UNION COUNTY
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 According to the South Carolina State Library Reference Room
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 Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000: -0.14% 44
Population 2000:  29,881 33 Percent Change 2005-2006: -0.7% 45
Population Estimate 2005: 28,511 33 Persons Per Square Mile 2006: 55.1 30
Population Estimate 2006: 28,306 34
Link to SC Office of Research and Statistics - Community Profile Demographic Data
Link to SC Office of Research and Statistics - Kids Count
Economic Data Value Rank Value Rank
Jobs 1980: 11,352 29 Personal Income 2005: $695,543 32
Jobs 1990: 10,948 31 Per Capita Pers. Income (PCPI) 2005: $20,299 44
Jobs 2000: 11,168 30 % of U.S. PCPI 2005: 71% 23
Avg. Annual Growth Rate 1980-2000:  -0.08% 43 Average Wage Per Job 2005:  $27,042 37
Jobs 2004: 9,048 32 % of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2005:  67% 37
Jobs 2005: 27,042 32 Avg. Unemployment 1996-2006:  8.8% 6
Numeric Change 2004-2005: 140 20 Unemployment Rate 2006 Ann. Avg: 10.9% 5
Tax Data Value Rank Value Rank
Assessed Property 2004: $60,519,574 41 Per Capita Assessed Property 2004: $2,025 41
County Base Millage Rate* 2006: 0.1288 13 Additional Sales Tax (if applicable)
Value of One Mil 2006: $58,600 35 Local Option Sales Tax:  
Net Taxable Sales FY 2005: $150,561,322 34 Capital Projects Sales Tax:  
Admissions Taxes Collected FY 2005: $20,882 32 School District Sales Tax:  
Accomodations Taxes Collected FY 2005: $19,759 38 Transportation Sales Tax:  
* County Base Millage Rate reflects county mils only and does not include millages charged by other taxing entities (cities, schools, etc.)
Link to SC Employment Security Commission - Top Employers by County
Link to SC Office of Research and Statistics - Community Profile Demographic Data
Financial and Employment Data Value Rank Value Rank
Total Revenues FY 2004: $13,182,824 36 Per Capital Revenues: $441 33
Total Expenditures FY 2004: $11,737,582 36 Per Capita Expenditures: $393 31
General Fund Budget FY 2007: $10,544,727 37 Per Capita General Fund Budget: $353 31
Total Debt Outstanding FY 2006: $1,665,000 41 Per Capita Debt Outstanding: $58 42
Credit Ratings(s) FY 2006: Payroll FY 2007: $4,908,257 35
 Moodys: A3 Full-Time Employees FY 2007:  155 38
Standard & Poor:   Part-Time Employees FY 2007: 72 15
Fitch:   Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:   5.19 31
Link to SC Office of Research and Statistics - Local Government Finance Report (Full document in Excel)
Sources:  County histories obtained from the South Carolina State Library Reference Room at http://www.state.sc.us/scsl/cnties.html. All other sources are listed in the appendix tables.
Updated 9/19/2007 15:37
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