DeKalb County, GA elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in DeKalb County: 11 seats on 5 elected bodies. 1 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Commissioners

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Chief Executive OfficerLorraine Cochran Johnson Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 1Robert Patrick Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 2Michelle Long Spears Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 4Chakira Johnson Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 5Mereda Davis Johnson Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 6Edward "Ted" Terry Democratic source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Clerk of Superior CourtDebra DeBerry Democratic source
SheriffMelody M. Maddox Democratic source
Tax CommissionerIrvin J. Johnson Democratic source

School Board

DeKalb County Board of Education

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Board of Education Member, District 2Whitney McGinniss sourceRe-elected (elected, per the official body)
Board of Education Member, District 6Diijon "Twin" DaCosta sourceRe-elected (elected unopposed)
Who lives in the school district (Census figures)
School districtPeopleMedian household incomeBelow the poverty lineWithout health insuranceRenters paying 30%+ of income on rent
DeKalb County School District700,163$78,12914%13.5%59%

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates for each school district's area, matched to its board by name. They're estimates with a , larger for small districts.

How many local governments DeKalb County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 26 local governments in DeKalb County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships120
School districts (school boards)21
Special districts (elected boards)110

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 DeKalb County

765,351people
36.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$80,644 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
13.7%below the U.S.: 12.5%
47.4%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$357,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
17.3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.4%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
12.7%U.S.: 8.4%
58.5%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
27.8%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 10.6% · White 27.9% · Black 50.4% · Asian 6.1% · Other or more than one race 5% (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 DeKalb County

3.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.6%. Georgia: 3.5%.
14,787people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
395,466people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
410,253in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, DeKalb County 0.0%2.1%4.2%6.3%8.4% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.6%14,787395,466410,253
August 20263.5%14,367392,899407,266
July 20263.4%13,659392,728406,387
June 20263.5%14,453393,891408,344
May 20263.3%13,540393,939407,479
April 20263.0%12,225394,267406,492
March 20263.4%14,001393,227407,228
February 20263.8%15,276389,498404,774
January 20263.8%15,414386,227401,641
December 20253.6%14,387389,824404,211
November 20253.8%15,338388,173403,511
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.6%14,503388,299402,802
August 20253.8%15,114385,730400,844
July 20253.5%14,248389,032403,280
June 20253.6%14,637388,753403,390
May 20253.4%13,602388,017401,619
April 20253.2%12,674389,041401,715
March 20253.5%14,076389,488403,564
February 20253.6%14,521388,311402,832
January 20253.6%14,501388,494402,995
December 20243.4%13,736388,455402,191
November 20243.7%14,779386,969401,748
October 20243.6%14,589387,651402,240
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.6%14,327388,469402,796
20243.6%14,469388,643403,112
20233.5%13,895388,777402,672
20223.3%13,154383,887397,041
20214.6%18,272375,031393,303
20208.0%31,492359,802391,294
20193.7%14,475380,561395,036
20184.1%16,296378,414394,710
20174.9%19,323375,204394,527
20165.5%21,025361,004382,029

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. Georgia's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.3% 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 DeKalb County

603.7 per 100,0002018. Georgia: 338.9.
4,101.6 per 100,0002018. Georgia: 2,642.9.
177murders2018, 7,379 violent crimes in all.

2018 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
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
20187,379603.750,1344,101.6
20176,937579.342,3313,535.0
20169,238780.755,7304,709.6
By police agency (12)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Atlanta Police Department20253,85016,306525,939
DeKalb County Police Department20253,69117,280519,559
Brookhaven Police Department20251541,19160,038
Dunwoody Police Department2025831,48051,850
Chamblee Police Department20251401,04732,886
Decatur Police Department20253145124,379
Clarkston Police Department20256824614,338
Doraville Police Department20255652612,959
Stone Mountain Police Department202526936,517
Avondale Estates Police Department20185703,205
Lithonia Police Department20249672,558
Pine Lake Police Department2018364770

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 Georgia · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.12 per 1,000 residents2020, 12 agencies serving 1,240,083 people.
2,624sworn officers2020, full-time, as of October 31.
778civilian staff2020, full-time.

2020 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (12), 2020
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Atlanta Police Department1,548467515,945
DeKalb County Police Department735239525,376
Brookhaven Police Department721456,248
Chamblee Police Department631430,716
Dunwoody Police Department611349,687
Decatur Police Department471226,473
Doraville Police Department401710,329
Stone Mountain Police Department1816,332
Avondale Estates Police Department1503,149
Clarkston Police Department15012,697
Lithonia Police Department612,374
Pine Lake Police Department40757

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 DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court?
Debra DeBerry (Democratic) is the Clerk of Superior Court of DeKalb County, Georgia.
Who is the DeKalb County Sheriff?
Melody M. Maddox (Democratic) is the Sheriff of DeKalb County, Georgia.
Who is the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner?
Irvin J. Johnson (Democratic) is the Tax Commissioner of DeKalb County, Georgia.
Who are the DeKalb County commissioners?
Lorraine Cochran Johnson (Chief Executive Officer); Robert Patrick (District 1); Michelle Long Spears (District 2); Chakira Johnson (District 4); Mereda Davis Johnson (District 5); Edward "Ted" Terry (District 6).
Who is on the DeKalb County School Board?
Whitney McGinniss (Board of Education Member, District 2); Diijon "Twin" DaCosta (Board of Education Member, District 6).
What is the population of DeKalb County?
About 765,351 people, with a median age of 36.4; the median household income is $80,644 and 13.7% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in DeKalb County?
3.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 14,787 people unemployed in a labor force of 410,253, against 3.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in DeKalb County?
26 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 12 municipal, 2 school district and 11 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Georgia Secretary of State's official results of each seat's last election (the November 2024 general, or a special election since), and for seats up in 2026 whose 2022 result the SOS site doesn't carry, the incumbent the SOS marks on that seat's 2026 primary, nonpartisan or November contest; officials appointed since then may differ; 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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