Current population is estimated at 110,000. A significant portion of the population is employed in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Other significant employers are construction, public education, poultry processing, light industry, real estate and finance, transportation and services, and agriculture.
Union County is ranked third in the state in farm level income.
Major commodities are broilers, turkeys, wheat and soybeans, beef cattle, nursery and horticulture. Issues and needs identified through Cooperative Extension's Environmental Scanning process were measured against these current trends, and prioritized with respect to need and their relevance to the mission of Cooperative Extension.