Union County, Illinois
Located in Illinois, Union County has a population of 16,997 residents and a median age of 44.3 years, making it the #2,036 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 20.2%. The median home value is $131,700, and the median household income is $55,728, which is 26% below the national median.
Demographics
Union County has a population of 16,997, making it the #2,036 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.3 years, which is 13.9% 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 $55,728, ranking #2,423 out of 3,222 counties — 25.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 20.2% and unemployment stands at 3.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Union County is $131,700 (-53.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $648/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.4%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Union County, 20.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 37.9% below the national average, ranking #1,829 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Union County is 74.7 years. 17.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.8% of adults in Union County smoke , 37.6% are obese , and 20.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 29.9 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 27.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 10.1 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
19.5% of children in Union County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 17.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Union County is 67.9%. The mean commute time is 26.3 min, which is 4.7% 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 43.2%. The vote was 27.8% Dem / 71% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Union County, Illinois
Union County, Illinois has a total population of 16,997, making it the 2,036th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Union County is 44.3 years, which is 13.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Union County is $55,728, which ranks #2,423 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 25.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 20.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.9%.
The median home value in Union County is $131,700, 53.3% below the national median. Renters in Union County pay a median gross rent of $648 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Union County, 20.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 37.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.3 min.
Union County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 89.5% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (5.5%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
All data for Union County, Illinois 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.