The Town Files

Union, Pennsylvania

Township in Jefferson County · population 844 (2020 Census)

Map: where Union is in PennsylvaniaUnion
Median home
$167,200
Household income
$69,444
Jan low / Jul high
13° / 80°
Snow a year
41 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
10
Median age
37.0

Union is a township of 844 people in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $167,200, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks easier by car than 76% of Pennsylvania towns, quieter than 72% 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 townsRetirement62nd pctFamilies57th pctQuiet72nd pctWalkability27th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals27th pctVibrancy18th pctHip & trendy45th pctCollege town50th pctUpscale22nd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit56th pctDriving76th 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 $167,200, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $69,444, which is more affordable than 75% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $892 a month. 83.0% of households own their home.

Union vs Jefferson County vs typical Pennsylvania townUnionJefferson CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$167,200$139,700$214,250Household income$69,444$58,686$75,278Monthly rent$892$750$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingUnionTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$167,200$214,250
Median rent$892$996
Median household income$69,444$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.4×2.8×
Homeownership83.0%81.5%
Median year built19741971
Seasonal / vacation homes10.3%—

Who lives in Union

PeopleUnionTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age37.044.2
Age 65 and over23.0%21.1%
Under 1821.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher19.8%23.8%
Below the poverty line8.8%8.5%
Veterans6.5%—
Born outside the U.S.0.2%—
Work from home2.5%10.6%
Average commute19.0 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband88.5%89.0%

Weather in Union

July highs average 80.2°F and January lows 13.1°F. About 46.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 40.7 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 166 nights at or below freezing.

Union monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing31°13°Jan35°14°Feb44°21°Mar59°31°Apr69°42°May76°52°Jun80°55°Jul79°54°Aug72°47°Sep60°37°Oct48°28°Nov37°20°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.413.22.77.13.46.64.10.64.14.94.84.14.23.70.13.62.43.610.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Cooksburg 2 Nw station (11.7 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Union since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on May 31, 1985 about 4.9 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 12 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 18, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Union by decade01950s01960s21970s11980s21990s02000s32010s22020s
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 19 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 20, 2017.

Severe weather in Jefferson County since 1996

Storm events in Jefferson County since 1996 by typeHail68Flood55Tornado14High Wind24Ice Storm15Heavy Snow24Flash Flood66Strong Wind14
NOAA Storm Events Database, Jefferson County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Jefferson County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
October 1, 2013Severe StormDR-4149: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy
September 10, 2005HurricaneEM-3235: Hurricane Katrina

Jobs and pay in Jefferson County

Jefferson County had 14,437 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $49,283 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Union itself the ACS puts it at 4.1%.

Largest industries in Jefferson CountyManufacturing3,622 jobs · $59,521Health care & social assistan…2,317 jobs · $45,934Retail1,562 jobs · $32,358Hotels & restaurants1,061 jobs · $16,263Other services581 jobs · $28,761Administrative & support531 jobs · $46,085
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Jefferson County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Jefferson 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 62% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 72%. 23.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.0).

How much does a house cost in Union?

The median owner-occupied home in Union is valued at $167,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $69,444, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $892 a month.

What is the weather like in Union?

July highs average 80.2°F and January lows 13.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 46.7 inches of precipitation a year and 40.7 inches of snow.

Does Union get tornadoes?

10 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 4206578336). 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.