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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Effingham County: 12 seats on 6 elected bodies. 3 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Commissioners

Effingham County Board of Commissioners

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Commission ChairDamon M. Rahn Republican source
County Commissioner, District 1Frank Forrest Floyd Republican source
County Commissioner, District 2Roger Burdette Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 3Jamie DeLoach Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 4Beth Helmly Republican source
County Commissioner, District 5Phil Kieffer Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Clerk of Superior CourtWalt Lawson Republican source
CoronerDavid H. Exley Republican source
SheriffJimmy McDuffie Republican source
Tax CommissionerDaniel Rodewolt Republican source

School Board

Effingham County Board of Education

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Board of Education Member, District 1Lynn Anderson sourceRe-elected (elected, per the official body)
Board of Education Member, District 4Ben Johnson sourceRe-elected (elected unopposed)

How many local governments Effingham County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 6 local governments in Effingham 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 townships30
School districts (school boards)11
Special districts (elected boards)10

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 Effingham County

69,143people
37median ageU.S.: 38.9
$88,438 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
6.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
27.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$276,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
4.2%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
12.4%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
9.7%U.S.: 8.4%
32.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
23.9%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 6.6% · White 72.9% · Black 14.4% · Asian 1% · Other or more than one race 5.1% (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 Effingham County

2.9%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.6%. Georgia: 3.5%.
1,103people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
36,634people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
37,737in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Effingham County 0.0%1.3%2.7%4.0%5.4% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)2.9%1,10336,63437,737
August 20262.7%1,02336,29937,322
July 20262.6%95036,28237,232
June 20262.9%1,09436,31637,410
May 20262.5%94536,30237,247
April 20262.3%85636,16737,023
March 20262.8%1,03836,15437,192
February 20262.9%1,08635,94637,032
January 20262.8%1,01635,73536,751
December 20252.5%92436,14537,069
November 20252.8%1,03735,91736,954
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20252.6%95535,53336,488
August 20252.9%1,04535,20436,249
July 20252.7%98835,70036,688
June 20252.8%1,04335,56036,603
May 20252.6%93035,37936,309
April 20252.1%77635,85136,627
March 20252.7%97235,70236,674
February 20252.7%98935,44736,436
January 20252.6%94035,29136,231
December 20242.1%77835,51536,293
November 20242.4%87135,42936,300
October 20242.5%89435,34336,237
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)2.6%96435,61236,576
20242.6%95435,22536,179
20232.7%95034,28035,230
20222.7%91832,89133,809
20213.1%99531,60232,597
20205.1%1,57529,11630,691
20193.1%94830,04030,988
20183.4%1,01729,12330,140
20174.2%1,20927,85729,066
20165.0%1,37926,41027,789

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 Effingham County

58.4 per 100,0002025. Georgia: 296.9.
389.1 per 100,0002025. Georgia: 1,409.3.
1murders2025, 44 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
20254458.4293389.1
202173108.7484720.8
201863103.27661,255.2
201773121.99211,537.6
201680137.98521,468.3
By police agency (4)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Effingham County Sheriff's Office20253720556,795
Rincon Police Department202556311,878
Springfield Police Department20251233,372
Guyton Police Department2025123,266

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

1.93 per 1,000 residents2025, 4 agencies serving 75,311 people.
145sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
82civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (4), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Effingham County Sheriff's Office967756,795
Rincon Police Department27311,878
Guyton Police Department1213,266
Springfield Police Department1013,372
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20251451.93824
20241341.81744
20231231.73684
20221111.62734
20211091.62644
20201131.72664
20181141.87444
20171001.67604

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 Effingham County Clerk of Superior Court?
Walt Lawson (Republican) is the Clerk of Superior Court of Effingham County, Georgia.
Who is the Effingham County Coroner?
David H. Exley (Republican) is the Coroner of Effingham County, Georgia.
Who is the Effingham County Sheriff?
Jimmy McDuffie (Republican) is the Sheriff of Effingham County, Georgia.
Who is the Effingham County Tax Commissioner?
Daniel Rodewolt (Republican) is the Tax Commissioner of Effingham County, Georgia.
Who are the Effingham County commissioners?
Damon M. Rahn (Commission Chair); Frank Forrest Floyd (District 1); Roger Burdette (District 2); Jamie DeLoach (District 3); Beth Helmly (District 4); Phil Kieffer (District 5).
Who is on the Effingham County School Board?
Lynn Anderson (Board of Education Member, District 1); Ben Johnson (Board of Education Member, District 4).
What is the population of Effingham County?
About 69,143 people, with a median age of 37; the median household income is $88,438 and 6.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Effingham County?
2.9% in September 2026 (preliminary): 1,103 people unemployed in a labor force of 37,737, against 2.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Effingham County?
6 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 1 school district and 1 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.

Effingham County's 2026 ballot and results · Every Georgia county · Georgia's members of Congress

See your members of Congress and every race and measure on your ballot in Effingham County, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races

See something wrong on this page? Report a problem · Corrections