South Union Township, PA

Township in Fayette County, PA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

10,620

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

43.4

years ∙ half population younger than 43.4, half older

Diversity Index

18.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.5%

foreign-born population

97.5%Native

2.5% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

South Union Township is a township in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States.

Location

Township in Fayette County, PA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC39.870632° N, 79.720967° W

DMS39° 52′ 14.28″ N, 79° 43′ 15.48″ W

Population Density & area

632.1/sq mi (244.7/km²)

Total Area

16.8 sq mi (43.5 km²)

Land Area

16.8 sq mi (43.4 km²) · 99.8%

Water Area

0 sq mi (0.1 km²) · 0.2%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

45.9% male

Male 45.9%

Female 54.1%

males per 100 females

South Union Township 84.8

Fayette County 100.7

Pennsylvania 97.2

Nativity

2.5%

foreign-born population

97.5%Native

2.5% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

South Union Township 2.5%

Fayette County 1.3%

Pennsylvania 7.7%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

43.4

years ∙ half population younger than 43.4, half older

South Union Township

43.4

Fayette County

45.4

Pennsylvania

40.9

Dependency ratio

80.4

dependents per 100 working-age adults

South Union Township 80.4

Fayette County 72.1

Pennsylvania 66.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	South Union Township	Fayette County	Pennsylvania
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	18.6%	19.2%	20.4%
Working age (18-64)	55.5%	58.1%	60.1%
Senior (65+)	25.9%	22.7%	19.5%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	80.4	72.1	66.4
Child dependency ratio	33.6	33.1	34
Old-age dependency ratio	46.8	39	32.4

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

90.3%

Black

Asian

1.5%

Hispanic

0.6%

Other

5.6%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

18.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

South Union Township 18.1%

Fayette County 20.2%

Pennsylvania 44.6%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of South Union Township population

	South Union Township	Fayette County	Pennsylvania
Hispanic or Latino	0.6%	1.4%	8.7%
Mexican	0.1%	0.5%	1.4%
Puerto Rican	0.3%	0.6%	3.7%
Cuban	0%	0%	0.2%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.2%	0.3%	3.4%
Not Hispanic or Latino	99.4%	98.6%	91.3%
One race	94.4%	93.8%	87.7%
White	90.3%	89.1%	73%
Black or African American	2%	3.9%	10.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0%	0.1%
Asian	1.5%	0.5%	3.8%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.5%	0.1%	0%
Some Other Race	0%	0.2%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	5%	4.8%	3.6%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

63.9% family

Family 63.9%

Non family 36.1%

% family households

South Union Township 63.9%

Fayette County 60.6%

Pennsylvania 62.4%

Average household size

2.23

persons per household

South Union Township

2.23

Fayette County

2.2

Pennsylvania

2.39

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of South Union Township population

	South Union Township	Fayette County	Pennsylvania
Total households	4,588	55,182	5,274,853
Average houshold size	2.23	2.2	2.39
Family households	2,933	33,440	3,291,192
Average family size	2.8	2.79	3.01
Married couple family	2,221	24,286	2,437,812
Other families	712	9,154	853,380
Male householder	189	2,680	246,246
Female householder	523	6,474	607,134
Non-family households	1,655	21,742	1,983,661
One-person households	1,464	18,260	1,629,974
Male householder	628	8,443	733,485
Senior (65+) living alone	362	3,206	246,162
Female householder	836	9,817	896,489
Senior (65+) living alone	582	5,607	477,851
Other living arrangements	191	3,482	353,687

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

4,788

housing units

South Union Township 4,788

Fayette County 62,158

Pennsylvania 5,806,452

Occupancy status

95.8% occupied

Occupied 95.8%

Vacant 4.2%

vacancy rate

South Union Township 4.2%

Fayette County 11.2%

Pennsylvania 9.2%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

86.2%

Single family houses

86.2%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

9.5%

Mobile homes

4.2%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1967

Half of houses were built before 1967, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

15.7%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

38%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

35.1%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

11.2%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	South Union Township	Fayette County	Pennsylvania
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.5	5.9	6
1–3 rooms	3.7%	7.8%	11.7%
4–6 rooms	45.8%	55.1%	47.7%
7+ rooms	50.5%	37.1%	40.7%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.7%	1.3%	2.3%
1 bedroom	3.2%	8%	10.4%
2 bedrooms	25.5%	29.9%	22.5%
3 bedrooms	47.8%	45%	42.3%
4+ bedrooms	21.8%	15.8%	22.6%
At a glance
Median year built	1967	1960	1966
Total housing units	4,788	62,158	5,806,452

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

77.7% owners

Renter-occupied 22.3%

Owner-occupied 77.7%

homeownership rate

South Union Township 77.7%

Fayette County 72.4%

Pennsylvania 69.3%

Average household size

2.28

Owner-occupied

2.07

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

South Union Township 2.28

Fayette County 2.3

Pennsylvania 2.53

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	South Union Township	Fayette County	Pennsylvania
Total occupied units	4,588	55,182	5,274,853
Year moved in
2020 or later	14.2%	16.2%	20.2%
2010 to 2019	35.4%	32.4%	36.1%
2000 to 2009	21.3%	16%	17.5%
1999 or earlier	28.9%	35.4%	26.2%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	100%	99.2%	98.4%
1.01 to 1.50	0%	0.7%	1%
1.51 or more	0%	0.2%	0.6%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	10.3%	9%	10.4%
1 vehicle	28.7%	34.4%	35.1%
2 vehicles	37.4%	36%	35.9%
3 or more vehicles	23.5%	20.6%	18.6%
House heating fuel used
Gas	68.4%	49%	56.4%
Electricity	19.7%	21.3%	25.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	9.5%	24.5%	14%
All other fuels	1.4%	4.8%	3.7%
No fuel used	1%	0.4%	0.5%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.2%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.7%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0%	1.2%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$209,300

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

South Union Township

$209,300

Fayette County

$143,200

Pennsylvania

$254,500

Housing Cost Burden

21.5%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

21.5%

Owners without a mortgage

14.2%

Renters

32.1%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	South Union Township	Fayette County	Pennsylvania
Property value
Median Value	$209,300	$143,200	$254,500
Under $100,000	18.8%	34.7%	13.9%
$100,000 - $200,000	28.5%	31.7%	22.4%
$200,000 - $300,000	23.4%	18.4%	22.9%
$300,000 - $500,000	24.8%	12%	25.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	4.4%	2.8%	12.8%
$1,000,000 and more	0%	0.4%	2.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	52%	46.9%	58%
Without a mortgage	48%	53.1%	42%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,544	$1,239	$1,762
Without a mortgage	$670	$512	$644
Gross rent
Median rent	$920	$793	$1,209

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

26.6%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

South Union Township 26.6%

Fayette County 19.1%

Pennsylvania 35.2%

Adults without a high school diploma

6.7%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

South Union Township 6.7%

Fayette County 9.8%

Pennsylvania 7.9%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

1,755

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

3.9%

K–12

74.5%

College / Undergraduate

14.9%

Graduate / Professional

6.7%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

24.1%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

South Union Township

24.1%

Fayette County

25.8%

Pennsylvania

44%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	South Union Township	Fayette County	Pennsylvania
Total enrolled (age 3+)	1,755	22,678	2,913,513
Nursery / preschool	3.9%	5.2%	5.7%
K–12	74.5%	78.4%	66.9%
Kindergarten	3.9%	5.2%	4.8%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	23.1%	23.6%	19.7%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	27.1%	25%	20.7%
High School: Grades 9–12	20.5%	24.6%	21.7%
College or graduate school	21.6%	16.5%	27.4%
College, undergraduate	14.9%	13.2%	21.2%
Graduate, professional school	6.7%	3.3%	6.2%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	24.1%	25.8%	44%
School type
Public school	81%	86.4%	75.3%
Private school	19%	13.6%	24.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

7,972

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.3%

9th-12th, no diploma

4.4%

HS graduate

41.1%

Some college no degree

14.4%

Associates degree

11.1%

Bachelors degree

18.4%

Graduate or professional degree

8.2%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

32.3% · 67.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

38.1% · 61.9%

HS graduate

50.6% · 49.4%

Some college no degree

53.2% · 46.8%

Associates degree

26% · 74%

Bachelors degree

48.2% · 51.8%

Graduate or professional degree

51.1% · 48.9%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	South Union Township	Fayette County	Pennsylvania
Population (25+)	7,972	92,959	9,189,697
Less than 9th grade	2.3%	2.6%	2.9%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.4%	7.2%	5%
High school diploma or GED	41.1%	47.1%	32.9%
Some college, no degree	14.4%	14.2%	15.1%
Associate's degree	11.1%	9.7%	8.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	26.6%	19.1%	35.2%
Bachelor's degree	18.4%	12.6%	20.9%
Graduate or professional	8.2%	6.5%	14.3%
High School or higher	93.3%	90.2%	92.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$48,265

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$38,472

HS graduate

$35,833

Some college or associates

$44,929

Bachelors degree

$66,336

Graduate or professional degree

$97,308

Poverty Rate

3.6%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

22.7%

HS graduate

11%

Some college or associates

3.4%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.6%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	South Union Township	Fayette County	Pennsylvania
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$48,265	$45,389	$53,549
Less than high school graduate	$38,472	$29,133	$33,591
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$35,833	$37,089	$40,643
Some college or associate's degree	$44,929	$46,259	$47,736
Bachelor's degree	$66,336	$60,374	$69,335
Graduate or professional degree	$97,308	$68,961	$87,132
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	22.7%	33%	25.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	11%	18%	13.3%
Some college or associate's degree	3.4%	11.4%	9.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.6%	5.8%	4.1%

Insights for South Union Township, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

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