Town · Missouri
Union Star, Missouri
Union Star, town, in DeKalb County, Missouri. Union Star had 372 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 380 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 559 (±155). GEOID 2975130.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
372
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 380 · ACS 2020-2024: 559 ±155
Median household income
$61,299
±$9,406 (90% margin)
Missouri: $70,702
Median home value
$105,700
±$13,052 (90% margin)
Missouri: $230,300
Median gross rent
$913
±$94 (90% margin)
Missouri: $1,033
Where is Union Star and what county is it in?
Union Star is a town in DeKalb County, Missouri. It covers 0.3 square miles of land, 1,450 residents per square mile in 2020.
Union Star is in the St. Joseph, MO-KS metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 4 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Union Star lies entirely within Polk Township (DeKalb County), a township with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Union Star, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 372 people lived in Union Star on July 1, 2025, down 2.4% since 2020, while Missouri grew 1.9%. The 2020 Census counted 380 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 559 (±155).
| Measure | Union Star | DeKalb County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 559 ±155 | 10,876 | no clear change |
| Households | 223 ±76 | 3,732 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.51 ±0.44 | 2.40 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 250 ±75 | 4,270 | no clear change |
Union Star's population since 2000
From 433 in 2000 to 372 in 2025: down 14.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Union Star 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 Star?
The median resident of Union Star is 27.4 years old; 24.5% are under 18 and 19.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 97.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 0.9%.
| Measure | Union Star | DeKalb County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 27.4 ±6.4 | 42.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 24.5% ±7.8 pts | 19.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.1% ±8.6 pts | 19.5% | – |
| Male | 49.0% ±6.4 pts | 57.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.9% ±1.4 pts | 2.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 97.5% ±3.1 pts | 87.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.2 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.9% ±1.5 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.1 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.7% ±1.2 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.7% ±1.7 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.5% ±3.4 pts | 7.9% | – |
| With a disability | 11.3% ±5.9 pts | 15.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.2% ±4.6 pts | 6.7% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.3% ±3.9 pts | 89.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 16.1% ±8.8 pts | 16.4% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.2% ±3.8 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 80.0% ±14.6 pts | 87.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 10.6% ±9.3 pts | 2.1% | – |
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 Star earn?
Half of Union Star's 223 households earn less than $61,299 a year (±$9,406), against $69,826 in DeKalb County and $70,702 in Missouri. In 2015-2019 it was $57,433 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Union Star | DeKalb County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,299 ±$9,406 | $69,826 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $71,722 ±$12,885 | $84,578 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,699 ±$3,550 | $28,990 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 4.5% ±3.9 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±22.3 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 1.8% ±2.2 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 90.6% ±8.5 pts | 90.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 77.6% ±11.0 pts | 82.7% | – |
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 Star?
Owners occupy 64.1% of Union Star's occupied homes and renters 35.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $105,700 by its owner (±$13,052). The median renter pays $913 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Union Star | DeKalb County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $105,700 ±$13,052 | $169,200 | +$31,243 |
| Median gross rent | $913 ±$94 | $817 | +$435 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 7.5% ±17.2 pts | 18.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $925 ±$215 | $1,389 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 64.1% ±16.2 pts | 71.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 35.9% ±16.2 pts | 28.9% | – |
| Housing units | 250 ±75 | 4,270 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±20.4 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±33.7 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 88.4% ±8.6 pts | 72.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.8% ±2.6 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±13.0 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.4% ±1.2 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 30.0% ±11.7 pts | 17.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.3% ±4.5 pts | 4.1% | – |
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 Star building?
Union Star last reported building permits to the Census Bureau for 2022.
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 Star work and get to work?
89.1% of Union Star's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 81.8 minutes.
| Measure | Union Star | DeKalb County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.3% ±13.3 pts | 47.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% ±2.9 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 89.1% ±7.7 pts | 76.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.1% ±3.9 pts | 10.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±12.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 0.4% ±1.0 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.6% ±5.7 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 81.8 min ±35.0 | 31.1 min | +42.8 min |
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 Star?
No census tract lies mostly in Union Star; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 802DeKalb County | 4,089 | $74,659 |
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 Star) · Census block assignment files
How does Union Star compare with other places in Missouri?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Union Star is the 14,394th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 534th-most populous of 936 in Missouri.
Union Star 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 | 534th | 936 |
Union Star's figures with every place in Missouri (CSV)
Every place in Missouri, sortable · Compare Union Star 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 Star?
26 of the 57 figures for Union Star 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 Star 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 Star.