the median of $50,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 4.8 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 recorded12
- Paid in full12
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full12
- Status: Cancelled6
- Status: Exempt from disclosure22
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Only 12 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 lending6
- La Grande, approvals31
- Union, approvals3
- Elgin, approvals3
- Island City, approvals2
- North Powder, approvals2
- Cove, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| La Grande | 31 | $4,821,400 |
| Union | 3 | $135,000 |
| Elgin | 3 | $95,000 |
| Island City | 2 | $315,000 |
| North Powder | 2 | $90,000 |
| Cove | 1 | $50,000 |
La Grande accounts for 31 approvals against 3 in Union. 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 area2,037 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Oregon counties16th of 36
- Width, east to west69.6 mi
- Height, north to south62.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land13
- Establishments per square mile0.36
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 410216
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- 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 410216), 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 2020-202426,144
- Households10,900
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$65,661
- Median age40.0
Common questions
Union County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Union County, Oregon?
The Census Bureau estimates 26,058 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 26,144, in 10,900 households, ranking 24th of 36 Oregon 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 0.52 percent since the 2020 census base of 26,195, to 26,058 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 261 births against 379 deaths, with net migration of 138. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Union County?
$65,661. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $294,600, which is 4.5 times income, and median gross rent is $982 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Union County?
740 establishments, employing 7,702 people with an annual payroll of $396.8 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?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 1,820 jobs, 17.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 10,486 jobs at an average annual pay of $52,345, or $1,007 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?
42 7(a) approvals totaling $5.5 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $50,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Union County?
38 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $13.7 m. Multifamily was 5.3 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 Umatilla County, with 63 households. Arriving households report an average income of $53,353 against $57,229 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.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Union County. All 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Grande | city | 13,058 | 31 | Wholly in this county |
| Union | city | 2,290 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Elgin | city | 1,549 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Island City | city | 1,145 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Cove | city | 651 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| North Powder | city | 563 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Imbler | city | 189 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Summerville | town | 106 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby