The county economy 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 County is a county of Oregon with 26,144 residents. Its economy produced $1,340 million in 2024 (ranked #26 of 36 counties) and had 10,486 jobs with an average annual pay of $52,345 (#24 for pay). The unemployment rate was 3.9% in 2026M09. It is part of the La Grande, OR micropolitan area (central county).
Union County produced about $1,340 million of goods and services in 2024, which is 0.4% of the combined output of the 36 counties of Oregon that BEA reports (about 0.6% of the state's population lives here), and ranks it 26th of 36 on that measure. Per resident that is $51,241, 34% below the state average; the average for all counties of the state taken together is $77,628. In current dollars output grew 1.7% from 2023 to 2024, before adjusting for inflation.
BLS counts 10,486 jobs located in Union County on average in 2024, spread over 1,047 employer sites (about 10 jobs per site). That is 0.40 jobs for every resident, above the 0.38 of the typical county in Oregon, which tells you whether the county is a place people mostly commute to for work or a place they commute from. The average annual pay per job was $52,345, 26% below the average of all counties in the state ($52,345 against $70,306). Average pay is total wages divided by jobs, so it is pulled up by high earners and counts part-time jobs as whole jobs; it is not the pay of a typical worker. The number of jobs fell 0.2% from 2023 to 2024.
The three largest private industries are health care and social assistance (22.5% of private jobs, $61,367 a year on average), retail trade (17.7% of private jobs, $33,896 a year on average), manufacturing (15.1% of private jobs, $60,378 a year on average). Together they hold 55.3% of private-sector jobs. Among industries with at least 3% of jobs, the best paying is health care and social assistance at $61,367 a year, followed by manufacturing ($60,378). The county is specialised in an industry: manufacturing (1.4 times the US share, 1,220 jobs). A location quotient above 1 means an industry employs a larger share of workers here than in the whole country, so these are the industries where local employers compete hardest for skills. Several of the biggest employers pay well below the county average: retail trade ($33,896), accommodation and food services ($22,872). Jobs there are plentiful but the pay is lower than the headline average suggests.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate in Union County was 3.9%, 8% below the average of the state's counties (3.9% against 4.3%). The labour force (people working or looking for work) numbered 12,082. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 3.9% (2026M09) to 6.6% (2026M01); the latest month is preliminary and BLS revises it. These county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so compare the same month across years.
The median household income was $65,661 (ACS 2020–2024), 21% below the state median ($65,661 against $83,011). The guide covers 1 city with this as the main county: La Grande. Open any of them for rent, home values, commuting and climate.
Counties close to Union County in output are Malheur County, Tillamook County, Jefferson County, Curry County. Compare their jobs, pay and unemployment on their own pages.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ | Rank among the 36 counties of Oregon ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,144 | 24 of 36 |
| GDP 2024 | $1,340 million | 26 of 36 |
| GDP per resident | $51,241 | 25 of 36 |
| Jobs (QCEW 2024) | 10,486 | 23 of 36 |
| Average annual pay | $52,345 | 24 of 36 |
| Job change vs 2023 | -0.2% | 23 of 36 |
| Unemployment rate (lower is better) | 3.9% | 6 of 36 |
| Median household income | $65,661 | 22 of 36 |
Federal jobs in Oregon (788) →All cities of OregonState guide: Oregon
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.
Cities of this guide whose main county is Union County.
