Caldwell County, NC elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Caldwell County: 26 seats on 7 elected bodies. 10 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 11 local governments in Caldwell 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
8
1
School districts (school boards)
0
1
Special districts (elected boards)
2
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 (2 in Caldwell 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 Caldwell County
80,536people
45.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$56,425 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
13.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%
18.8%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$192,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.8%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
10.5%U.S.: 8.4%
39.8%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
20.8%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 6.7% · White 85.3% · Black 4.1% · Asian 0.5% · Other or more than one race 3.4% (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 Caldwell County
3.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.7%. North Carolina: 3.1%.
33,962people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
35,034in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
3.1%
1,072
33,962
35,034
August 2026
3.5%
1,206
33,402
34,608
July 2026
3.7%
1,284
33,406
34,690
June 2026
3.6%
1,240
33,678
34,918
May 2026
3.6%
1,249
33,906
35,155
April 2026
3.4%
1,212
34,103
35,315
March 2026
3.5%
1,243
34,307
35,550
February 2026
3.8%
1,345
34,142
35,487
January 2026
4.1%
1,447
33,992
35,439
December 2025
3.5%
1,232
34,421
35,653
November 2025
3.9%
1,401
34,525
35,926
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.7%
1,342
34,733
36,075
August 2025
4.2%
1,510
34,263
35,773
July 2025
4.0%
1,441
34,862
36,303
June 2025
4.0%
1,455
34,671
36,126
May 2025
3.8%
1,384
34,737
36,121
April 2025
3.7%
1,322
34,858
36,180
March 2025
3.8%
1,383
34,863
36,246
February 2025
4.0%
1,441
34,687
36,128
January 2025
4.0%
1,439
34,718
36,157
December 2024
3.4%
1,221
34,599
35,820
November 2024
3.7%
1,337
34,642
35,979
October 2024
3.4%
1,244
34,953
36,197
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.9%
1,395
34,667
36,062
2024
3.5%
1,271
35,009
36,280
2023
3.2%
1,204
35,884
37,088
2022
3.5%
1,288
35,924
37,212
2021
4.8%
1,722
34,396
36,118
2020
7.6%
2,701
32,963
35,664
2019
3.9%
1,442
35,696
37,138
2018
3.8%
1,396
35,602
36,998
2017
4.3%
1,600
35,412
37,012
2016
5.0%
1,831
34,728
36,559
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. North Carolina's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.4% 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 Caldwell County
154.4 per 100,0002025. North Carolina: 330.3.
1,576.2 per 100,0002025. North Carolina: 1,779.9.
2murders2025, 126 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
126
154.4
1,286
1,576.2
2024
125
152.4
1,461
1,781.8
2023
113
138.8
1,489
1,829.6
2022
115
140.7
1,818
2,224.5
2021
145
177.6
1,893
2,318.4
2020
131
157.8
2,003
2,413.3
2019
163
197.0
2,465
2,979.0
2018
143
172.9
2,445
2,956.9
2017
148
180.0
2,435
2,960.8
2016
164
200.4
2,537
3,099.8
By police agency (5)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Caldwell County Sheriff's Office
2025
52
553
53,290
Lenoir Police Department
2025
63
543
18,263
Granite Falls Police Department
2025
8
116
4,944
Hudson Police Department
2025
1
40
3,767
Blowing Rock Police Department
2025
2
34
1,327
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 North Carolina · the U.S.
Police staffing
2.26 per 1,000 residents2025, 5 agencies serving 81,591 people.
184sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
72civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (5), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Caldwell County Sheriff's Office
84
50
53,290
Lenoir Police Department
57
15
18,263
Blowing Rock Police Department
13
5
1,327
Granite Falls Police Department
16
1
4,944
Hudson Police Department
14
1
3,767
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
184
2.26
72
5
2024
182
2.22
62
5
2023
176
2.16
58
5
2022
174
2.13
72
5
2021
172
2.11
73
5
2020
175
2.11
32
5
2019
170
2.05
33
5
2018
165
2.00
65
5
2017
157
1.91
62
5
2016
190
2.32
27
5
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 Caldwell County Clerk of Superior Court?
Angela Ashley Kidd (Republican) is the Clerk of Superior Court of Caldwell County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Caldwell County Register of Deeds?
Wayne L. Rash (Republican) is the Register of Deeds of Caldwell County, North Carolina.
Who is the Caldwell County Sheriff?
Alan C. Jones (Republican) is the Sheriff of Caldwell County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Caldwell County commissioners?
Mike LaBrose (County Commissioner); Donnie Potter (County Commissioner); Patrick Starnes (County Commissioner); Jeff Branch (County Commissioner); Randy Church (County Commissioner).
Who is on the Caldwell County School Board?
Teresa Branch (Board of Education Member); Joe Sims (Board of Education Member); William (BJ) Fore (Board of Education Member); Mark Gerson (Board of Education Member); Ann B. Edwards (Board of Education Member); Darrell Clayton Pennell (Board of Education Member); Chris Becker (Board of Education Member).
What is the population of Caldwell County?
About 80,536 people, with a median age of 45.4; the median household income is $56,425 and 13.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Caldwell County?
3.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 1,072 people unemployed in a labor force of 35,034, against 3.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Caldwell County?
11 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 8 municipal and 2 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Caldwell County?
1: Lenoir. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.
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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