Dare County, NC elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Dare County: 25 seats on 7 elected bodies. 11 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
How many local governments Dare County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 8 local governments in Dare 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
6
1
School districts (school boards)
0
1
Special districts (elected boards)
1
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 (1 in Dare 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 Dare County
37,875people
49median ageU.S.: 38.9
$88,994 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
6.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
43.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$460,400median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
4.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8.1%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
8.6%U.S.: 8.4%
48%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
34%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 7.4% · White 85.4% · Black 2.5% · Asian 0.4% · Other or more than one race 4.3% (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 Dare County
2.7%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.1%. North Carolina: 3.1%.
537people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
19,582people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
20,119in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
2.7%
537
19,582
20,119
August 2026
2.9%
602
20,470
21,072
July 2026
3.1%
652
20,383
21,035
June 2026
3.0%
639
20,635
21,274
May 2026
3.3%
667
19,375
20,042
April 2026
3.6%
688
18,506
19,194
March 2026
5.1%
930
17,317
18,247
February 2026
6.9%
1,231
16,549
17,780
January 2026
7.3%
1,276
16,258
17,534
December 2025
4.2%
748
17,241
17,989
November 2025
3.8%
715
17,900
18,615
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.1%
626
19,655
20,281
August 2025
3.3%
718
20,895
21,613
July 2025
3.2%
709
21,237
21,946
June 2025
3.3%
735
21,239
21,974
May 2025
3.6%
733
19,720
20,453
April 2025
3.9%
763
18,562
19,325
March 2025
5.6%
1,012
17,065
18,077
February 2025
7.6%
1,330
16,121
17,451
January 2025
7.0%
1,221
16,267
17,488
December 2024
3.9%
675
16,664
17,339
November 2024
3.5%
637
17,400
18,037
October 2024
2.9%
560
18,638
19,198
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.3%
846
18,718
19,564
2024
4.1%
793
18,681
19,474
2023
4.2%
818
18,810
19,628
2022
4.6%
884
18,391
19,275
2021
6.2%
1,171
17,669
18,840
2020
10.3%
1,870
16,336
18,206
2019
4.9%
933
18,117
19,050
2018
5.5%
1,029
17,831
18,860
2017
6.2%
1,178
17,801
18,979
2016
7.1%
1,337
17,582
18,919
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 Dare County
216.8 per 100,0002024. North Carolina: 379.2.
1,385.8 per 100,0002024. North Carolina: 1,978.3.
2murders2024, 84 violent crimes in all.
2024 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
2024
84
216.8
537
1,385.8
2023
105
273.0
588
1,529.0
2022
50
128.7
568
1,461.8
2021
64
171.4
625
1,673.6
2020
60
160.6
791
2,117.0
2019
59
160.3
831
2,257.7
2018
50
137.3
1,018
2,795.2
By police agency (7)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Dare County Sheriff's Office
2025
33
149
18,451
Kill Devil Hills Police Department
2024
17
117
7,817
Kitty Hawk Police Department
2024
10
61
3,714
Southern Shores Police Department
2023
0
42
3,171
Nags Head Police Department
2025
6
76
3,088
Manteo Police Department
2024
6
25
1,614
Duck Police Department
2025
1
19
741
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
4.47 per 1,000 residents2025, 7 agencies serving 38,458 people.
172sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
97civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (7), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Dare County Sheriff's Office
69
82
18,451
Kill Devil Hills Police Department
27
6
7,763
Nags Head Police Department
23
2
3,088
Kitty Hawk Police Department
16
2
3,687
Southern Shores Police Department
13
3
3,133
Duck Police Department
14
1
741
Manteo Police Department
10
1
1,595
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
172
4.47
97
7
2024
166
4.28
96
7
2023
163
4.24
88
7
2022
171
4.40
89
7
2021
162
4.34
80
7
2020
168
4.50
104
7
2019
163
4.43
93
7
2018
161
4.42
89
7
2017
160
4.40
92
7
2016
161
4.47
92
7
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 Dare County Clerk of Superior Court?
Dean Martin Tolson (Republican) is the Clerk of Superior Court of Dare County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dare County Register of Deeds?
Cheryl House (Republican) is the Register of Deeds of Dare County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dare County Sheriff?
J.D. (Doug) Doughtie (Republican) is the Sheriff of Dare County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Dare County commissioners?
Ervin Bateman (At-Large); Carson Creef (District 1); Mike Burrus (District 1); Rob Ross (District 2); Robert L. (Bob) Woodard, Sr. (District 2); Steve House (District 3); Mary Ellon D. Ballance (District 4).
Who is on the Dare County School Board?
David Twiddy (Board of Education Member, At-Large); Barry Wickre (Board of Education Member, District 1); Justin Bateman (Board of Education Member, District 1); Ron Payne (Board of Education Member, District 2); Lisa E. Lloyd (Board of Education Member, District 2); Matt Brauer (Board of Education Member, District 3); Kenny Brite (Board of Education Member, District 4).
What is the population of Dare County?
About 37,875 people, with a median age of 49; the median household income is $88,994 and 6.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Dare County?
2.7% in September 2026 (preliminary): 537 people unemployed in a labor force of 20,119, against 3.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Dare County?
8 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 6 municipal and 1 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Dare County?
1: Manteo. 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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