Thomas County, GA elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Thomas County: 18 seats on 6 elected bodies. 8 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
Board of Commissioners
Thomas County Board of Commissioners
Each member is elected by the voters of their district.
On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Who lives in the school district (Census figures)
School district
People
Median household income
Below the poverty line
Without health insurance
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent
Thomas County School District
27,111
$67,083
18.5%
12.1%
49.6%
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 Thomas County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 16 local governments in Thomas 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
7
0
School districts (school boards)
2
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 Thomas County
45,777people
39.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$60,736 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
17.9%below the U.S.: 12.5%
22.7%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$196,700median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
11.8%U.S.: 8.4%
50.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
25.4%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3.9% · White 57% · Black 34.9% · Asian 0.9% · Other or more than one race 3.3% (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 Thomas County
3.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.3%. Georgia: 3.5%.
743people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
20,454people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
21,197in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
3.5%
743
20,454
21,197
August 2026
3.4%
709
20,299
21,008
July 2026
3.2%
657
20,032
20,689
June 2026
3.6%
744
19,932
20,676
May 2026
3.2%
668
20,205
20,873
April 2026
2.8%
587
20,462
21,049
March 2026
3.2%
678
20,460
21,138
February 2026
3.4%
726
20,693
21,419
January 2026
3.3%
695
20,476
21,171
December 2025
3.0%
632
20,674
21,306
November 2025
3.4%
724
20,802
21,526
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.3%
705
20,708
21,413
August 2025
3.5%
746
20,449
21,195
July 2025
3.4%
720
20,398
21,118
June 2025
3.6%
750
20,117
20,867
May 2025
3.1%
645
20,242
20,887
April 2025
2.6%
555
20,517
21,072
March 2025
3.1%
667
20,514
21,181
February 2025
3.2%
687
20,465
21,152
January 2025
3.1%
665
20,619
21,284
December 2024
2.9%
619
20,624
21,243
November 2024
3.0%
645
20,703
21,348
October 2024
3.1%
659
20,783
21,442
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.2%
681
20,500
21,181
2024
3.2%
676
20,643
21,319
2023
3.0%
638
20,844
21,482
2022
3.0%
638
20,708
21,346
2021
3.5%
750
20,936
21,686
2020
5.1%
1,076
19,922
20,998
2019
3.4%
712
20,379
21,091
2018
3.9%
818
20,086
20,904
2017
4.8%
1,038
20,377
21,415
2016
5.2%
1,124
20,467
21,591
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 Thomas County
250.5 per 100,0002025. Georgia: 296.9.
1,618.6 per 100,0002025. Georgia: 1,409.3.
1murders2025, 115 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
115
250.5
743
1,618.6
2024
158
346.7
936
2,054.2
2023
187
412.7
1,039
2,293.2
2022
171
373.1
1,136
2,478.5
2021
166
377.7
1,070
2,434.8
2020
141
320.2
1,101
2,500.1
2018
78
175.7
1,324
2,982.7
By police agency (4)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Thomas County Sheriff's Office
2025
33
244
24,530
Thomasville Police Department
2025
79
483
18,540
Boston Police Department
2025
2
14
1,241
Coolidge Police Department
2024
2
9
530
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
3.05 per 1,000 residents2025, 4 agencies serving 44,859 people.
137sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
25civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (4), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Thomas County Sheriff's Office
79
13
24,530
Thomasville Police Department
52
12
18,540
Boston Police Department
5
0
1,241
Coolidge Police Department
1
0
548
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
137
3.05
25
4
2023
119
2.69
37
4
2022
121
2.70
39
4
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 Thomas County Clerk of Superior Court?
Randa Wharton (Republican) is the Clerk of Superior Court of Thomas County, Georgia.
Who is the Thomas County Coroner?
Donald D. Shiver (Republican) is the Coroner of Thomas County, Georgia.
Who is the Thomas County Sheriff?
Timothy "Tim" Watkins (Republican) is the Sheriff of Thomas County, Georgia.
Who is the Thomas County Tax Commissioner?
Alicia Hester (Democratic) is the Tax Commissioner of Thomas County, Georgia.
Who are the Thomas County commissioners?
Jeremy G. Rich (District 1); Moses Gross (District 2); Ken Hickey (District 3); Mark A. NeSmith (District 4); Donnie Baggett (District 5); Phillip V. Brown (District 7); Zippy Vonier (District 8).
Who is on the Thomas County School Board?
Joy Jackson West (Board of Education Member, District 1); Mitchell J. Herring (Board of Education Member, District 2); Ken Harper (Board of Education Member, District 3); Chris Hayes (Board of Education Member, District 4); Leah D. Smith (Board of Education Member, District 5); Dan Cecil Stewart (Board of Education Member, District 6); Ed Hopper (Board of Education Member, District 7).
What is the population of Thomas County?
About 45,777 people, with a median age of 39.8; the median household income is $60,736 and 17.9% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Thomas County?
3.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 743 people unemployed in a labor force of 21,197, against 3.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Thomas County?
16 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 7 municipal, 2 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.
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