UNION COUNTY 2/2/2010
Date Formed:  1785
Land Area (square miles): 514
County Seat: Union
Other Cities and Towns:
Carlisle, Jonesville, Lockhart
Form of Government: Council-Supervisor
Council Members: 7
Method of Election Single Member
Term Length 4 years
Council of Government:  Catawba
County History
Union County was named for the old Union Church, which served both the Presbyterian and Episcopal congregations in the area. The church was erected in 1765 near the present day town of Union, the county seat. Union County was created as a part of Ninety Six District in 1785. It was part of Pinckney District from 1791 to 1800 and became a separate district when Pinckney was dissolved in 1800. The upper part of the county later went to form Cherokee County in 1897. The early settlers in this area were mainly Scotch-Irish from Virginia and Pennsylvania, who began immigrating to the South Carolina upcountry in the 1750s. Much fighting took place here during the Revolutionary War, including the battles of Musgrove's Mill (August 18, 1780) and Blackstocks (November 20, 1780). Revolutionary leaders Thomas Brandon (1741-1802) and Joseph McJunkin (1755-1846) were from Union County, as were Confederate generals States Rights Gist (1831-1864) and William Henry Wallace (1827-1905). Secession Governor William Henry Gist (1807-1874) made his home at Rose Hill Plantation in Union County, now a state park.
Population Trends Value Rank Value Rank
Population 1980:  30,751 32 Numeric Change 1980-2000:  -870 43
Population 1990:  30,337 31 Numeric Change 2000-2008: -2,209 46
Population 2000:  29,881 33 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000:  -0.14% 44
Population Estimate 2007:  27,789 34 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 2000-2008:  -0.92% 45
Population Estimate 2008: 27,672 34 Percent Change 2006-2008: -0.42% 40
Persons Per Square Mile 2008:  53.8 31
Economic Data Value Rank Value Rank
Jobs 1980:  11,352 29 Personal Income (PI) 2007: $728,897 32
Jobs 1990:  10,948 31 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate (PI) 1969-2007: 6.1% 46
Jobs 2000:  11,168 30 Per Capita Personal Income  2007: $26,230 29
Jobs 2006: 8,792 34 % of U.S. PCPI 2007: 68% 26
Jobs 2007: 8,511 34 Average Wage Per Job 2007: $28,599 37
Numeric Change Jobs 2006-2007: -281 39 % of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2007:  65% 37
Avg Ann Growth Rate Jobs 1980-2000:  -0.08% 43 Unemployment Rate 2007: 11.1% 8
Avg Ann Growth Rate Jobs 2000-2007: -3.40% 44 Avg. Unemployment 1998-2007:  8.5% 10
Tax Data Value Rank Value Rank
Assessed Property 2007: $62,751,759 38 Per Capita Assessed Property 2007: $2,100 41
County Base Millage Rate 2009: 0.1329 14 Additional Sales Tax (if applicable) 
Value of One Mil 2009: $60,500 36 Local Option Sales Tax:  
Millage Cap FY10: 3.8% 34 Capital Projects Sales Tax:  
Net Taxable Sales FY07: $128,363,942 34 School District Sales Tax:  
Admissions Tax Collected FY07: $20,987 30 Transportation Sales Tax:  
Accommodations Tax Collected FY07:  $20,960 37
Financial & Employment Data Value Rank Value Rank
Total Revenues FY08: $17,039,995 35 Per Capita Revenues FY08: $570 32
Total Expenditures FY08: $15,607,805 36 Per Capita Expenditures FY08: $522 32
General Fund Budget FY10:  $11,047,145 37 Per Capita General Fund Budget FY10: $370 33
Total Debt Outstanding FY08: $3,173,435 38 Per Capita Debt Outstanding FY08: $112 24
Payroll FY 2008: $5,256,068 37 Credit Rating(s) FY08
Full-Time Employees FY10:  158 36 Moody's: A3
Part-Time Employees FY10: 71 20 Standard & Poor:  
Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:   5.29 36 Fitch:  
updated  2/2/2010