• county
  • FIPS 21225
  • Largest town: Morganfield

Union County, Kentucky

Union County had 13,178 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 342.9 square miles of land. It ranks 81st of 120 in Kentucky by population and 51st by land area.

Population
13,178
#81 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,210 in US
Area
342.9 sq mi
#51 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,701 in US
Density
38 / sq mi
#90 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,711 in US
Median household income
$60,771
#42 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,763 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Union County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Union County

Union County population, land area and income

Union County had 13,178 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 342.9 square miles of land. It ranks 81st of 120 in Kentucky by population and 51st by land area. That works out to 38.4 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Kentucky has 19,740 residents; Union County is somewhat smaller.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $60,771 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

13,178

3144th1st

2210th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

343 sq mi

3144th1st

2701st of 3,144 (US)

Density

38.4 / sq mi

3144th1st

1711th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$60,771

3143rd1st

1763rd of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

13,178

120th1st

81st of 120 (KY)

Land area

343 sq mi

120th1st

51st of 120 (KY)

Density

38.4 / sq mi

120th1st

90th of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$60,771

120th1st

42nd of 120 (KY)

How Union County's population changed since 2020

Union County lost 472 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 3.5%. That ranks 107th of 120 in Kentucky for growth. The median Kentucky county changed by +1.4%, and the state as a whole by +1.8%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Union County recorded 659 births and 841 deaths, a natural change of -182. Net international migration added -1 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -285. The largest single component was domestic migration, which removed 285 people.

13.7k202013.3k202113.1k202213.1k202313.2k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
659
Deaths
841
Net international migration
-1
Net domestic migration
-285
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+62

Where Union County is

The Census internal point of Union County is at 37.658000, -87.951600. It sits in UTM zone 16N. The map shades Kentucky's 120 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Union County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Adair County: +1.9%Kenton County: +3.3%Owen County: +1.2%Morgan County: +4.1%Bracken County: +1.1%Edmonson County: +4.0%Trigg County: +3.4%Jackson County: +3.0%Spencer County: +6.8%Clark County: +1.7%Jessamine County: +6.6%Green County: +3.8%Henry County: +3.2%Graves County: +0.8%Webster County: -1.3%Washington County: +1.9%Ohio County: +0.8%Knott County: -5.1%Meade County: +1.4%Carroll County: +2.5%Scott County: +7.2%Lincoln County: +2.7%Greenup County: -1.7%Boyle County: +2.1%Hardin County: +1.8%Nelson County: +4.1%Hart County: +3.2%Christian County: -2.4%Carlisle County: -0.6%Crittenden County: -0.2%Elliott County: -1.0%Garrard County: +6.3%Larue County: +1.7%Lee County: -0.7%Leslie County: -7.1%Hancock County: -1.0%Lewis County: -1.6%Lyon County: +4.6%McLean County: -0.1%Magoffin County: -4.2%Martin County: -4.9%Mason County: -1.1%Rockcastle County: +1.0%Menifee County: +3.2%Russell County: +2.6%Whitley County: +1.5%Todd County: +3.9%Union County: -3.5%Wolfe County: -2.9%Bell County: -3.9%Boyd County: -0.9%Butler County: +1.9%Metcalfe County: +2.7%Grant County: +2.8%Simpson County: +3.7%Pike County: -5.2%Gallatin County: +1.5%Harlan County: -6.4%Fayette County: +2.1%Logan County: +3.5%Muhlenberg County: -1.2%Bath County: +1.8%Mercer County: +3.8%Barren County: +2.5%Franklin County: +1.6%Bullitt County: +4.2%Boone County: +5.6%Campbell County: +0.9%Jefferson County: +1.4%Wayne County: +0.4%Ballard County: -1.1%Anderson County: +4.1%Pulaski County: +2.7%Knox County: -1.7%Laurel County: +1.0%Breckinridge County: +3.8%Oldham County: +4.2%Letcher County: -6.2%Lawrence County: -3.1%McCracken County: -0.6%Nicholas County: +3.7%Owsley County: -2.6%Powell County: -1.3%Bourbon County: +0.2%Calloway County: +3.7%Henderson County: -1.1%Clinton County: -0.5%Warren County: +9.6%Montgomery County: +2.4%Floyd County: -3.5%Woodford County: +3.1%Hopkins County: -0.3%Johnson County: -2.4%Marshall County: +0.1%Estill County: -1.1%Cumberland County: +3.2%Fleming County: +3.3%Madison County: +7.1%Carter County: -1.9%Allen County: +7.1%Daviess County: +1.0%Harrison County: +4.3%Perry County: -5.7%Fulton County: -3.5%Clay County: -3.5%Robertson County: +9.1%Trimble County: +1.5%Taylor County: +3.1%Shelby County: +3.9%McCreary County: -0.2%Breathitt County: -6.5%Livingston County: -0.6%Hickman County: -3.0%Rowan County: -0.2%Casey County: +0.2%Monroe County: -1.4%Marion County: +1.3%Grayson County: +2.3%Caldwell County: -0.2%Pendleton County: +1.3%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.6%
  2. < +0.2%
  3. < +1.9%
  4. < +3.7%
  5. ≥ +3.7%
no data

Orange pin: Union County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
37.658000, -87.951600
DMS
37°39'28.80"N 87°57'5.76"W
UTM
16N 416064.6E 4168296.4N
Geohash
dn9qnx7tg
Plus code
869JM25X+69

Towns in Union County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Union County, 4,786 people together, or 36% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Union County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Morganfield with 3,131.

  1. 01Morganfield3,131
  2. 02Sturgis1,655
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Union County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Union County, including 3 across a state line. The most populous is Henderson County, KY, with 44,175 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 171.6 miles ENE of Union County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Evansville, IN (population 115,395), 32.2 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Henderson, KY (population 27,750), 23.8 miles away.

Union County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Union County is 21225: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 225. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $60,771.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Union County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 13,178. That is down 472 people (3.5%) from the July 2020 estimate of 13,650.

What is the FIPS code of Union County?

21225. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (225) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Union County?

Morganfield, with 3,131 residents inside Union County in 2024.

Which counties border Union County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Henderson County, KY; Posey County, IN; Webster County, KY; Crittenden County, KY; Gallatin County, IL; Hardin County, IL.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.