Who is the mayor of Morganton, NC? Morganton's elected officials

Morganton is in Burke County, North Carolina. Its mayor is Ronnie Thompson. 5 elected seats.

City of Morganton City Council

OfficeWho holds it now
MayorRonnie Thompson source
Council Member, District 1Butch McSwain source
Council Member, District 2Chris Jernigan source
Council Member, District 3Molly McKay source
Council Member, District 4Wendy Cato source

Also representing Morganton

County commissioners, the sheriff and other county officers, and the school board: Burke County's elected officials.

Who lives in Morganton

17,646people
37.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$51,355 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
25.7%below the U.S.: 12.5%
26.1%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$221,700median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.8%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
10.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
4.6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
18.4%U.S.: 8.4%
48%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
33.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 22.6% · White 58.4% · Black 14.3% · Asian 1.3% · Other or more than one race 3.4% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Figures for the Census Bureau's Morganton city. 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.

Quick answers

Who is the mayor of Morganton, NC?
Ronnie Thompson is the mayor of Morganton, North Carolina.
Who is on the Morganton council?
Butch McSwain (Council Member, District 1); Chris Jernigan (Council Member, District 2); Molly McKay (Council Member, District 3); Wendy Cato (Council Member, District 4).
What is the population of Morganton, NC?
About 17,646 people, with a median age of 37.8; the median household income is $51,355 and 25.7% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the NC State Board of Elections' certified results of each seat's last election (2022–2025, and the March 2026 nonpartisan school board elections); 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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