Union County, SC
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 34.69, -81.62.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 9th pct · 2,757th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 6th pct · 43rd of 46 South Carolina counties · median $218,959
- counties in the Spartanburg metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Spartanburg metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 79th pct · 642nd of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 95th pct · 3rd of 46 South Carolina counties · median +1.2%
- counties in the Spartanburg metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Spartanburg metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- US counties: not published this period
- South Carolina counties: not published this period
- counties in the Spartanburg metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Spartanburg metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 45th pct · 1,746th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 33rd pct · 31st of 46 South Carolina counties · median 18,411
- counties in the Spartanburg metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Spartanburg metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 42nd pct · 1,846th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 42nd pct · 27th of 46 South Carolina counties · median $1,061
- counties in the Spartanburg metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Spartanburg metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 11th pct · 2,717th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 6th pct · 43rd of 46 South Carolina counties · median 4.1
- counties in the Spartanburg metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Spartanburg metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $133,802 (Aug 2026), +5.9% over one year, +1.7% over five
- 9th pct · 2,757th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 6th pct · 43rd of 46 South Carolina counties · median $218,959
- counties in the Spartanburg metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Spartanburg metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Union County, SC | $133,802 · +5.9% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Zillow publishes no rent index for this area (ZORI covers about 1,400 counties)
- US counties: not published this period
- South Carolina counties: not published this period
- counties in the Spartanburg metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Spartanburg metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $732 a month on $133,802 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,364 a month: 16.8% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $133,802 × 80% = $107,042, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $732/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,007 × 52 / 12 = $4,364) = 17% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $133,802 / ($1,007 × 52) = 2.6
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
6,969 jobs at 475 employers (2026 Q1); -5.4% jobs and +6.4% average weekly wage over the year
- 45th pct · 1,746th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 33rd pct · 31st of 46 South Carolina counties · median 18,411
- counties in the Spartanburg metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Spartanburg metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Union County, SC | 6,969 jobs · $1,007/wk · -5.4% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,775 | $1,267 | 3.17 | -2.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 865 | $1,081 | 2.94 | -4.9% |
| Retail trade | 797 | $559 | 1.17 | -0.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 623 | $433 | 1.00 | -1.1% |
| Health care and social assistance | 302 | $640 | 0.29 | +2.0% |
| Administrative and waste services | 268 | $618 | 0.68 | +5.1% |
| Other services | 167 | $916 | 0.80 | +21.9% |
| Construction | 153 | $1,074 | 0.42 | -1.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 147 | $1,289 | 0.52 | -4.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 95 | $1,000 | 0.36 | +18.8% |
| Utilities | 89 | $1,826 | 3.23 | +4.7% |
| Professional and technical services | 66 | $836 | 0.14 | +4.8% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
D0 abnormally dry
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
15 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 15, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| NEAL SHOALS RESERVOIR NEAR CARLISLE, SC | 333.3 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 16 km |
| NINETYNINE ISLAND RES. BELOW CHEROKEE FALLS, SC | 99.3 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 40 km |
| LAKE BLALOCK NEAR COWPENS, SC | 710.4 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 46 km |
| GASTON SHOALS RESERVOIR ABOVE BLACKSBURG, SC | 79.1 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 50 km |
| MONTICELLO RES NR JENKINSVILLE, SC | 422.8 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 51 km |
| PARR SHOALS RESERVOIR AT PARR, SC | 260.5 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 54 km |
| LAKE WILLIAM C. BOWEN NEAR FINGERVILLE, SC | 815.3 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 61 km |
| LAKE GREENWOOD NEAR CHAPPELLS, SC | 438.8 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 63 km |
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
