Jobs, pay and daily life in Union, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Union is a city in Missouri with 12,781 residents. The median household earns $73,435 a year and the median rent is $858 a month, which is 14.0% of the median household income. It is part of the St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan area, where BLS counts 1,341,320 jobs.
How Union compares. Among the 80 largest places in Missouri, Union is #73 by population, #78 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #16 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #59 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Franklin County, is #17 of 115 counties for average pay ($51,695).
Union has 12,781 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Missouri. It covers 9 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,406 people per square mile. The median age is 33.3, 15% younger than the state median (33.3 against 39.0).
The median gross rent is $858 a month (rent plus utilities), 17% below the state median ($858 against $1,033). Over a year that is 14.0% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $205,200, which is 2.8 times the median household income ($73,435); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 60.6% of households own their home, 11% below the state average (60.6% against 68.1%).
The St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan area has 1,341,320 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $49,990 a year, about the same as the national median ($49,990 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (149,950 jobs, median $46,840); food preparation and serving related (120,730 jobs, median $33,040); transportation and material moving (110,460 jobs, median $44,750). The area is most specialised in healthcare practitioners and technical (1.1 times) and healthcare support (1.1 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($107,830) and computer and mathematical ($99,080). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Franklin County was 3.0%. 66.6% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Franklin County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 79.0% drive alone, 0.7% use public transit, 0.9% walk, 9.0% work from home. 19.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 66% above the state average (19.2% against 11.5%).
23.7% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 27% below the state share (23.7% against 32.4%). 1.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 69% below the state share (1.4% against 4.5%). The poverty rate is 8.2%, 35% below the state rate (8.2% against 12.6%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 79°F (26.0°C), and the coolest is Jan at 30°F (-1.2°C). About 1,097 mm (43 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (128 mm) and Jan the driest (59 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Washington (8 miles, rent 4% lower); Eureka (19 miles, rent 46% higher); Wildwood (20 miles, rent 94% higher); Dardenne Prairie (26 miles, rent 68% higher). Rent differences are against Union; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Missouri (988) →State guide: MissouriCountry guideFranklin CountyMissouri rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 988 federal postings open in Missouri (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Missouri →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 46,410 | 1.54 | $93,140 | $45,690 | $210,790 | -12% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 44,200 | 1.19 | $34,490 | $28,600 | $42,720 | -4% |
| Registered Nurses | 35,200 | 1.21 | $83,180 | $63,440 | $104,460 | -15% |
| Cashiers | 31,130 | 1.17 | $32,380 | $29,630 | $44,310 | -2% |
| Retail Salespersons | 29,750 | 0.88 | $33,820 | $29,670 | $47,490 | -4% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 28,940 | 1.18 | $37,840 | $31,200 | $52,940 | +1% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 23,760 | 1.06 | $45,800 | $34,160 | $65,620 | +2% |
| Office Clerks, General | 22,540 | 1.06 | $44,980 | $31,200 | $64,830 | -0% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 21,340 | 0.84 | $41,780 | $31,770 | $55,780 | +4% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 20,170 | 1.03 | $31,200 | $28,600 | $62,520 | -11% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 19,680 | 1.03 | $36,620 | $30,730 | $47,620 | -1% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 19,170 | 0.58 | $31,260 | $29,470 | $36,480 | +0% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 18,270 | 1.03 | $58,240 | $40,540 | $79,300 | -1% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 17,700 | 3.20 | $30,860 | $29,510 | $36,450 | -0% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 15,000 | 1.02 | $46,200 | $32,070 | $62,040 | -3% |
| Nursing Assistants | 14,620 | 1.17 | $39,110 | $35,300 | $46,890 | -7% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 13,610 | 1.09 | $78,880 | $51,040 | $130,340 | -6% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 13,440 | 1.12 | $60,650 | $47,210 | $83,750 | -5% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 13,170 | 1.00 | $53,930 | $36,320 | $79,330 | +9% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 12,970 | 1.07 | $37,690 | $29,690 | $47,230 | +1% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 2,470 | 0.83 | $246,440 | $81,950 | $560,130 | -7% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 650 | 1.44 | $232,300 | $214,980 | $332,800 | -2% |
| Dentists, General | 1,250 | 1.17 | $210,430 | $96,300 | $559,260 | +23% |
