The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 6 local governments in Towns 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
2
0
School districts (school boards)
1
0
Special districts (elected boards)
2
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 Towns County
12,913people
57.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$59,135 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
13.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%
31%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$316,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
9.6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
11.5%U.S.: 8.4%
58%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
35.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3.3% · White 92.9% · Black 1.4% · Asian 0% · Other or more than one race 2.4% (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 Towns County
3.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.4%. Georgia: 3.5%.
193people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
5,195people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
5,388in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
3.6%
193
5,195
5,388
August 2026
3.5%
185
5,120
5,305
July 2026
3.2%
168
5,071
5,239
June 2026
3.8%
197
5,045
5,242
May 2026
3.2%
165
5,029
5,194
April 2026
2.9%
148
5,025
5,173
March 2026
3.6%
188
5,013
5,201
February 2026
3.8%
198
4,968
5,166
January 2026
3.6%
184
4,933
5,117
December 2025
3.1%
162
4,990
5,152
November 2025
3.8%
197
5,052
5,249
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.4%
180
5,099
5,279
August 2025
3.8%
200
5,063
5,263
July 2025
3.5%
184
5,081
5,265
June 2025
3.9%
203
5,034
5,237
May 2025
3.6%
187
4,971
5,158
April 2025
2.8%
146
5,061
5,207
March 2025
3.7%
190
4,998
5,188
February 2025
3.8%
195
4,908
5,103
January 2025
3.8%
190
4,859
5,049
December 2024
2.9%
151
4,971
5,122
November 2024
3.2%
165
5,029
5,194
October 2024
3.1%
164
5,107
5,271
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.6%
185
5,011
5,196
2024
3.4%
179
5,032
5,211
2023
3.3%
166
4,935
5,101
2022
3.2%
163
4,992
5,155
2021
3.2%
162
4,913
5,075
2020
5.2%
253
4,587
4,840
2019
3.9%
191
4,746
4,937
2018
4.4%
212
4,647
4,859
2017
5.2%
247
4,475
4,722
2016
5.4%
273
4,745
5,018
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 Towns County
107.3 per 100,0002020. Georgia: 400.1.
522.4 per 100,0002020. Georgia: 2,007.4.
0murders2020, 15 violent crimes in all.
2020 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
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2020
15
107.3
73
522.4
2019
23
166.7
112
811.7
2018
40
301.1
169
1,272.1
2017
36
274.9
164
1,252.4
2016
40
314.2
162
1,272.6
By police agency (2)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Towns County Sheriff's Office
2023
18
17
12,185
Hiawassee Police Department
2025
7
2
1,059
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
1.96 per 1,000 residents2024, 2 agencies serving 13,259 people.
26sworn officers2024, full-time, as of October 31.
16civilian staff2024, full-time.
2024 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.
Agencies counted (2), 2024
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Towns County Sheriff's Office
22
15
12,252
Hiawassee Police Department
4
1
1,007
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2024
26
1.96
16
2
2023
32
2.42
20
2
2022
24
1.81
22
2
2021
24
1.93
21
2
2020
25
2.05
21
2
2019
24
2.00
19
2
2018
24
2.06
21
2
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 Towns County Clerk of Superior Court?
Eric Barrett (Republican) is the Clerk of Superior Court of Towns County, Georgia.
Who is the Towns County Coroner?
Tamela Cooper (Republican) is the Coroner of Towns County, Georgia.
Who is the Towns County Probate Judge and Chief Magistrate?
David Rogers (Republican) is the Probate Judge and Chief Magistrate of Towns County, Georgia.
Who is the Towns County Sheriff?
Kenneth "Ode" Henderson (Republican) is the Sheriff of Towns County, Georgia.
Who is the Towns County Tax Commissioner?
Michael Anderson (Republican) is the Tax Commissioner of Towns County, Georgia.
Who are the Towns County commissioners?
Cliff Bradshaw (Sole Commissioner).
What is the population of Towns County?
About 12,913 people, with a median age of 57.4; the median household income is $59,135 and 13.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Towns County?
3.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 193 people unemployed in a labor force of 5,388, against 3.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Towns County?
6 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal, 1 school district and 2 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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