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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Pierce County: 12 seats on 7 elected bodies. 2 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Commissioners

Pierce County Board of Commissioners

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Commission ChairNeal Bennett Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 1Troy Mattox Republican source
County Commissioner, District 3Randy Dixon Republican source
County Commissioner, District 4David Lowman Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Clerk of Superior CourtMelissa Howard Republican source
CoronerWilliam Wilson, Jr. Republican source
County SurveyorStephen Duncan Republican source
SheriffRamsey Bennett Republican source
Tax CommissionerNicole Scurry Republican source

School Board

Pierce County Board of Education

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Board of Education ChairDuward Boatright sourceRe-elected (elected unopposed)
Board of Education Member, District 2Perry Tison sourceRe-elected (elected unopposed)
Board of Education Member, District 4Wendy B. Puryear sourceRe-elected (elected unopposed)

How many local governments Pierce County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 6 local governments in Pierce 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 Pierce County

20,202people
40.2median ageU.S.: 38.9
$60,517 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
13.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
20.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$153,300median home valueU.S.: $332,700
2.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
12.5%U.S.: 8.4%
45.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
23.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 5.3% · White 82% · Black 9.9% · Asian 0% · Other or more than one race 2.7% (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 Pierce County

4.0%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.5%. Georgia: 3.5%.
324people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
7,847people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
8,171in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Pierce County 0.0%1.5%2.9%4.4%5.9% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.0%3247,8478,171
August 20263.7%2977,7418,038
July 20263.4%2737,7017,974
June 20263.9%3147,6537,967
May 20263.3%2697,7858,054
April 20263.1%2467,8058,051
March 20263.7%3057,8748,179
February 20264.0%3267,8488,174
January 20263.9%3157,8158,130
December 20253.5%2857,9348,219
November 20253.8%3157,9108,225
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.5%2827,8058,087
August 20254.0%3187,7008,018
July 20253.9%3127,6457,957
June 20254.1%3277,6738,000
May 20253.6%2907,7268,016
April 20253.0%2457,7988,043
March 20253.8%3037,7258,028
February 20253.8%3027,7028,004
January 20253.8%3057,7958,100
December 20243.4%2777,8438,120
November 20243.4%2767,8608,136
October 20243.8%3117,8268,137
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.7%2997,7658,064
20243.6%2927,8118,103
20233.3%2707,9198,189
20223.0%2578,2078,464
20213.3%2758,0008,275
20204.8%3907,7168,106
20193.8%3127,8718,183
20184.1%3387,8518,189
20174.9%4087,9788,386
20165.6%4617,7058,166

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 Pierce County

366.9 per 100,0002023. Georgia: 367.0.
2,580.2 per 100,0002023. Georgia: 1,877.8.
2murders2023, 125 violent crimes in all.

2023 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
2023125366.98792,580.2
2022176518.89112,685.3
2018134404.81,1523,480.0
2017145436.21,0793,245.9
2016193583.71,3424,058.4
By police agency (4)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Pierce County Sheriff's Office2025418816,429
Waycross Police Department20258954713,608
Blackshear Police Department20256473,699
Patterson Police Department202300770

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

2.73 per 1,000 residents2023, 4 agencies serving 34,067 people.
93sworn officers2023, full-time, as of October 31.
44civilian staff2023, full-time.

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

Agencies counted (4), 2023
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Waycross Police Department521413,652
Pierce County Sheriff's Office192816,023
Blackshear Police Department1923,622
Patterson Police Department30770
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2023932.73444
2022972.86494
2017942.83434
2016852.57444

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 Pierce County Clerk of Superior Court?
Melissa Howard (Republican) is the Clerk of Superior Court of Pierce County, Georgia.
Who is the Pierce County Coroner?
William Wilson, Jr. (Republican) is the Coroner of Pierce County, Georgia.
Who is the Pierce County County Surveyor?
Stephen Duncan (Republican) is the County Surveyor of Pierce County, Georgia.
Who is the Pierce County Sheriff?
Ramsey Bennett (Republican) is the Sheriff of Pierce County, Georgia.
Who is the Pierce County Tax Commissioner?
Nicole Scurry (Republican) is the Tax Commissioner of Pierce County, Georgia.
Who are the Pierce County commissioners?
Neal Bennett (Commission Chair); Troy Mattox (District 1); Randy Dixon (District 3); David Lowman (District 4).
Who is on the Pierce County School Board?
Duward Boatright (Board of Education Chair); Perry Tison (Board of Education Member, District 2); Wendy B. Puryear (Board of Education Member, District 4).
What is the population of Pierce County?
About 20,202 people, with a median age of 40.2; the median household income is $60,517 and 13.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Pierce County?
4.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 324 people unemployed in a labor force of 8,171, against 3.5% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Pierce 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.

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