• county
  • FIPS 37179
  • Largest town: Indian Trail

Union County, North Carolina

Union County had 263,386 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 632.7 square miles of land. It ranks 8th of 100 in North Carolina by population and 23rd by land area.

Population
263,386
#8 of 100 in North Carolina · #279 in US
Area
632.7 sq mi
#23 of 100 in North Carolina · #1,511 in US
Density
416 / sq mi
#12 of 100 in North Carolina · #335 in US
Median household income
$98,776
#2 of 100 in North Carolina · #150 in US

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

Union County within North Carolina. Pin: Raleigh.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Union County

Union County population, land area and income

Union County had 263,386 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 632.7 square miles of land. It ranks 8th of 100 in North Carolina by population and 23rd by land area. That works out to 416.3 people per square mile, 4.3 times the US average of 96.3, and in the top quarter nationally.

The median county-equivalent in North Carolina has 52,768 residents, so Union County is 5.0 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $98,776 is in the top tenth among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

263,386

3144th1st

279th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

633 sq mi

3144th1st

1511th of 3,144 (US)

Density

416.3 / sq mi

3144th1st

335th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$98,776

3143rd1st

150th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within North Carolina (100)

Population

263,386

100th1st

8th of 100 (NC)

Land area

633 sq mi

100th1st

23rd of 100 (NC)

Density

416.3 / sq mi

100th1st

12th of 100 (NC)

Median household income

$98,776

100th1st

2nd of 100 (NC)

How Union County's population changed since 2020

Union County gained 23,698 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 9.9%. That ranks 8th of 100 in North Carolina for growth. The median North Carolina county changed by +2.7%, and the state as a whole by +5.7%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Union County recorded 10,586 births and 7,850 deaths, a natural change of +2,736. Net international migration added +3,769 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +18,706. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 18,706 people.

239.7k2020244.5k2021249.7k2022257.5k2023263.4k2024
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
10,586
Deaths
7,850
Net international migration
+3,769
Net domestic migration
+18,706
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+5,876

Where Union County is

The Census internal point of Union County is at 34.991800, -80.530400. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades North Carolina's 100 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.

Scotland County: +1.4%Rockingham County: +2.5%Franklin County: +15.6%Caswell County: -0.5%Stokes County: +2.9%Granville County: +2.3%Edgecombe County: +0.7%Randolph County: +2.8%Alexander County: +0.8%Person County: +2.4%Cherokee County: +5.2%Ashe County: +2.5%Davidson County: +5.2%Cabarrus County: +7.8%Mecklenburg County: +8.1%Burke County: +1.5%Cumberland County: +0.4%Northampton County: -4.9%Buncombe County: +3.5%Wilson County: +0.8%Bladen County: +0.5%Pitt County: +4.1%Yancey County: +2.7%Stanly County: +7.4%Harnett County: +9.3%Wilkes County: +0.5%Tyrrell County: +8.8%Pamlico County: +1.9%Hoke County: +6.0%Transylvania County: +2.5%Carteret County: +3.8%Durham County: +6.5%Anson County: +1.8%Pender County: +15.6%Alamance County: +6.7%Polk County: +4.9%Lenoir County: +0.5%Washington County: -3.0%Avery County: -0.0%Hyde County: +1.5%Gates County: -1.4%Davie County: +5.8%Jackson County: +7.4%Montgomery County: +2.5%Martin County: -2.0%Pasquotank County: +2.9%Perquimans County: +3.4%Cleveland County: +2.3%Sampson County: +2.3%Catawba County: +3.8%Alleghany County: +4.5%Robeson County: +2.3%Macon County: +4.4%Clay County: +8.0%Haywood County: +1.3%Duplin County: +3.8%Henderson County: +3.6%Craven County: +2.6%Warren County: +2.6%Graham County: +1.7%Union County: +9.9%Wayne County: +2.2%Gaston County: +5.9%Guilford County: +3.7%Yadkin County: +2.0%Watauga County: +1.0%Rowan County: +4.4%Swain County: -1.1%Chatham County: +9.4%Bertie County: -4.4%Halifax County: -2.9%Forsyth County: +4.1%Onslow County: +3.8%Dare County: +3.1%Chowan County: +1.3%Brunswick County: +20.9%Johnston County: +14.9%Orange County: +6.4%Currituck County: +13.6%New Hanover County: +7.5%Richmond County: -1.7%Vance County: -0.5%Iredell County: +9.9%Lincoln County: +12.0%Caldwell County: +0.2%McDowell County: +1.6%Rutherford County: +1.9%Mitchell County: +0.9%Moore County: +8.1%Columbus County: -0.8%Lee County: +8.1%Greene County: +1.1%Madison County: +5.0%Camden County: +7.5%Hertford County: -12.0%Beaufort County: -0.3%Jones County: +3.5%Wake County: +9.0%Nash County: +3.0%Surry County: +0.2%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < +0.5%
  2. < +2.3%
  3. < +3.7%
  4. < +7.4%
  5. ≥ +7.4%
no data

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

Internal point

Decimal
34.991800, -80.530400
DMS
34°59'30.48"N 80°31'49.44"W
UTM
17N 542856.2E 3872234.4N
Geohash
dnnxp6pd1
Plus code
866XXFR9+PR

Towns in Union County

14 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Union County, 182,159 people together, or 69% 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 Indian Trail with 43,867.

  1. 01Indian Trail43,867
  2. 02Monroe40,054
  3. 03Waxhaw23,178
  4. 04Stallings (part)17,149
  5. 05Weddington (part)14,383
  6. 06Wesley Chapel9,495
  7. 07Unionville7,258
  8. 08Marvin6,985
  9. 09Wingate4,517
  10. 10Fairview3,775
  11. 11Lake Park3,582
  12. 12Mineral Springs3,456
  13. 13Marshville2,710
  14. 14Hemby Bridge1,750
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 2 across a state line. The most populous is Mecklenburg County, NC, with 1,206,285 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Raleigh and the nearest big city

Raleigh is 119.7 miles ENE of Union County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Charlotte, NC (population 943,476), 22.7 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Monroe, NC (population 40,054), 1.9 miles away.

Union County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Union County is 37179: state code 37 for North Carolina plus county code 179. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $98,776.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Union County, North Carolina?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 263,386. That is up 23,698 people (9.9%) from the July 2020 estimate of 239,688.

What is the FIPS code of Union County?

37179. The first two digits (37) are North Carolina; the last three (179) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Union County?

Indian Trail, with 43,867 residents inside Union County in 2024.

Which counties border Union County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Mecklenburg County, NC; Cabarrus County, NC; Lancaster County, SC; Stanly County, NC; Chesterfield County, SC; Anson County, NC.

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.