Who is the Newton County Clerk of Superior Court?

Stephanie Finnie (Democratic) is the Clerk of Superior Court of Newton County, Georgia.

Who is the Newton County Coroner?

Kimberly L. Griggs (Democratic) is the Coroner of Newton County, Georgia.

Who is the Newton County Probate Judge?

Melanie McCrorey Bell (Republican) is the Probate Judge of Newton County, Georgia.

Who is the Newton County Sheriff?

Ezell Brown (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Newton County, Georgia.

Who is the Newton County Tax Commissioner?

Brent Bennett (Democratic) is the Tax Commissioner of Newton County, Georgia.

Who are the Newton County commissioners?

Marcello Banes (Commission Chair); Stan Edwards, Jr. (District 1); Demond Mason (District 2); Stephanie R. Lindsey (District 3); J.C. Henderson (District 4); LeAnne Long (District 5).

Who is on the Newton County School Board?

Trey Bailey (Board of Education Member, District 1); Eddie Johnson (Board of Education Member, District 2); Shakila Henderson-Baker (Board of Education Member, District 3); Anderson Bailey (Board of Education Member, District 4).

What is the population of Newton County?

About 118,152 people, with a median age of 36.8; the median household income is $77,179 and 12.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Newton County?

4.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 2,544 people unemployed in a labor force of 61,809, against 4.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Newton County?

13 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 1 school district and 6 special district governments.

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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Newton County: 15 seats on 7 elected bodies. 4 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Commissioners

Newton County Board of Commissioners

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
Commission Chair	Marcello Banes Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 1	Stan Edwards, Jr. Republican source
County Commissioner, District 2	Demond Mason Democratic source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 3	Stephanie R. Lindsey Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 4	J.C. Henderson Democratic source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 5	LeAnne Long Republican source

County officers

Office	Who holds it now
Clerk of Superior Court	Stephanie Finnie Democratic source
Coroner	Kimberly L. Griggs Democratic source
Probate Judge	Melanie McCrorey Bell Republican source
Sheriff	Ezell Brown Democratic source
Tax Commissioner	Brent Bennett Democratic source

School Board

Newton County Board of Education

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
Board of Education Member, District 1	Trey Bailey Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Board of Education Member, District 2	Eddie Johnson Democratic source
Board of Education Member, District 3	Shakila Henderson-Baker Democratic source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Board of Education Member, District 4	Anderson Bailey Democratic source

How many local governments Newton County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 13 local governments in Newton 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	0
School districts (school boards)	1	1
Special districts (elected boards)	6	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 Newton County

118,152people

36.8median ageU.S.: 38.9

$77,179 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

12.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%

25%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$265,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700

6.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

8.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

11.3%U.S.: 8.4%

55.6%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

28.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 7.1% · White 38.8% · Black 47.3% · Asian 1.5% · Other or more than one race 5.3% (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 Newton County

4.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.1%. Georgia: 3.5%.

2,544people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

59,265people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

61,809in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	4.1%	2,544	59,265	61,809
August 2026	3.9%	2,379	58,875	61,254
July 2026	3.8%	2,334	58,818	61,152
June 2026	4.1%	2,532	58,951	61,483
May 2026	3.7%	2,284	58,990	61,274
April 2026	3.4%	2,057	59,044	61,101
March 2026	3.9%	2,373	58,880	61,253
February 2026	4.2%	2,572	58,311	60,883
January 2026	4.3%	2,614	57,867	60,481
December 2025	4.1%	2,517	58,395	60,912
November 2025	4.3%	2,632	58,232	60,864
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	4.1%	2,498	58,226	60,724
August 2025	4.2%	2,552	57,831	60,383
July 2025	4.1%	2,506	58,278	60,784
June 2025	4.3%	2,597	58,209	60,806
May 2025	3.8%	2,266	58,125	60,391
April 2025	3.6%	2,153	58,314	60,467
March 2025	3.9%	2,364	58,347	60,711
February 2025	4.1%	2,453	58,114	60,567
January 2025	4.1%	2,501	58,165	60,666
December 2024	3.9%	2,331	58,174	60,505
November 2024	4.1%	2,461	58,019	60,480
October 2024	4.2%	2,536	58,171	60,707

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	4.1%	2,458	58,203	60,661
2024	4.1%	2,459	58,243	60,702
2023	3.7%	2,209	56,756	58,965
2022	3.4%	1,969	55,121	57,090
2021	4.3%	2,365	53,023	55,388
2020	7.0%	3,713	49,417	53,130
2019	4.0%	2,142	51,761	53,903
2018	4.4%	2,354	50,716	53,070
2017	5.3%	2,772	49,869	52,641
2016	6.0%	3,026	47,810	50,836

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 Newton County

227.8 per 100,0002025. Georgia: 296.9.

1,082.5 per 100,0002025. Georgia: 1,409.3.

8murders2025, 303 violent crimes in all.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2025	303	227.8	1,440	1,082.5
2024	408	316.0	1,645	1,274.3
2018	369	323.7	2,332	2,045.7
2017	437	385.9	2,622	2,315.4
2016	461	414.2	2,406	2,161.7

By police agency (5)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Newton County Sheriff's Office	2025	233	889	107,123
Covington Police Department	2025	62	501	15,581
Social Circle Police Department	2021	9	41	4,674
Oxford Police Department	2025	0	5	2,313
Porterdale Police Department	2025	2	22	1,976

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

1.83 per 1,000 residents2025, 5 agencies serving 132,517 people.

242sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

109civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (5), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Newton County Sheriff's Office	161	94	107,123
Covington Police Department	55	11	15,581
Social Circle Police Department	17	1	5,524
Porterdale Police Department	5	2	1,976
Oxford Police Department	4	1	2,313

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	242	1.83	109	5
2024	248	1.93	94	5

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 Newton County Clerk of Superior Court?: Stephanie Finnie (Democratic) is the Clerk of Superior Court of Newton County, Georgia.
Who is the Newton County Coroner?: Kimberly L. Griggs (Democratic) is the Coroner of Newton County, Georgia.
Who is the Newton County Probate Judge?: Melanie McCrorey Bell (Republican) is the Probate Judge of Newton County, Georgia.
Who is the Newton County Sheriff?: Ezell Brown (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Newton County, Georgia.
Who is the Newton County Tax Commissioner?: Brent Bennett (Democratic) is the Tax Commissioner of Newton County, Georgia.
Who are the Newton County commissioners?: Marcello Banes (Commission Chair); Stan Edwards, Jr. (District 1); Demond Mason (District 2); Stephanie R. Lindsey (District 3); J.C. Henderson (District 4); LeAnne Long (District 5).
Who is on the Newton County School Board?: Trey Bailey (Board of Education Member, District 1); Eddie Johnson (Board of Education Member, District 2); Shakila Henderson-Baker (Board of Education Member, District 3); Anderson Bailey (Board of Education Member, District 4).
What is the population of Newton County?: About 118,152 people, with a median age of 36.8; the median household income is $77,179 and 12.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Newton County?: 4.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 2,544 people unemployed in a labor force of 61,809, against 4.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Newton County?: 13 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 1 school district and 6 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.

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

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