City · Iowa
Union, Iowa
Union, city, in Hardin County, Iowa. Union had 382 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 399 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 378 (±90). GEOID 1979545.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
382
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 399 · ACS 2020-2024: 378 ±90
Median household income
$55,625
±$16,974 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$74,600
±$5,371 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$875
±$166 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Union and what county is it in?
Union is a city in Hardin County, Iowa. It covers 0.6 square miles of land, 699 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Union, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 382 people lived in Union on July 1, 2025, down 3.3% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 399 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 378 (±90).
| Measure | Union | Hardin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 378 ±90 | 16,639 | no clear change |
| Households | 197 ±50 | 7,038 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.92 ±0.25 | 2.27 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 227 ±52 | 8,011 | no clear change |
Union's population since 2000
From 427 in 2000 to 382 in 2025: down 10.5%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Union as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Union?
The median resident of Union is 51.1 years old; 11.6% are under 18 and 28.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 97.9%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 1.1%.
| Measure | Union | Hardin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.1 ±5.7 | 45.4 | −6.8 |
| Under 18 years | 11.6% ±5.7 pts | 19.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 28.0% ±8.2 pts | 23.8% | – |
| Male | 46.8% ±5.7 pts | 50.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.8% ±1.1 pts | 5.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 97.9% ±3.2 pts | 90.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.6 pts | 0.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.1% ±2.9 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±6.5 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 14.4% ±6.8 pts | 6.4% | – |
| With a disability | 11.4% ±5.0 pts | 15.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.9% ±7.3 pts | 5.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.3% ±3.5 pts | 93.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.0% ±8.4 pts | 21.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.6% ±6.0 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.8% ±6.2 pts | 90.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±6.4 pts | 1.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Union earn?
Half of Union's 197 households earn less than $55,625 a year (±$16,974), against $65,069 in Hardin County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $54,356 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Union | Hardin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,625 ±$16,974 | $65,069 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $69,750 ±$11,658 | $79,622 | – |
| Per capita income | $37,330 ±$4,489 | $36,477 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 6.6% ±5.4 pts | 9.7% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 15.9% ±23.8 pts | 10.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 10.7% ±6.2 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 80.7% ±13.5 pts | 89.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 75.6% ±13.9 pts | 85.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Union?
Owners occupy 86.8% of Union's occupied homes and renters 13.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $74,600 by its owner (±$5,371). The median renter pays $875 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Union | Hardin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $74,600 ±$5,371 | $122,500 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $875 ±$166 | $795 | +$215 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 23.1% ±26.9 pts | 33.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $797 ±$280 | $1,236 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 86.8% ±8.1 pts | 73.6% | +13.2 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 13.2% ±8.1 pts | 26.4% | – |
| Housing units | 227 ±52 | 8,011 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±13.3 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±44.6 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 89.0% ±7.2 pts | 83.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 5.3% ±4.9 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±10.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±10.4 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 41.9% ±10.3 pts | 34.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.5% ±2.6 pts | 5.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Union building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Union in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Iowa.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Union work and get to work?
83.6% of Union's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 22.2 minutes.
| Measure | Union | Hardin County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 61.3% ±9.4 pts | 61.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.0% ±11.0 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 83.6% ±9.7 pts | 79.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 2.3% ±4.7 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±11.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Walked | 10.8% ±10.1 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.3% ±2.9 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.2 min ±5.0 | 21.6 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Union?
No census tract lies mostly in Union; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4805Hardin County | 2,816 | $75,972 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Union) · Census block assignment files
How does Union compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Union is the 14,290th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 496th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Union is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 496th | 939 |
Union's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Union with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Union?
26 of the 57 figures for Union on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Union are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Union.