Rowan County, KY elected officials: the fiscal court, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Rowan County: 15 seats on 8 elected bodies. 15 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
Fiscal Court
Rowan County Fiscal Court
Each member is elected by the voters of their district.
On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
How many local governments Rowan County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 7 local governments in Rowan 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)
3
1
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 Rowan County
24,578people
31.7median ageU.S.: 38.9
$54,321 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
24.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
25.9%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$161,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
6.1%U.S.: 8.4%
46.6%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
31.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.4% · White 93.5% · Black 1.4% · Asian 0.8% · Other or more than one race 1.9% (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 Rowan County
5.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.3%. Kentucky: 4.5%.
574people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
10,452people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
11,026in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
5.2%
574
10,452
11,026
August 2026
5.1%
547
10,211
10,758
July 2026
6.4%
686
10,078
10,764
June 2026
6.8%
734
9,987
10,721
May 2026
5.3%
577
10,298
10,875
April 2026
4.2%
449
10,276
10,725
March 2026
5.0%
543
10,246
10,789
February 2026
5.2%
560
10,127
10,687
January 2026
5.3%
561
9,968
10,529
December 2025
4.2%
452
10,400
10,852
November 2025
4.7%
508
10,342
10,850
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
5.3%
580
10,317
10,897
August 2025
5.7%
609
10,115
10,724
July 2025
6.8%
729
10,053
10,782
June 2025
6.1%
661
10,250
10,911
May 2025
5.3%
573
10,320
10,893
April 2025
4.6%
493
10,342
10,835
March 2025
6.5%
706
10,218
10,924
February 2025
6.1%
663
10,155
10,818
January 2025
6.9%
741
10,000
10,741
December 2024
5.3%
568
10,151
10,719
November 2024
5.3%
566
10,088
10,654
October 2024
5.0%
540
10,201
10,741
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
5.6%
610
10,228
10,838
2024
5.9%
626
10,003
10,629
2023
5.0%
529
10,048
10,577
2022
4.5%
468
9,952
10,420
2021
4.8%
489
9,716
10,205
2020
7.1%
720
9,473
10,193
2019
4.9%
519
10,140
10,659
2018
4.8%
522
10,245
10,767
2017
5.4%
588
10,301
10,889
2016
5.6%
609
10,219
10,828
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. Kentucky's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.7% 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 Rowan County
105.5 per 100,0002025. Kentucky: 212.1.
478.7 per 100,0002025. Kentucky: 1,261.7.
2murders2025, 26 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
26
105.5
118
478.7
2024
14
56.9
134
544.6
2023
19
78.2
191
786.5
2022
24
96.1
173
692.7
2021
19
76.3
223
895.0
2020
20
81.4
202
822.6
2019
15
60.9
233
945.4
2018
12
48.6
246
997.0
2017
7
28.4
271
1,099.7
2016
20
83.4
204
850.7
By police agency (2)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Rowan County Sheriff's Office
2025
12
36
17,950
Morehead Police Department
2025
14
82
6,701
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 Kentucky · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.50 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 24,651 people.
37sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
13civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Morehead Police Department
23
11
6,701
Rowan County Sheriff's Office
14
2
17,950
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
37
1.50
13
2
2023
33
1.36
12
2
2022
36
1.44
11
2
2021
33
1.32
11
2
2019
34
1.38
11
2
2018
33
1.34
23
2
2017
31
1.26
11
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 Rowan County County Attorney?
Cecil Watkins (Democratic) is the County Attorney of Rowan County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Rowan County County Clerk?
Elwood Caudill Jr. (Democratic) is the County Clerk of Rowan County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Rowan County Coroner?
John Northcutt (Democratic) is the Coroner of Rowan County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Rowan County Jailer?
Wesley Coldiron (Republican) is the Jailer of Rowan County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Rowan County Property Valuation Administrator?
Carmen Eldridge Swim (Democratic) is the Property Valuation Administrator of Rowan County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Rowan County Sheriff?
Matt Sparks (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Rowan County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Rowan County commissioners?
Harry Clark (County Judge/Executive); Ray D. White (Magistrate, 1st District); Darrell Glover (Magistrate, 2nd District); Charlie Winkleman (Magistrate, 3rd District); Rob Hamm (Magistrate, 4th District).
What is the population of Rowan County?
About 24,578 people, with a median age of 31.7; the median household income is $54,321 and 24.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Rowan County?
5.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 574 people unemployed in a labor force of 11,026, against 5.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Rowan County?
7 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal, 1 school district and 3 special district governments.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Kentucky State Board of Elections' official precinct recaps of each seat's last election (2022, and 2024 for some Louisville and Lexington council seats); 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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