Union County, South Dakota
Located in South Dakota, Union County has a population of 17,081 residents and a median age of 41.5 years, making it the #2,032 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 6.2%. The median home value is $301,100, and the median household income is $89,636, which is 19% above the national median.
Demographics
Union County has a population of 17,081, making it the #2,032 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.5 years, which is 6.7% 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 $89,636, ranking #311 out of 3,222 counties — 19.3% above the national median. The poverty rate is 6.2% and unemployment stands at 2.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Union County is $301,100 (+6.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,069/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Union County, 37.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 9.8% above the national average, ranking #378 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Union County is 80.8 years. 12.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
13.4% of adults in Union County smoke , 32.6% are obese , and 24.9% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 14.5 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
5.6% of children in Union County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 6.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Union County is 76.2%. The mean commute time is 20.0 min, which is 27.5% 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 40.7%. The vote was 28.7% Dem / 69.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.4 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Union County, South Dakota
Union County, South Dakota has a total population of 17,081, making it the 2,032nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Union County is 41.5 years, which is 6.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Union County is $89,636, which ranks #311 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 19.3% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 6.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.9%.
The median home value in Union County is $301,100, 6.8% above the national median. Renters in Union County pay a median gross rent of $1,069 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Union County, 37.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 9.8% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.0 min.
Union County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
All data for Union County, South Dakota 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.