Howard County, MD elected officials: county council or commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Howard County: 17 seats on 7 elected bodies. 12 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
County Council or Board of County Commissioners
Howard County Council
Each member is elected by the voters of their district.
On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
How many local governments Howard County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 2 local governments in Howard 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
0
0
School districts (school boards)
0
1
Special districts (elected boards)
1
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 (2 in Howard County), 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 Howard County
336,328people
39.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$149,763 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
5.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
64.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$597,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
22.8%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.2%U.S.: 8.4%
47.7%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
21.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 8.7% · White 45.9% · Black 19.7% · Asian 19.2% · Other or more than one race 6.5% (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 Howard County
3.0%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.9%. Maryland: 3.5%.
179,506people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
185,084in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
3.0%
5,578
179,506
185,084
August 2026
3.3%
6,150
177,759
183,909
July 2026
3.6%
6,579
177,132
183,711
June 2026
3.5%
6,386
177,981
184,367
May 2026
3.4%
6,116
176,093
182,209
April 2026
3.9%
7,085
176,645
183,730
March 2026
3.8%
6,902
177,052
183,954
February 2026
4.2%
7,733
175,723
183,456
January 2026
3.8%
6,946
174,158
181,104
December 2025
3.2%
5,746
176,194
181,940
November 2025
3.6%
6,615
175,810
182,425
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.9%
7,082
176,465
183,547
August 2025
4.0%
7,392
176,755
184,147
July 2025
3.9%
7,176
177,698
184,874
June 2025
3.7%
6,795
177,207
184,002
May 2025
3.3%
5,995
176,355
182,350
April 2025
3.0%
5,516
177,432
182,948
March 2025
3.3%
6,019
177,646
183,665
February 2025
3.3%
6,012
176,354
182,366
January 2025
2.9%
5,283
176,946
182,229
December 2024
2.5%
4,555
178,475
183,030
November 2024
2.9%
5,304
178,106
183,410
October 2024
2.9%
5,328
178,797
184,125
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.5%
6,330
176,806
183,136
2024
2.7%
5,031
178,488
183,519
2023
1.9%
3,419
176,565
179,984
2022
2.6%
4,576
173,440
178,016
2021
4.2%
7,396
168,543
175,939
2020
5.3%
9,355
167,762
177,117
2019
2.8%
5,033
177,633
182,666
2018
3.1%
5,502
172,172
177,674
2017
3.3%
5,703
168,738
174,441
2016
3.4%
5,702
163,901
169,603
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. Maryland's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.9% 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 Howard County
107.8 per 100,0002025. Maryland: 358.0.
1,442.5 per 100,0002025. Maryland: 1,819.7.
9murders2025, 367 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
367
107.8
4,909
1,442.5
2024
483
141.5
5,738
1,680.6
2023
470
139.1
5,586
1,653.7
2022
493
146.4
4,494
1,334.7
2020
384
116.7
3,583
1,089.0
2019
512
157.0
4,303
1,319.3
2018
643
198.8
4,548
1,406.2
2017
769
238.8
5,499
1,707.4
2016
712
224.8
5,522
1,743.2
By police agency (1)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Howard County Police Department
2025
367
4,909
340,315
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 Maryland · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.48 per 1,000 residents2025, 1 agency serving 340,315 people.
503sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
209civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (1), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Howard County Police Department
503
209
340,315
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
503
1.48
209
1
2024
492
1.44
213
1
2023
485
1.44
206
1
2022
476
1.41
211
1
2021
471
1.40
196
1
2020
469
1.43
202
1
2019
476
1.46
206
1
2018
469
1.45
202
1
2017
465
1.44
195
1
2016
476
1.50
183
1
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 Howard County Clerk of the Circuit Court?
Wayne A. Robey is the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Howard County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Howard County Register of Wills?
Byron E. Macfarlane (Democratic) is the Register of Wills of Howard County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Howard County Sheriff?
Marcus R. Harris (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Howard County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Howard County State's Attorney?
Richard H. Gibson, Jr. (Democratic) is the State's Attorney of Howard County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Howard County commissioners?
Opel T. Jones (County Council Member, District 2); Christiana M. Rigby (County Council Member, District 3); Elizabeth M. (Liz) Walsh (County Council Member, District 1); Deb Jung (County Council Member, District 4); David G. Yungmann (County Council Member, District 5); Calvin B. Ball III (County Executive).
Who is on the Howard County School Board?
Jennifer Swickard Mallo (District 4); Margaret A. (Meg) Ricks (District 1); Antonia Barkley Watts (District 2); Jolene M. Mosley (District 3); Andrea E. Chamblee (District 5); Linfeng Chen (At Large); Jacquelin (Jacky) McCoy (At Large).
What is the population of Howard County?
About 336,328 people, with a median age of 39.8; the median household income is $149,763 and 5.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Howard County?
3.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 5,578 people unemployed in a labor force of 185,084, against 3.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Howard County?
2 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county and 1 special district governments.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Maryland Manual On-Line published by the Maryland State Archives; 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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