Union County Florida   Located in North East Florida

Union County Cities

Land area (rank): 246 square miles (67)
Population 1993 (rank): 12,301 (59)
Population density 1993 (rank): 49 persons per square mile (43)
Growth 1980-90 (rank): 0.9% (65)

Physical Characteristics

Union County is in northeast Florida, north of Gainesville, and is bordered by Baker, Bradford, Alachua, and Columbia counties. The county has 4 square miles of water. The average January temperature is 55.9 degrees F, and the average August temperature is 81.4 degrees F. The average annual rainfall is 49.40 inches.

History

The smallest county in the state, Union County was established from a portion of Bradford County in 1921. The county was to be named New River, the original name of Bradford County. The source of the name Union is unclear, although it has been suggested that Union was derived from the fact that both parts of Bradford County were united in desiring a separation.

Population

In 1993 nearly 80% of Union County's population was in unincorporated areas. The incorporated place with the greatest population is Lake Butler (1993 population of 2,126). The towns of Raiford and Worthington Springs each had a population less than 250 in 1993. Over 80% of the land in the county is devoted to commercial forests. In 1993, 74% of Union County's population was white and 26% was nonwhite. In 1990, 3.3% of the population was Hispanic. Of the population increase between 1980 and 1990, none was due to net migration. The 1992 birth rate for the county was 12.7 live births per 1,000 persons, and the 1992 death rate was 9.6 deaths per 1,000 persons. The 1992 infant mortality rate was 29.2 per 1,000. The leading causes of death in 1993 were heart disease, HIV, and cancer.

Education

Of all 1992 high school graduates, 74.7% planned to continue their education. The 1992 high school dropout rate was 3.5%. In 1990, 67.7% of persons in the county were high school graduates, and 7.9% had completed four or more years of college. Colleges and universities. Served by Lake City Community College (Columbia County).

Economy

The per capita income in Union County for 1993 was $9,502 (the lowest in the state). The median household income in 1989 was $22,831. In 1989, 13.5% of families had incomes below the poverty level. In 1990, 19.5% of personal income in Union County was derived from transfer payments. Commercial forestry, truck farming, and raising hogs and cattle have traditionally been major economic activities in Union County. At the primary state prison outside of Raiford, Florida's automobile license plates are manufactured. In 1992 the greatest numbers of persons in Union County were employed in the government, manufacturing, and services sectors. The reception and medical center at Lake Butler and the Union Correctional Institution at Raiford are major state employers. Lumber and wood products firms accounted for the greatest employment in the manufacturing sector. The employers of the greatest numbers of reported employees in the services sector were social services. In 1992 there were 175 farms in Union County, totalling 48,280 acres (31% of land in the county). In 1991, 14,078 thousand board feet of softwood logs and 36,980 cords of softwood for pulp were produced.

Median value of a single-family home 1990: $43,800
Median monthly rent 1990: $152
Mobile homes as a % of total housing: 39.1
Housing starts 1992: 23
Housing starts 1993: 24

In 1992 the price level index for Union County was 92.71 (48th highest in the state).

Local Government

In 1993, the ad valorem millage rate was 10.000, and the total taxable value of property was $88,984,340. Taxable sales totalled $30.30 million in 1992 and $24.80 million in 1993. Lottery sales totalled $1,081 thousand in 1992-93. In 1990-91 Union County's revenues totalled $4,600 thousand ($433.3 per capita) and its expenditures $5,039 thousand ($474.7 per capita). Of those 18 years of age and older, 56.4% were registered to vote in 1992. Of these, 95.9% were registered Democrat and 3.4% were registered Republican. In the 1993 presidential election 43.3% of the votes were cast for Bush, 34.9% for Clinton, and 21.6% for Perot.