The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 11 local governments in Holmes County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
1
Cities, towns, villages and townships
5
2
School districts (school boards)
1
1
Special districts (elected boards)
4
0
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 Holmes County
19,513people
43.7median ageU.S.: 38.9
$49,343 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
14%below the U.S.: 12.5%
12.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$110,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
9.5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
13%U.S.: 8.4%
45.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
31.2%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3.7% · White 84.2% · Black 5.8% · Asian 0.6% · Other or more than one race 5.8% (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 Holmes County
4.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.4%. Florida: 4.2%.
355people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
7,520people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
7,875in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
4.5%
355
7,520
7,875
August 2026
4.8%
379
7,483
7,862
July 2026
5.0%
388
7,411
7,799
June 2026
4.8%
378
7,486
7,864
May 2026
4.7%
373
7,503
7,876
April 2026
5.0%
393
7,447
7,840
March 2026
4.9%
384
7,439
7,823
February 2026
5.3%
414
7,342
7,756
January 2026
5.6%
429
7,281
7,710
December 2025
4.7%
367
7,420
7,787
November 2025
5.3%
416
7,382
7,798
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
4.4%
348
7,541
7,889
August 2025
4.4%
350
7,524
7,874
July 2025
4.4%
349
7,532
7,881
June 2025
4.2%
329
7,567
7,896
May 2025
3.6%
286
7,607
7,893
April 2025
3.4%
267
7,609
7,876
March 2025
3.7%
292
7,528
7,820
February 2025
3.8%
295
7,436
7,731
January 2025
4.1%
314
7,428
7,742
December 2024
3.5%
274
7,505
7,779
November 2024
3.9%
307
7,524
7,831
October 2024
3.7%
294
7,614
7,908
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.2%
328
7,507
7,835
2024
3.5%
278
7,569
7,847
2023
2.9%
226
7,561
7,787
2022
2.9%
219
7,370
7,589
2021
3.9%
292
7,210
7,502
2020
5.3%
390
6,946
7,336
2019
3.3%
247
7,224
7,471
2018
3.7%
274
7,209
7,483
2017
4.3%
323
7,162
7,485
2016
4.9%
361
7,004
7,365
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. Florida's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.4% 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.
Crime reported in Holmes County
406.6 per 100,0002022. Florida: 292.9.
718.9 per 100,0002022. Florida: 1,606.9.
1murders2022, 82 violent crimes in all.
2022 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2022
82
406.6
145
718.9
2020
64
327.6
184
941.9
2019
75
388.7
163
844.9
2018
55
282.0
192
984.4
2017
73
374.7
280
1,437.4
By police agency (2)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Holmes County Sheriff's Office
2022
78
135
17,365
Bonifay Police Department
2020
7
28
2,698
Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Florida · the U.S.
Police staffing
2.60 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 19,633 people.
51sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
58civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Holmes County Sheriff's Office
43
57
16,776
Bonifay Police Department
8
1
2,857
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
51
2.60
58
2
2024
48
2.35
19
2
2018
39
2.00
28
2
2016
31
1.61
27
2
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 Holmes County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller?
Sam Bailey (Republican) is the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller of Holmes County, Florida.
Who is the Holmes County Property Appraiser?
Bryan Bell (Republican) is the Property Appraiser of Holmes County, Florida.
Who is the Holmes County Sheriff?
John Tate (Republican) is the Sheriff of Holmes County, Florida.
Who is the Holmes County Supervisor of Elections?
H. Russell 'Rusty' Williams (Republican) is the Supervisor of Elections of Holmes County, Florida.
Who is the Holmes County Tax Collector?
Harry B. Bell, III (Republican) is the Tax Collector of Holmes County, Florida.
Charley Wilson (District 1); Wilburn Baker (District 2); Natalie Miller (District 3); Derek Worley (District 4); Leesa Lee (District 5); Buddy Brown (Superintendent of Schools).
What is the population of Holmes County?
About 19,513 people, with a median age of 43.7; the median household income is $49,343 and 14% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Holmes County?
4.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 355 people unemployed in a labor force of 7,875, against 4.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Holmes County?
11 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 1 school district and 4 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Holmes County?
2: Bonifay, Esto. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from each county Supervisor of Elections' official lists and candidate filings and the bodies' own websites; 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.
See your members of Congress and every race and measure on your ballot in Holmes County, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races