Union County, North Carolina

Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 238,267. Union County is included in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The county was formed in 1842 from parts of Anson County and Mecklenburg County. Its name was a compromise between Whigs, who wanted to name the new county for Henry Clay, and Democrats, who wanted to name it for Andrew Jackson. The Helms, Starnes, McRorie, and Belk families were prominent in the town as well as Monroe and Charlotte. Most of these families came from Goose Creek Township.

Monroe, the county seat of Union County, also became a focal point during the Civil Rights Movement. In 1958, local NAACP Chapter President Robert F. Williams defended a 9-year-old African American boy who had been kissed by a white girl in an incident known as the Kissing Case. A second African-American boy, aged 7, was also convicted and sentenced to live in a juvenile reformatory until he was 21 for simply witnessing the act. After three months in a detention center, Governor Luther H. Hodges pardoned the boys.

Geography

thumb|right|Entering Union County on [[North Carolina Highway 200]]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.08%) is water.

State and local protected areas

Mineral Springs Greenway
Rocky River Blueway

Major water bodies

Beaverdam Creek
Crooked Creek
Lake Lee
Lake Monroe
Jaars-Townsend Airport

Demographics

thumb|2020 population density of Union County NC by census block

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 238,267 and 62,932 families residing in the county. The median age was 38.9 years, with 27.0% of residents under the age of 18 and 13.3% of residents 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.8 males age 18 and over.

There were 80,167 households in the county, of which 41.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 63.6% were married-couple households, 12.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 19.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

72.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 27.6% lived in rural areas.

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Union County, North Carolina – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 1980

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|57,822

|69,624

|98,612

|150,098

|style='background: #ffffe6; |161,113

|82.16%

|82.68%

|79.73%

|74.57%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |67.62%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|11,612

|13,358

|15,312

|23,134

|style='background: #ffffe6; |26,500

|16.50%

|15.86%

|12.38%

|11.49%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |11.12%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|177

|290

|415

|605

|style='background: #ffffe6; |641

|0.25%

|0.34%

|0.30%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.27%

|Asian alone (NH)

|160

|252

|705

|3,243

|style='background: #ffffe6; |9,516

|0.23%

|0.30%

|0.57%

|1.61%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.99%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|26

|58

|style='background: #ffffe6; |90

|0.02%

|0.03%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.04%

|Other race alone (NH)

|48

|12

|85

|415

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,199

|0.07%

|0.01%

|0.07%

|0.21%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.50%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|885

|2,772

|style='background: #ffffe6; |9,098

|0.72%

|1.38%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.82%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|561

|675

|7,637

|20,967

|style='background: #ffffe6; |30,110

|0.80%

|6.17%

|10.42%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |12.64%

|Total

|70,380

|84,211

|123,677

|201,292

|style='background: #ffffe6; |238,267

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 201,292 people, 67,864 households, and 54,019 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 45,695 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 79.0% White, 11.7% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 5.3% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. 10.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 67,864 households, out of which 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.60% were married couples living together, and 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present. 6.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.3.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 32.90% under the age of 20, 4.7% from 20 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.2 years. The population was 49.4% male. Northern Union County has the southern foothills of the Uwharrie Mountains

Government and politics

thumb|Union County Government Center in Monroe

In the early through mid-20th century, Union County was a firm "Solid South" Democratic county. Union County remained traditionally "Solid South" until after the civil rights movement. The first Republican to win the county was Richard Nixon with less than 40 percent of the vote in a three-way race in 1968. Union County has followed much of the South in turning towards the Republican Party following Nixon's election. Native Southerner Jimmy Carter carried Union County twice, but he remains the last Democrat to carry the county, and no Democrat since 1980 has reached 40 percent of the county's vote.

Union County is a member of the regional Centralina Council of Governments.

Education

South Piedmont Community College
Central Academy of Technology and Arts
Cuthbertson High School
Forest Hills High School
Marvin Ridge High School
Metrolina Christian Academy
Monroe Charter Academy
Monroe High School
Parkwood High School
Piedmont High School
Porter Ridge High School
Sun Valley High School
Arborbrook Christian Academy
Tabernacle Christian School
Union County Early College
Union Academy
Weddington High School
Wingate University
Shiloh Elementary

Events

Two major annual events occur in the county:

Brooklandwood in Mineral Springs is the site of the Queens Cup Steeplechase, one of steeplechase horse racing's major annual events. The program consists of several races, and is held the last Saturday of April. The schedule of events also features a Jack Russell Terrier judging contest. Over 10,000 people typically attend the event.
The Union County town of Marshville is the site of the Randy Travis Festival, an annual street fair and carnival that takes place every fall.

Communities

thumb|275px|Map of Union County with municipal and township labels

City

Monroe (county seat)

Towns

Fairview
Hemby Bridge
Indian Trail (largest community)
Marshville
Mineral Springs
Stallings
Unionville
Waxhaw
Weddington
Wingate

Villages

Lake Park
Marvin
Wesley Chapel

Townships

Goose Creek
Jackson
Marshville
Monroe
New Salem
Vance
Buford
Lanes Creek
Sandy Ridge

Census-designated place

JAARS

Unincorporated communities

Brief
Jackson
New Salem
Olive Branch
Roughedge

Ghost town

References

External links

Monroe–Union County Economic Development