111 gauges · 0 flooding · 10 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 36 stale
Sites found: 111, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| FAIRFOREST CREEK NEAR UNION, SC | flow 33.4 ft³/s | 7 km |
| TYGER RIVER ABOVE WHITMIRE HIGHWAY NR WHITMIRE, SC | stage 10.1 ft | 12 km |
| BROAD RIVER NEAR LOCKHART, SC | flow 613.0 ft³/s · STALE | 13 km |
| NEALS CREEK NR CARLISLE, SC | flow 628.0 ft³/s · STALE | 15 km |
| BROAD RIVER BELOW NEAL SHOALS RES NR CARLISLE, SC | flow 1,610 ft³/s | 16 km |
| TYGER RIVER NEAR DELTA, SC | DO 11.5 mg/l · quality 100 % (4) · STALE | 18 km |
| ENOREE RIVER AT WHITMIRE, SC | flow 90.4 ft³/s · quality 100 % (4) | 20 km |
| BROAD RIVER NEAR CARLISLE, SC | flow 1,710 ft³/s · quality 100 % (4) | 21 km |
| PACOLET RIVER NEAR SARATT, SC | flow 620.0 ft³/s | 22 km |
| TURKEY CREEK NEAR LOWRYS, SC | flow 9.30 ft³/s · STALE | 26 km |
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
14 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 14, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-344000081250011 | depth 94.1 ft · 2026-10-05 | 18 km |
| USGS-342947081454900 | depth 56.0 ft · 1995-09-28 | 25 km |
| USGS-342948081451001 | depth 51.2 ft · 1997-07-23 | 25 km |
| USGS-345145081502900 | depth 43.6 ft · 2024-10-27 | 28 km |
| USGS-350918081263408 | depth 73.5 ft · 2009-10-05 | 54 km |
| USGS-350927081270100 | depth 43.5 ft · 1997-09-08 | 54 km |
| USGS-345830081033101 | depth 23.9 ft · 2026-10-05 | 60 km |
| USGS-345830081033100 | depth 26.6 ft · 2026-10-05 | 60 km |
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
low (0.00)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.00 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$310.0 m in deposits at 5 offices of 3 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 5,404, highly concentrated. $206.6 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $194.8 m, grants $8.1 m), $29,651 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Arthur State Bank | $201.3 m · 64.9% share · 3 offices | |
| SouthState Bank, National Association | $106.8 m · 34.4% share · 1 office | |
| Woodforest National Bank | $1.9 m · 0.6% share · 1 office | |
| Union, SC | $206.6 m FY2026 · $29,651/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $191.2 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur State Bank | $201,326,000 | 64.9% | 3 |
| SouthState Bank, National Association | $106,764,000 | 34.4% | 1 |
| Woodforest National Bank | $1,917,000 | 0.6% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 5,404 across 3 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 3 banks with deposits in the county = 64.9² + 34.4² + 0.6² = 5,404
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | $171,768,669 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $18,714,538 |
| Department of Transportation | $5,948,957 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $4,757,742 |
| Department of Defense | $3,101,512 |
| Department of Agriculture | $951,313 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $704,983 |
| Department of Justice | $616,954 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $50,000 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $19,961 |
| Department of Education | $0 |
That is $29,651 per covered job, against 6,969 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $206.6 m / 6,969 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $29,651
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 12.69 | 2026-10-05 | +3.3% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.60 | 2026-10-06 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 3.00 | 2026-10-06 | -50.0% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 7,848.00 | 2026-09-01 | +14.9% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 96.16 | 2026-09-29 | -3.2% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.28 | 2026-10-01 | +3.6% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -105,572.00 | 2026-08-01 | -13.7% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 646,347.00 | 2026-08-01 | +1.1% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
Union County, SC: 12 findings, 1 at an alert level, 1 at a watch level and 10 noted
alertUnion County, SC's covered employment is -5.4% against a year earlier, an alert level here: covered employment at least 3 percent below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.emp = -5.4 <= -3
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchUnion County, SC's covered employment is -5.4% against a year earlier, a watch level here: covered employment below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.emp = -5.4 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
noteUnion County, SC's average weekly wage was 6.4% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +6.4 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteUnion County, SC's covered employment was 5.4% lower than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- -5.4 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteUnion County, SC's typical home value rose 0.7% from $132,933 in July 2026 to $133,802 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.7% = (133802.3755825969 - 132933.2251943118) / 132933.2251943118 × 100
- 133802.3755825969 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 132933.2251943118 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
Read all 12 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.