The Town Files

Union, Pennsylvania

Township in Erie County · population 1,541 (2020 Census)

Map: where Union is in PennsylvaniaUnion
Median home
$177,300
Household income
$81,326
Jan low / Jul high
16° / 80°
Snow a year
114 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
12
Median age
50.9

Union is a township of 1,541 people in Erie County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $177,300, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks easier by car than 100% of Pennsylvania towns, quieter than 97% of Pennsylvania towns, better for families than 82% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Union ranks

Percentile among Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.

Union lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement50th pctFamilies82nd pctQuiet97th pctWalkability14th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals22nd pctVibrancy4th pctHip & trendy29th pctCollege town26th pctUpscale65th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit42nd pctDriving100th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Union is worth $177,300, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.2 times the median household income of $81,326, which is more affordable than 82% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $747 a month. 93.6% of households own their home.

Union vs Erie County vs typical Pennsylvania townUnionErie CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$177,300$177,000$214,250Household income$81,326$63,354$75,278Monthly rent$747$904$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingUnionTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$177,300$214,250
Median rent$747$996
Median household income$81,326$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.2×2.8×
Homeownership93.6%81.5%
Median year built19671971
Seasonal / vacation homes1.7%—

Who lives in Union

PeopleUnionTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age50.944.2
Age 65 and over21.8%21.1%
Under 1818.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher18.2%23.8%
Below the poverty line4.9%8.5%
Veterans6.9%—
Born outside the U.S.0.7%—
Work from home11.4%10.6%
Average commute23.7 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband89.3%89.0%

Weather in Union

July highs average 80.0°F and January lows 16.3°F. About 49.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 114.2 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 150 nights at or below freezing.

Union monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing32°16°Jan35°15°Feb43°23°Mar56°34°Apr68°45°May76°54°Jun80°58°Jul79°57°Aug73°49°Sep61°38°Oct48°31°Nov37°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue4.130.32.921.33.615.84.23.84.44.54.73.74.44.50.93.914.54.227.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Union City Filtration Plant station (2.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Union since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on May 31, 1985 about 3.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 9, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Union by decade21950s11960s21970s21980s11990s02000s12010s32020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 24 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on May 31, 1985.

Severe weather in Erie County since 1996

Storm events in Erie County since 1996 by typeHail144Flood16Drought10High Wind101Heavy Snow133Waterspout16Flash Flood60Strong Wind21
NOAA Storm Events Database, Erie County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Erie County has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy
September 10, 2005HurricaneEM-3235: Hurricane Katrina
September 19, 2004Severe StormDR-1555: Severe Storms And Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Frances

Jobs and pay in Erie County

Erie County had 119,552 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,524 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Union itself the ACS puts it at 8%.

Largest industries in Erie CountyHealth care & social assistan…25,769 jobs · $56,022Manufacturing19,201 jobs · $68,297Retail13,332 jobs · $33,688Hotels & restaurants10,896 jobs · $19,961Finance & insurance5,353 jobs · $94,324Other services4,629 jobs · $34,436
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Erie County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Erie 3.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Union

Union questions

Is Union, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Union scores better for retirees than 50% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 97%. 21.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.9).

How much does a house cost in Union?

The median owner-occupied home in Union is valued at $177,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $81,326, so homes cost about 2.2 times income. Median rent is $747 a month.

What is the weather like in Union?

July highs average 80.0°F and January lows 16.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 49.0 inches of precipitation a year and 114.2 inches of snow.

Does Union get tornadoes?

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Union since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on May 31, 1985. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Union's Census boundary (GEOID 4204978312). Comparisons use the median of Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.