Jefferson County, AL elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Jefferson County: 5 seats on 3 elected bodies. 1 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County officers

Jefferson County Circuit Clerk

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it now
Circuit Clerk, Birmingham DivisionJackie Anderson-Smith source
Circuit Clerk, Bessemer DivisionKaren Dunn Burks source

Jefferson County Judge of Probate

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it now
Judge of ProbateJameria Johnson Moore source
Judge of ProbateYashiba (Red) Blanchard source

Also elected countywide

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
SheriffMark Pettway sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Jefferson County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 67 local governments in Jefferson County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government10
Cities, towns, villages and townships350
School districts (school boards)120
Special districts (elected boards)190

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Jefferson County

667,755people
37.7median ageU.S.: 38.9
$66,388 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
15.7%below the U.S.: 12.5%
36.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$240,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.7%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
4.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
9.4%U.S.: 8.4%
53.5%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
25.2%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 5.5% · White 47.5% · Black 42.1% · Asian 1.9% · Other or more than one race 3% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Jefferson County

3.8%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.1%. Alabama: 3.7%.
12,066people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
307,043people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
319,109in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Jefferson County 0.0%1.8%3.6%5.4%7.1% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.8%12,066307,043319,109
August 20263.8%11,929305,319317,248
July 20263.8%12,109305,873317,982
June 20263.9%12,515306,023318,538
May 20263.4%10,843307,036317,879
April 20262.7%8,543309,730318,273
March 20262.9%9,354312,939322,293
February 20263.3%10,613310,997321,610
January 20263.0%9,669311,263320,932
December 20252.3%7,586315,464323,050
November 20252.6%8,375315,978324,353
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.1%9,888311,980321,868
August 20253.1%9,999311,651321,650
July 20253.1%9,929311,749321,678
June 20253.1%9,898311,558321,456
May 20252.5%8,102311,809319,911
April 20252.5%8,051312,820320,871
March 20253.1%9,819311,965321,784
February 20253.3%10,492310,549321,041
January 20253.3%10,594309,067319,661
December 20242.8%9,028310,240319,268
November 20243.1%9,940310,694320,634
October 20243.1%9,852310,430320,282
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)2.9%9,339312,235321,574
20243.0%9,585310,431320,016
20232.5%7,827309,304317,131
20222.5%8,040307,438315,478
20213.6%11,279303,725315,004
20206.8%21,562296,702318,264
20193.1%9,765309,866319,631
20183.7%11,796305,259317,055
20174.4%13,703298,485312,188
20165.7%17,857294,439312,296

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Alabama's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.5% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Police in Jefferson County

Police staffing

2.86 per 1,000 residents2023, 30 agencies serving 725,740 people.
2,076sworn officers2023, full-time, as of October 31.
571civilian staff2023, full-time.

2023 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (30), 2023
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Birmingham Police Department687186195,224
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office477144146,904
Hoover Police Department1743692,296
Bessemer Police Department823724,915
Homewood Police Department893028,107
Vestavia Hills Police Department108337,889
Trussville Police Department741626,684
Mountain Brook Police Department59421,685
Hueytown Police Department331616,164
Irondale Police Department39813,303
Gardendale Police Department351016,361
Fultondale Police Department3489,582
Helena Police Department30722,283
Adamsville Police Department18134,158
Leeds Police Department27112,355
Tarrant Police Department1775,815
Warrior Police Department1383,181
Pleasant Grove Police Department1559,401
Sumiton Police Department972,364
Midfield Police Department1044,945
Trafford Police Department54590
Fairfield Police Department539,548
Lipscomb Police Department442,001
Brookside Police Department351,199
Kimberly Police Department804,264
Brighton Police Department342,233
Argo Police Department704,364
Morris Police Department602,261
Lake View Police Department313,806
Graysville Police Department201,858
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20232,0762.8657130
20222,0612.8357630

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Jefferson County Circuit Clerk, Birmingham Division?
Jackie Anderson-Smith is the Circuit Clerk, Birmingham Division of Jefferson County, Alabama.
Who is the Jefferson County Circuit Clerk, Bessemer Division?
Karen Dunn Burks is the Circuit Clerk, Bessemer Division of Jefferson County, Alabama.
Who is the Jefferson County Judge of Probate?
Jameria Johnson Moore is the Judge of Probate of Jefferson County, Alabama.
Who is the Jefferson County Judge of Probate?
Yashiba (Red) Blanchard is the Judge of Probate of Jefferson County, Alabama.
Who is the Jefferson County Sheriff?
Mark Pettway is the Sheriff of Jefferson County, Alabama. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
What is the population of Jefferson County?
About 667,755 people, with a median age of 37.7; the median household income is $66,388 and 15.7% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Jefferson County?
3.8% in September 2026 (preliminary): 12,066 people unemployed in a labor force of 319,109, against 3.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Jefferson County?
67 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 35 municipal, 12 school district and 19 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 7, 2026, from the Alabama Secretary of State's County Official Lookup, and for the county commission, other county officers and the county board of education, the county's or the county school system's own website (matched to the seat each person won in the SOS's results of its last general election); each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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