Union County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21225 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Union County has a population of 13,260 residents and a median age of 42.4 years, making it the #2,271 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.4%. The median home value is $104,500, and the median household income is $60,327, which is 20% below the national median.

13,260
Population
#2,271 of 3,222
$60,327
Median Income
-19.7% #2,056 of 3,222
42.4 years
Median Age
+9.0% #1,371 of 3,222
18.4%
Poverty Rate
+46.3% #2,513 of 3,222

Demographics

Union County has a population of 13,260, making it the #2,271 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.4 years, which is 9.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.4%
Native Born
0.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Union County is $60,327, ranking #2,056 out of 3,222 counties — 19.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.4% and unemployment stands at 2.7%.

Income#2,056
$60,327
-19.7%
vs nation
36th percentile
Per Capita#2,329
$30,559
-25.9%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poverty#2,513
18.4%
+46.3%
vs nation
22th percentile
Unemployment#535
2.7%
-49.2%
vs nation
83th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Union County is $104,500 (-62.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $790/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.2%.

Home Value#2,927
$104,500
-62.9%
vs nation
9th percentile
Rent#2,175
$790
-32.1%
vs nation
32th percentile
Homeownership#2,267
70.2%
+9.1%
vs nation
30th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Union County, 13.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 61.1% below the national average, ranking #3,013 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
13.1% −61.1% vs nation
Rank #3,013 of 3,222
6th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Union County is 73.3 years. 24.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,142
73.3
-2.4%
vs nation
30th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,658
24.5%
+25.2%
vs nation
16th percentile
Diabetes#2,204
12.2%
+9.6%
vs nation
30th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,644
41.4%
+11.0%
vs nation
16th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,169
5.5
-3.2%
vs nation
63th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,340
4.9
+9.7%
vs nation
26th percentile
Uninsured Rate#771
6.9%
-34.4%
vs nation
76th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,397
30.1%
+14.1%
vs nation
24th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,781
18.7%
+29.8%
vs nation
12th percentile

Substance Use

23.7% of adults in Union County smoke , 38.9% are obese , and 15.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 29.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,915
23.7%
+32.0%
vs nation
7th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,725
38.9%
+2.6%
vs nation
45th percentile
Excessive Drinking#277
15.5%
-21.9%
vs nation
91th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,132
29.3
-9.4%
vs nation
47th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 23.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 23.1 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,935
23.2
+17.5%
vs nation
24th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,331
17.2
-3.9%
vs nation
46th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,930
23.1
+14.3%
vs nation
32th percentile

Families & Children

19.9% of children in Union County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 36.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,680
36.1
+65.2%
vs nation
11th percentile
Child Poverty#1,896
19.9%
+4.8%
vs nation
40th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Union County is 55.8%. The mean commute time is 25.1 min, which is 9.1% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
55.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
25.1 min −9.1% vs nation
Rank #1,926 of 3,222
40th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Union County voted Republican with a margin of 58.3%. The vote was 20.2% Dem / 78.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +58.3%
20.2% 78.5%
Dem 6,058 votes Rep
2020 REP +52.3%
23.2% 75.5%
Dem 6,577 votes Rep
2016 REP +54.3%
21.4% 75.7%
Dem 6,209 votes Rep
2012 REP +33.6%
32.5% 66.1%
Dem 5,975 votes Rep
2008 REP +5.2%
46.5% 51.7%
Dem 6,034 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Union County, Kentucky

Union County, Kentucky has a total population of 13,260, making it the 2,271st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Union County is 42.4 years, which is 9.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Union County is $60,327, which ranks #2,056 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 19.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.7%.

The median home value in Union County is $104,500, 62.9% below the national median. Renters in Union County pay a median gross rent of $790 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Union County, 13.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 61.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.1 min.

Union County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.1% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).

All data for Union County, Kentucky 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.