Union County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,681. Its county seat is Lewisburg. The county was created on March 22, 1813, from part of Northumberland County. Its name is an allusion to the federal Union. Mifflinburg was established by legislation as the first county seat until it was moved to New Berlin in 1815. Lewisburg became county seat in 1855 and has remained so since. Union County comprises the Lewisburg, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Bloomsburg-Berwick-Sunbury, PA Combined Statistical Area. The county is part of the Central Pennsylvania region of the state.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 318 sqmi, of which 316 sqmi is land and 1.8 sqmi (0.6%) is water. It is the fourth-smallest county in Pennsylvania by area. Union has a humid continental climate (Dfa/Dfb) and average temperatures in Lewisburg range from 27.2 °F in January to 72.7 °F in July, while in Hartleton they range from 26.4 °F in January to 72.1 °F in July. Union County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, and it is identified as part of the "Midlands" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.

Adjacent counties

State protected areas

Major highways

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 41,624 people, 13,178 households, and 9,211 families residing in the county. The population density was 131 /mi2. There were 14,684 housing units at an average density of 46 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 90.08% White, 6.91% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. 3.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 41.2% were of German, 13.9% American, 6.5% Irish, 5.9% English and 5.3% Italian ancestry. 90.4% spoke English, 3.7% Spanish, 2.0% Pennsylvania Dutch and 1.2% German as their first language. There were 13,178 households, out of which 31.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% were married couples living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 25.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.00. In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.10% under the age of 18, 13.90% from 18 to 24, 30.90% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 123.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 128.50 males.

2020 census

Micropolitan Statistical Area

The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated Union County as the Lewisburg, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA). As of the 2010 census the micropolitan area ranked 12th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 263rd most populous in the United States with a population of 44,947. Union County is also a part of the Bloomsburg–Berwick–Sunbury, PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which combines the populations of Union County, as well as Columbia, Montour, Northumberland and Snyder Counties in Pennsylvania. The Combined Statistical Area ranked 8th in the State of Pennsylvania and 115th most populous in the United States with a population of 264,739.

[Map of the Bloomsburg–Berwick–Sunbury, PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA), composed of the following parts:

{{legend|#FF0000|Bloomsburg–Berwick, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)}} {{legend|#FFFF00|Sunbury, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA)}} {{legend|#7FFF00|Lewisburg, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA)}} {{legend|#87CEEB|Selinsgrove, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA)|undefined | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/BloomsburgBerwickSunburyCSA2014.jpg]

Government

County commissioners

State government

Federal level

Politics

In presidential elections, Union County has voted for Democratic candidates less than almost any county in the nation. Andrew Jackson was the last Democratic Party candidate to win the county, in 1832. The county has been solidly Republican in Presidential elections since John C. Frémont's win against James Buchanan in 1856. The only exception was William Howard Taft's loss to Theodore Roosevelt of the Bull Moose (Progressive) Party – which had splintered from the Republican Party – in 1912. The county has also voted for Republican Senators, State Treasurers, and State Auditors for decades. Robert P. Casey is the only Democratic gubernatorial candidate to win the county in the last fifty years. The county seat of Lewisburg is heavily Democratic, having given Joe Biden over 70% of its vote in 2020. However, the rest of the county is overwhelmingly Republican.

Education

Public school districts

Vocational school

Higher education

Private schools

Communities

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in most cases, towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Union County:

Boroughs

Townships

Census-designated places

Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Union County. † county seat