Union County, Iowa
Located in Iowa, Union County has a population of 11,993 residents and a median age of 40.5 years, making it the #2,352 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.4%. The median home value is $122,000, and the median household income is $57,772, which is 23% below the national median.
Demographics
Union County has a population of 11,993, making it the #2,352 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.5 years, which is 4.1% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Union County is $57,772, ranking #2,280 out of 3,222 counties — 23.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.4% and unemployment stands at 4.0%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Union County is $122,000 (-56.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $721/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Union County, 23.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 30.7% below the national average, ranking #1,453 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Union County is 75.6 years. 17.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
18.7% of adults in Union County smoke , 38.1% are obese , and 23.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 30.5 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 22.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.2 per 100,000.
Firearm Fatalities Trend
Families & Children
17.7% of children in Union County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 20.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Union County is 65.5%. The mean commute time is 17.9 min, which is 35.1% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Union County voted Republican with a margin of 36.1%. The vote was 31.3% Dem / 67.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.6 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Union County, Iowa
Union County, Iowa has a total population of 11,993, making it the 2,352nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Union County is 40.5 years, which is 4.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Union County is $57,772, which ranks #2,280 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 23.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.0%.
The median home value in Union County is $122,000, 56.7% below the national median. Renters in Union County pay a median gross rent of $721 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Union County, 23.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 30.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 17.9 min.
Union County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.9% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
All data for Union County, Iowa comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.