Union County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Union County, Tennessee had an estimated 21,064 residents on July 1, 2024, up 6.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 19,802, across 224 square miles. County output reached $471.9 m in 2024, 228 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1 7(a) approvals worth $347,500 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 2020-202420,431
- Households7,931
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$62,727
- Median age42.7
- Median gross rent$847 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$204,000
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over14,600
- Population under 184,352
- Share under 1821.3 percent
- Population 65 and over3,849
- Share 65 and over18.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6412,230
- Civilian labor force9,133
- Unemployment rate2.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.8 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties66th of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1857th of 3,222
Union County is the 66th largest of 95 Tennessee counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.3 percent against 18.8 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, 202421,064
- Census 2020 base population19,802
- Population change since the 2020 census base6.37 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024317
- Births, 2024190
- Deaths, 2024307
- Natural change, 2024-117
- Net domestic migration, 2024439
- Net international migration, 2024-2
- Total net migration, 2024437
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,648
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents363rd of 3,144
The county has grown 6.37 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 arriving729
- People arriving, from those returns1,430
- Tax returns filed by households leaving511
- Net household movement218
- Adjusted gross income arriving$47.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$23.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$65,325
- Average income of a leaving household$48,217
- Largest single originKnox County (288 households)
- Largest single destinationKnox County (192 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County | 288 | 568 | $14.4 m |
| Anderson County | 46 | 99 | $2.3 m |
| Claiborne County | 39 | 74 | $2.0 m |
| Grainger County | 29 | 65 | $1.9 m |
Households arriving report $17,108 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 Knox 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$471.9 m
- County GDP, 2023$451.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.6 percent
- GDP change over five years37.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Tennessee areas BEA publishes79th of 95
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2443rd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$23,099
Output grew 4.6 percent in the latest year and 37.0 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 average2,931
- Establishments reporting298
- Average annual pay$48,737
- Average weekly wage$937
- Manufacturing, employment509
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$73,968
- Retail trade, employment430
- Retail trade, average annual pay$26,456
- Accommodation and food services, employment225
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$16,143
- Wholesale trade, employment212
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$80,156
- Health care and social assistance, employment208
- Construction, employment161
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 509 | 16 | $73,968 |
| Retail trade | 430 | 43 | $26,456 |
| Accommodation and food services | 225 | 20 | $16,143 |
| Wholesale trade | 212 | 14 | $80,156 |
| Health care and social assistance | 208 | 30 | $50,870 |
| Construction | 161 | 36 | $59,000 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 64 | 5 | $26,824 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 50 | 20 | $33,334 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 509 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 industries228
- Employment at those establishments1,971
- Annual payroll$80.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents11.2
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, 2024134
- Declared construction value permitted$34.0 m
- Single family units authorized134
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$253,797
- Units authorized per 1,000 households16.9
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 recorded1
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$347,500
- Average 7(a) approval$347,500
- Median 7(a) approval$347,500
- Largest single approval$347,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)8
- Jobs per approval8.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active1
- Distinct industries receiving approvals1
- Median 7(a) term300 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer100.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter0
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 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 recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1
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 area224 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties86th of 95
- Width, east to west18.8 mi
- Height, north to south18.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land91
- Establishments per square mile1.02
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 470194
- 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 greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Union County (community 470194), 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 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 2020-202420,431
- Households7,931
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$62,727
- Median age42.7
Common questions
Union County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Union County, Tennessee?
The Census Bureau estimates 21,064 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 20,431, in 7,931 households, ranking 66th of 95 Tennessee 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 6.37 percent since the 2020 census base of 19,802, to 21,064 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 190 births against 307 deaths, with net migration of 437. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Union County?
$62,727. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $204,000, which is 3.3 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?
228 establishments, employing 1,971 people with an annual payroll of $80.2 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 509 jobs, 17.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,931 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,737, or $937 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?
1 7(a) approvals totaling $347,500 since FY2020, across 1 lenders, with a median approval of $347,500. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Union County?
134 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $34.0 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 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 Knox County, with 288 households. Arriving households report an average income of $65,325 against $48,217 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.
3 Census places lie wholly or partly in Union County. All 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maynardville | city | 2,528 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Plainview | city | 2,458 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Luttrell | town | 1,158 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby