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West Union, SC

Last updated
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers

Population

370
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

38
years ∙ half population younger than 38, half older

Diversity Index

Low High
56.1%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

19.7%
foreign-born population
80.3%Native
19.7% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

West Union is a town within Oconee County, South Carolina, United States.
Location
Town in Oconee County, SC, US
Co-ordinates
DEC34.756041° N, 83.044142° W
DMS34° 45′ 21.75″ N, 83° 02′ 38.91″ W

Population Density & area

466.6/sq mi (180.2/km²)
Total Area
0.794 sq mi (2.055 km²)
Land Area
0.793 sq mi (2.053 km²) · 99.9%
Water Area
0.001 sq mi (0.002 km²) · 0.1%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

54.3% male
Male 54.3%
Female 45.7%
males per 100 females
West Union 118.9
Oconee County 97.9
South Carolina 94.8

Nativity

19.7%
foreign-born population
80.3%Native
19.7% Foreign-born
% Foreign-born
West Union 19.7%
Oconee County 4.2%
South Carolina 5.8%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

38
years ∙ half population younger than 38, half older
West Union
38
Oconee County
47.3
South Carolina
40.2

Dependency ratio

Low High
85
dependents per 100 working-age adults
West Union 85
Oconee County 78.5
South Carolina 67.5

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group
Median age
West Union Oconee County South Carolina
Age Group
Children (Under 18) 21.9% 19.1% 21.4%
Working age (18-64) 54% 56% 59.7%
Senior (65+) 24.1% 24.9% 18.9%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio 85 78.5 67.5
Child dependency ratio 40.5 34.1 35.9
Old-age dependency ratio 44.5 44.4 31.6
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White
60.3%
Black
8.4%
Asian
0%
Hispanic
25.4%
Other
5.9%
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

Low High
56.1%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
West Union 56.1%
Oconee County 30.1%
South Carolina 54.9%
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 West Union population
West Union Oconee County South Carolina
Hispanic or Latino 25.4% 6.2% 7.4%
Mexican 18.6% 3.9% 3.4%
Puerto Rican 0.5% 0.4% 1%
Cuban 0% 0.1% 0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino 6.2% 1.8% 2.7%
Not Hispanic or Latino 74.6% 93.8% 92.6%
One race 68.7% 89.7% 88.9%
White 60.3% 83.1% 61.9%
Black or African American 8.4% 5.2% 24.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0% 0.4% 0.2%
Asian 0% 0.7% 1.7%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
Some Other Race 0% 0.2% 0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 5.9% 4.1% 3.7%
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

66.2% family
Family 66.2%
Non family 33.8%
% family households
West Union 66.2%
Oconee County 69.7%
South Carolina 65%

Average household size

2.55
persons per household
West Union
2.55
Oconee County
2.31
South Carolina
2.44

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households
Percentage of West Union population
West Union Oconee County South Carolina
Total households 145 34,515 2,117,989
Average houshold size 2.55 2.31 2.44
Family households 96 24,052 1,377,369
Average family size 3.08 2.73 3.01
Married couple family 57 18,484 998,170
Other families 39 5,568 379,199
Male householder 15 1,584 95,077
Female householder 24 3,984 284,122
Non-family households 49 10,463 740,620
One-person households 40 8,816 618,603
Male householder 27 3,969 273,409
Senior (65+) living alone 5 1,326 86,486
Female householder 13 4,847 345,194
Senior (65+) living alone 4 2,680 172,484
Other living arrangements 9 1,647 122,017

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

160
housing units
West Union 160
Oconee County 42,100
South Carolina 2,443,039

Occupancy status

90.6% occupied
Occupied 90.6%
Vacant 9.4%
vacancy rate
West Union 9.4%
Oconee County 18%
South Carolina 13.3%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

65%
Single family houses
Single family houses
65%
Apartments in multi-unit structures
6.9%
Mobile homes
24.4%
Boat, RV, van, etc
3.8%

Median Year Built

1992
Half of houses were built before 1992, and half after.
Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier
2.5%
Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969
23.1%
Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999
30.6%
Modern ∙ 2000 or later
43.8%
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
West Union Oconee County South Carolina
Rooms per unit
Median rooms 5.2 5.8 5.7
1–3 rooms 17.6% 7.9% 9.1%
4–6 rooms 63.2% 55.5% 55.3%
7+ rooms 19.4% 36.7% 35.5%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio 6.9% 1.3% 1.5%
1 bedroom 6.3% 4.7% 5.7%
2 bedrooms 21.9% 24.8% 22.5%
3 bedrooms 55% 47.6% 47.5%
4+ bedrooms 10% 21.7% 22.8%
At a glance
Median year built 1992 1990 1993
Total housing units 160 42,100 2,443,039
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

73.1% owners
Renter-occupied 26.9%
Owner-occupied 73.1%
homeownership rate
West Union 73.1%
Oconee County 76.2%
South Carolina 71.9%

Average household size

2.7
Owner-occupied
2.15
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
West Union 2.7
Oconee County 2.35
South Carolina 2.49

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
West Union Oconee County South Carolina
Total occupied units 145 34,515 2,117,989
Year moved in
2020 or later 31.1% 22.9% 25.6%
2010 to 2019 40% 38.2% 39.4%
2000 to 2009 9% 16.9% 16%
1999 or earlier 20% 22% 19%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer 95.2% 98.5% 98%
1.01 to 1.50 0% 1% 1.4%
1.51 or more 4.8% 0.5% 0.6%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles 11% 5.2% 5.7%
1 vehicle 31% 26.7% 32.2%
2 vehicles 37.2% 39.6% 38.5%
3 or more vehicles 20.7% 28.6% 23.6%
House heating fuel used
Gas 15.9% 27% 27.1%
Electricity 81.4% 69.2% 70.8%
Solar 0% 0.1% 0.2%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc 0.7% 0.5% 0.5%
All other fuels 0% 2.6% 0.6%
No fuel used 2.1% 0.7% 0.7%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing 0% 0.4% 0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen 0% 0.7% 0.6%
No telephone service available 0% 0.8% 0.8%
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$147,700
owner-occupied units
Median value(USD)
West Union
$147,700
Oconee County
$237,100
South Carolina
$259,000

Housing Cost Burden

9.6%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
% Cost-Burdened Households
Owners with a mortgage
9.6%
Owners without a mortgage
7.5%
Renters
35.9%
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
West Union Oconee County South Carolina
Property value
Median Value $147,700 $237,100 $259,000
Under $100,000 35% 19.7% 16.8%
$100,000 - $200,000 26.4% 21.2% 19.5%
$200,000 - $300,000 22.6% 19.9% 21.8%
$300,000 - $500,000 15.1% 18% 25.5%
$500,000 - $1,000,000 0% 13.2% 12.7%
$1,000,000 and more 0.9% 8% 3.7%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage 49.1% 46.7% 57.1%
Without a mortgage 50.9% 53.3% 42.9%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage $900 $1,367 $1,529
Without a mortgage $259 $418 $448
Gross rent
Median rent $758 $881 $1,180

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

15.4%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
West Union 15.4%
Oconee County 28.7%
South Carolina 32.1%

Adults without a high school diploma

21.6%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
West Union 21.6%
Oconee County 12.6%
South Carolina 9.9%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

75
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
Nursery / Preschool
4%
K–12
89.3%
College / Undergraduate
2.7%
Graduate / Professional
4%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

0%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
West Union
0%
Oconee County
26.9%
South Carolina
37.5%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
West Union Oconee County South Carolina
Total enrolled (age 3+) 75 15,776 1,202,992
Nursery / preschool 4% 5.7% 5.2%
K–12 89.3% 74.3% 69.7%
Kindergarten 13.3% 5.1% 5.5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4 12% 21.2% 20.6%
Elementary: Grades 5–8 29.3% 24.7% 21.4%
High School: Grades 9–12 34.7% 23.2% 22.2%
College or graduate school 6.7% 20% 25.1%
College, undergraduate 2.7% 16.6% 20%
Graduate, professional school 4% 3.4% 5%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds 0% 26.9% 37.5%
School type
Public school 92% 82.3% 82.7%
Private school 8% 17.7% 17.3%
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

273
population 25 years and over
Total adults (25+)
Less than 9th grade
16.5%
9th-12th, no diploma
5.1%
HS graduate
33.3%
Some college no degree
20.5%
Associates degree
9.2%
Bachelors degree
11.4%
Graduate or professional degree
4%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
% male · % female
Less than 9th grade
68.9% · 31.1%
9th-12th, no diploma
42.9% · 57.1%
HS graduate
52.7% · 47.3%
Some college no degree
41.1% · 58.9%
Associates degree
52% · 48%
Bachelors degree
38.7% · 61.3%
Graduate or professional degree
63.6% · 36.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
West Union Oconee County South Carolina
Population (25+) 273 59,158 3,677,078
Less than 9th grade 16.5% 3.8% 3.1%
9th–12th, no diploma 5.1% 8.8% 6.8%
High school diploma or GED 33.3% 29.6% 28.2%
Some college, no degree 20.5% 17.8% 19.8%
Associate's degree 9.2% 11.3% 10%
Bachelor's degree or higher 15.4% 28.7% 32.1%
Bachelor's degree 11.4% 17.3% 19.8%
Graduate or professional 4% 11.3% 12.3%
High School or higher 78.4% 87.4% 90.1%
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$33,661
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Less than HS graduate
$—
HS graduate
$—
Some college or associates
$32,946
Bachelors degree
$—
Graduate or professional degree
$103,125

Poverty Rate

2.4%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Less than HS graduate
3.4%
HS graduate
7.7%
Some college or associates
4.9%
Bachelors degree or higher
2.4%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
West Union Oconee County South Carolina
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings $33,661 $45,819 $47,658
Less than high school graduate $— $29,335 $30,223
High school graduate (includes equivalency) $— $37,505 $37,196
Some college or associate's degree $32,946 $39,151 $44,160
Bachelor's degree $— $59,643 $61,860
Graduate or professional degree $103,125 $79,069 $73,671
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate 3.4% 34% 28.4%
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 7.7% 17% 15.6%
Some college or associate's degree 4.9% 9.5% 10.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher 2.4% 4.6% 4.7%

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