| City ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ | Median home value ⇅ | Bachelor's+ ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Grande | 13,058 | $58,427 | $968 | $278,700 | 26.8% |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 1,820 | 22.5% | $61,367 | 1.21 |
| Retail trade | 1,427 | 17.7% | $33,896 | 1.36 |
| Manufacturing | 1,220 | 15.1% | $60,378 | 1.42 |
| Accommodation and food services | 922 | 11.4% | $22,872 | 0.97 |
| Construction | 595 | 7.4% | $60,088 | 1.08 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 393 | 4.9% | $51,348 | 4.63 |
| Professional and technical services | 329 | 4.1% | $58,886 | 0.45 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 310 | 3.8% | $33,641 | 0.98 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 258 | 3.2% | $51,230 | 0.58 |
| Finance and insurance | 206 | 2.5% | $57,740 | 0.48 |
| Administrative and waste services | 192 | 2.4% | $42,678 | 0.31 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 117 | 1.4% | $22,454 | 0.66 |
| Real estate and rental | 107 | 1.3% | $35,859 | 0.66 |
| Information | 82 | 1.0% | $66,747 | 0.42 |
| Management of companies | 70 | 0.9% | $101,330 | 0.40 |
| Educational services | 33 | 0.4% | $27,113 | 0.15 |
A location quotient above 1 means the industry is more concentrated here than in the US. BLS withholds sectors with too few employers.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Labour force | 12,082 |
| Employed residents | 11,605 |
| Unemployed residents | 477 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% |
| Jobs located in the county (QCEW) | 10,486 |
| Employer sites | 1,047 |
Residents employed and jobs located here differ: many residents commute to other counties.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP 2024 ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Unemployment ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multnomah County | 801,477 | $90,618 million | $113,063 | 498,988 | $80,772 | 4.3% |
| Washington County | 603,947 | $63,190 million | $104,629 | 308,680 | $90,292 | 4.1% |
| Clackamas County | 423,975 | $30,435 million | $71,785 | 174,320 | $69,863 | 4.1% |
| Lane County | 384,207 | $23,574 million | $61,358 | 157,428 | $59,020 | 4.4% |
| Marion County | 349,244 | $23,937 million | $68,539 | 171,271 | $62,787 | 4.0% |
| Jackson County | 222,645 | $13,469 million | $60,494 | 91,184 | $57,862 | 4.7% |
| Deschutes County | 206,334 | $16,683 million | $80,853 | 93,866 | $66,229 | 3.9% |
| Linn County | 130,706 | $6,881 million | $52,648 | 48,603 | $57,436 | 4.4% |
| Douglas County | 112,072 | $5,360 million | $47,824 | 38,573 | $54,000 | 5.1% |
| Yamhill County | 108,734 | $5,158 million | $47,436 | 39,371 | $54,993 | 3.9% |
| Benton County | 96,303 | $6,267 million | $65,079 | 38,636 | $67,162 | 3.9% |
| Polk County | 89,662 | $3,143 million | $35,058 | 21,937 | $52,263 | 4.0% |
| Josephine County | 88,179 | $3,924 million | $44,504 | 31,420 | $49,117 | 5.6% |
| Umatilla County | 79,940 | $4,552 million | $56,937 | 33,030 | $55,594 | 4.0% |
| Klamath County | 70,247 | $3,627 million | $51,629 | 23,856 | $53,739 | 5.5% |
| Coos County | 64,827 | $3,271 million | $50,457 | 23,128 | $52,204 | 4.8% |
| Columbia County | 53,493 | $2,079 million | $38,874 | 11,981 | $54,228 | 4.8% |
| Lincoln County | 50,964 | $2,767 million | $54,291 | 18,607 | $50,886 | 4.9% |
| Clatsop County | 41,363 | $2,638 million | $63,782 | 19,287 | $50,967 | 4.1% |
| Malheur County | 31,954 | $1,553 million | $48,599 | 13,488 | $48,708 | 3.6% |
| Tillamook County | 27,496 | $1,475 million | $53,656 | 9,886 | $52,379 | 4.1% |
| Wasco County | 26,552 | $2,393 million | $90,124 | 11,501 | $56,698 | 4.3% |
| Crook County | 26,277 | $1,783 million | $67,853 | 7,535 | $89,958 | 4.7% |
| Union County | 26,144 | $1,340 million | $51,241 | 10,486 | $52,345 | 3.9% |
| Jefferson County | 25,203 | $1,150 million | $45,645 | 7,031 | $56,133 | 4.3% |
| Hood River County | 23,905 | $1,795 million | $75,086 | 13,815 | $52,189 | 2.9% |
| Curry County | 23,381 | $964 million | $41,222 | 6,553 | $49,537 | 4.7% |
| Baker County | 16,840 | $855 million | $50,743 | 5,594 | $50,270 | 4.3% |
| Morrow County | 12,300 | $2,101 million | $170,847 | 6,978 | $71,417 | 3.7% |
| Lake County | 8,267 | $481 million | $58,191 | 2,528 | $50,918 | 4.6% |
| Wallowa County | 7,553 | $627 million | $82,956 | 2,854 | $52,648 | 4.2% |
| Harney County | 7,499 | $496 million | $66,109 | 2,560 | $51,173 | 3.9% |
| Grant County | 7,209 | $373 million | $51,787 | 2,498 | $54,057 | 4.9% |
| Gilliam County | 1,971 | $465 million | $235,710 | 962 | $64,884 | 3.7% |
| Sherman County | 1,938 | $774 million | $399,394 | 965 | $65,115 | 4.1% |
| Wheeler County | 1,485 | $52 million | $35,226 | 362 | $42,630 | 3.4% |
26,144 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024).
$1,340 million in 2024 (BEA, current dollars).
3.9% in 2026M09 (BLS, not seasonally adjusted; the latest month may be revised).
10,486 jobs on average in 2024 with an average annual pay of $52,345 (BLS QCEW).