| Chief Executives | 1,120 | 0.64 | $202,840 | $93,620 | $504,140 | -5% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 6,160 | 1.06 | $167,130 | $103,330 | $217,130 | -5% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 1,280 | 0.67 | $162,660 | $107,830 | $209,340 | -5% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 650 | 0.69 | $158,820 | $81,460 | $275,340 | -5% |
| Financial Managers | 7,190 | 0.99 | $158,780 | $92,720 | $304,260 | -5% |
| Lawyers | 6,100 | 0.94 | $142,690 | $67,600 | $306,650 | -11% |
| Pharmacists | 2,910 | 1.05 | $138,530 | $111,110 | $166,840 | -2% |
| Marketing Managers | 3,540 | 1.04 | $137,900 | $80,740 | $231,700 | -17% |
| Physician Assistants | 1,260 | 0.90 | $136,120 | $77,620 | $170,960 | +0% |
| Purchasing Managers | 700 | 0.96 | $135,400 | $83,600 | $202,180 | -9% |
| Human Resources Managers | 1,940 | 1.02 | $133,880 | $84,630 | $247,350 | -10% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 3,430 | 1.23 | $131,580 | $108,340 | $164,280 | -1% |
| Managers, All Other | 5,580 | 1.04 | $130,590 | $68,180 | $217,090 | -8% |
| Software Developers | 9,820 | 0.67 | $129,030 | $77,730 | $169,030 | -5% |
| Electrical Engineers | 1,290 | 0.75 | $123,960 | $77,770 | $165,120 | +3% |
| Sales Managers | 4,060 | 0.74 | $123,870 | $64,370 | $243,000 | -16% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 2,250 | 1.06 | $122,860 | $78,090 | $185,160 | -3% |
These figures are for the whole St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $49,990 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.4% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 23.2% |
| Education and health care | 22.7% |
| Retail trade | 13.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.7% |
| Public administration | 6.6% |
| Construction | 5.7% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 5.4% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 5.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.8% |
| Other services | 3.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.9% |
| Information | 0.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Union lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | 105,950 | $6,419 million | $60,582 | 39,312 | 3,016 | $51,695 | +1.2% | 3.0% | 54,163 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 9,077 | 26.1% | $64,225 | 2.81 |
| Retail trade | 5,131 | 14.7% | $33,477 | 1.31 |
| Health care and social assistance | 4,112 | 11.8% | $66,586 | 0.73 |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,767 | 10.8% | $21,799 | 1.05 |
| Construction | 2,846 | 8.2% | $59,438 | 1.38 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,607 | 4.6% | $49,687 | 0.97 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,236 | 3.6% | $40,483 | 0.53 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,235 | 3.5% | $56,765 | 0.45 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,089 | 3.1% | $36,936 | 0.92 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,066 | 3.1% | $68,282 | 0.67 |
| Wholesale trade | 959 | 2.8% | $69,609 | 0.62 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 600 | 1.7% | $25,563 | 0.91 |
| Real estate and rental | 565 | 1.6% | $36,453 | 0.93 |
| Information | 438 | 1.3% | $55,728 | 0.59 |
| Utilities | 426 | 1.2% | $118,096 | 2.85 |
| Management of companies | 305 | 0.9% | $98,488 | 0.46 |
| Educational services | 147 | 0.4% | $28,276 | 0.18 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 104 | 0.3% | $39,589 | 0.33 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 102 | 0.3% | $80,769 | 0.69 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 79.0% |
| Public transit | 0.7% |
| Walk | 0.9% |
| Work from home | 9.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 19.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,435 |
| Income per person | $33,416 |
| Median gross rent per month | $858 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 14.0% |
| Median home value | $205,200 |
| Homeowners | 60.6% |
| Poverty rate | 8.2% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 95.1 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $49,990 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 4.70%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 33.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 91.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 23.7% |
| Born abroad | 1.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 66.6% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -1.2 | 30 | 59 |
| Feb | 0.4 | 33 | 60 |
| Mar | 6.7 | 44 | 93 |
| Apr | 13.1 | 56 | 118 |
| May | 18.4 | 65 | 128 |
| Jun | 23.5 | 74 | 107 |
| Jul | 26.0 | 79 | 106 |
| Aug | 25.1 | 77 | 105 |
| Sep | 20.8 | 69 | 88 |
| Oct | 13.4 | 56 | 93 |
| Nov | 6.8 | 44 | 76 |
| Dec | 1.2 | 34 | 64 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | MO | 8 mi | 15,130 | $79,173 | $827 |
| Eureka | MO | 19 mi | 13,081 | $108,394 | $1,252 |
| Wildwood | MO | 20 mi | 35,133 | $161,060 | $1,661 |
| Dardenne Prairie | MO | 26 mi | 13,503 | $152,500 | $1,444 |
| Lake St. Louis | MO | 26 mi | 18,066 | $125,693 | $1,588 |
| Ballwin | MO | 26 mi | 31,279 | $124,626 | $1,418 |
| Wentzville | MO | 27 mi | 47,061 | $112,394 | $1,345 |
| Chesterfield | MO | 27 mi | 49,574 | $133,037 | $1,644 |
| O'Fallon | MO | 28 mi | 93,801 | $110,443 | $1,443 |
| Manchester | MO | 28 mi | 18,160 | $97,801 | $1,322 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
12,781 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$858 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 14.0% of the median household income.
$73,435 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.0% (BLS county, Franklin County (latest month 2026M09)).
Missouri. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.