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 South Carolina with 8,079 residents. The median household earns $31,914 a year and the median rent is $832 a month, which is 31.3% of the median household income. It is part of the Spartanburg, SC metropolitan area, where BLS counts 165,150 jobs.
How Union compares. Among the 80 largest places in South Carolina, Union is #77 by population, #80 for household income (#1 = highest), #78 for college degrees (#1 = most), #78 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Union County, is #36 of 46 counties for average pay ($48,510).
Union has 8,079 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of South Carolina. It covers 8 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 990 people per square mile. The median age is 45.5, 13% older than the state median (45.5 against 40.2).
The median gross rent is $832 a month (rent plus utilities), 29% below the state median ($832 against $1,180). Over a year that is 31.3% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so rent here is above that line for the typical household. The median home value is $109,400, which is 3.4 times the median household income ($31,914); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 49.8% of households own their home, 31% below the state average (49.8% against 71.9%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Spartanburg, SC metropolitan area has 165,150 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $47,650 a year, 7% below the national median ($47,650 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are production (26,910 jobs, median $51,800); transportation and material moving (19,200 jobs, median $39,210); office and administrative support (16,890 jobs, median $44,960). The area is most specialised in production (3.0 times) and transportation and material moving (1.3 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($111,870) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($80,540). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Union County was 6.0%. 55.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Union County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 75.4% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 1.3% walk, 2.4% work from home. 25.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 72% above the state average (25.3% against 14.7%).
15.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 51% below the state share (15.8% against 32.1%). 2.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 58% below the state share (2.4% against 5.8%). The poverty rate is 28.9%, 105% above the state rate (28.9% against 14.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 81°F (27.4°C), and the coolest is Jan at 41°F (5.1°C). About 1,156 mm (46 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (117 mm) and Oct the driest (80 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: Clinton (22 miles, rent 8% higher); Spartanburg (23 miles, rent 32% higher); Gaffney (24 miles, rent 7% higher); Laurens (27 miles, similar rent). Rent differences are against Union; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in South Carolina (373) →State guide: South CarolinaCountry guideUnion CountySouth Carolina 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 373 federal postings open in South Carolina (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in South Carolina →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 11,790 | 7.90 | $59,300 | $37,860 | $74,280 | +33% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 6,080 | 1.94 | $37,540 | $30,720 | $48,220 | -7% |
| Cashiers | 5,420 | 1.65 | $29,960 | $22,630 | $38,600 | -9% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 4,870 | 1.19 | $27,390 | $21,960 | $34,150 | -12% |
| Registered Nurses | 4,440 | 1.24 | $82,360 | $70,180 | $101,420 | -16% |
| Retail Salespersons | 3,790 | 0.91 | $30,540 | $22,620 | $44,910 | -14% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 3,630 | 1.66 | $50,700 | $41,030 | $79,260 | -14% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 3,380 | 1.12 | $36,560 | $30,210 | $46,470 | -2% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 3,160 | 0.69 | $30,190 | $28,240 | $35,450 | -16% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,740 | 0.99 | $42,220 | $30,170 | $62,450 | -6% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,400 | 0.92 | $37,300 | $18,340 | $58,280 | -17% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 2,380 | 3.33 | $92,070 | $53,340 | $97,670 | +24% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,140 | 0.89 | $18,370 | $15,750 | $42,760 | -48% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,010 | 0.54 | $108,100 | $59,100 | $226,270 | +2% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 2,010 | 1.24 | $53,110 | $35,240 | $77,990 | +7% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,910 | 0.81 | $31,620 | $24,220 | $38,460 | -14% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,700 | 0.94 | $43,750 | $31,130 | $60,760 | -8% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,630 | 1.06 | $40,050 | $34,060 | $45,960 | -5% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,530 | 1.04 | $60,990 | $49,280 | $77,210 | -5% |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 1,530 | 2.40 | $49,160 | $35,040 | $69,280 | +1% |
These figures are for the whole Spartanburg, SC metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $47,650 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.8% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 32.2% |
| Education and health care | 22.1% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 9.9% |
| Retail trade | 8.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.4% |
| Construction | 5.3% |
| Public administration | 4.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 2.9% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 2.7% |
| Other services | 2.2% |
| Information | 1.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.7% |
| 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County | 26,885 | $905 million | $33,656 | 7,424 | 490 | $48,510 | +1.1% | 6.0% | 11,284 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,843 | 38.8% | $64,878 | 3.02 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 961 | 20.2% | $46,425 | 3.06 |
| Retail trade | 837 | 17.6% | $27,921 | 1.13 |
| Health care and social assistance | 267 | 5.6% | $33,433 | 0.25 |
| Administrative and waste services | 212 | 4.5% | $34,442 | 0.49 |
| Construction | 157 | 3.3% | $56,752 | 0.40 |
| Finance and insurance | 156 | 3.3% | $57,071 | 0.52 |
| Utilities | 87 | 1.8% | $84,551 | 3.08 |
| Wholesale trade | 81 | 1.7% | $60,513 | 0.28 |
| Professional and technical services | 56 | 1.2% | $46,914 | 0.11 |
| Real estate and rental | 35 | 0.7% | $33,676 | 0.30 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 30 | 0.6% | $70,209 | 0.50 |
| Educational services | 24 | 0.5% | $18,496 | 0.16 |
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 | 75.4% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 1.3% |
| Work from home | 2.4% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 25.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $31,914 |
| Income per person | $25,582 |
| Median gross rent per month | $832 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 31.3% |
| Median home value | $109,400 |
| Homeowners | 49.8% |
| Poverty rate | 28.9% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 91.1 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $47,650 |
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 6.00%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 45.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 82.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 15.8% |
| Born abroad | 2.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 55.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.1 | 41 | 87 |
| Feb | 7.1 | 45 | 90 |
| Mar | 11.3 | 52 | 103 |
| Apr | 16.4 | 62 | 85 |
| May | 21.3 | 70 | 96 |
| Jun | 25.7 | 78 | 106 |
| Jul | 27.4 | 81 | 107 |
| Aug | 26.8 | 80 | 105 |
| Sep | 23.3 | 74 | 93 |
| Oct | 17.2 | 63 | 80 |
| Nov | 10.9 | 52 | 87 |
| Dec | 7.0 | 45 | 117 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton | SC | 22 mi | 7,676 | $44,522 | $899 |
| Spartanburg | SC | 23 mi | 38,910 | $51,964 | $1,099 |
| Gaffney | SC | 24 mi | 12,596 | $41,089 | $887 |
| Laurens | SC | 27 mi | 9,336 | $49,246 | $833 |
| Valley Falls | SC | 28 mi | 8,239 | $55,661 | $1,021 |
| York | SC | 29 mi | 8,969 | $56,176 | $896 |
| Boiling Springs | SC | 30 mi | 12,936 | $72,068 | $1,266 |
| Newberry | SC | 31 mi | 10,790 | $51,260 | $831 |
| Fountain Inn | SC | 33 mi | 12,020 | $73,585 | $1,184 |
| Five Forks | SC | 34 mi | 18,656 | $141,786 | $2,178 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
8,079 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$832 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 31.3% of the median household income.
$31,914 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
6.0% (BLS county, Union County (latest month 2026M09)).
South Carolina. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.