Durham County, NC elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Durham County: 25 seats on 7 elected bodies. 4 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 5 local governments in Durham 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
1
1
School districts (school boards)
0
1
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 (2 in Durham 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 Durham County
332,353people
36.1median ageU.S.: 38.9
$82,316 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
11.5%below the U.S.: 12.5%
55.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$389,400median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
15.4%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
10.8%U.S.: 8.4%
48.4%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
21.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 15.8% · White 41.7% · Black 31.8% · Asian 5.4% · Other or more than one race 5.3% (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 Durham County
2.8%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.4%. North Carolina: 3.1%.
181,513people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
186,784in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
2.8%
5,271
181,513
186,784
August 2026
3.3%
6,017
178,527
184,544
July 2026
3.4%
6,247
178,916
185,163
June 2026
3.2%
5,957
178,508
184,465
May 2026
3.2%
5,934
178,694
184,628
April 2026
3.2%
5,864
179,380
185,244
March 2026
3.2%
5,992
180,456
186,448
February 2026
3.5%
6,474
180,843
187,317
January 2026
3.7%
6,853
178,936
185,789
December 2025
3.1%
5,718
181,435
187,153
November 2025
3.4%
6,467
181,467
187,934
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.4%
6,373
181,781
188,154
August 2025
3.8%
7,108
179,874
186,982
July 2025
3.7%
7,053
183,901
190,954
June 2025
3.6%
6,722
181,377
188,099
May 2025
3.3%
6,182
181,493
187,675
April 2025
3.0%
5,661
182,486
188,147
March 2025
3.3%
6,149
182,112
188,261
February 2025
3.3%
6,240
182,211
188,451
January 2025
3.3%
6,187
182,318
188,505
December 2024
2.9%
5,436
181,366
186,802
November 2024
3.1%
5,859
182,241
188,100
October 2024
2.8%
5,379
184,157
189,536
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.4%
6,351
181,860
188,211
2024
3.1%
5,916
182,629
188,545
2023
3.1%
5,667
179,746
185,413
2022
3.2%
5,757
174,601
180,358
2021
4.2%
7,238
163,788
171,026
2020
6.4%
10,696
155,688
166,384
2019
3.4%
5,831
164,441
170,272
2018
3.6%
5,961
161,623
167,584
2017
4.0%
6,639
158,617
165,256
2016
4.5%
7,204
154,414
161,618
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 Durham County
388.4 per 100,0002025. North Carolina: 330.3.
2,631.8 per 100,0002025. North Carolina: 1,779.9.
66murders2025, 3,699 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
3,699
388.4
25,068
2,631.8
2024
4,502
487.6
28,124
3,046.2
2023
4,664
511.1
26,550
2,909.7
2022
4,608
518.8
23,008
2,590.3
2021
4,689
519.6
22,378
2,480.0
2020
4,605
511.3
23,024
2,556.4
2019
3,700
417.4
21,775
2,456.3
2018
2,170
247.9
11,769
1,344.3
By police agency (5)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Raleigh Police Department
2025
1,993
11,648
508,719
Durham Police Department
2025
1,556
11,002
307,140
Chapel Hill Police Department
2025
55
1,164
65,938
Durham County Sheriff's Office
2025
67
490
37,391
Morrisville Police Department
2025
28
764
33,303
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
1.43 per 1,000 residents2025, 5 agencies serving 952,491 people.
1,361sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
399civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (5), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Raleigh Police Department
713
125
508,719
Durham Police Department
353
167
307,140
Durham County Sheriff's Office
169
72
37,391
Chapel Hill Police Department
82
30
65,938
Morrisville Police Department
44
5
33,303
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
1,361
1.43
399
5
2024
1,394
1.51
323
5
2023
1,392
1.53
467
5
2022
1,368
1.54
474
5
2021
1,423
1.58
504
5
2020
1,520
1.69
580
5
2019
1,325
1.49
554
5
2018
1,569
1.79
510
5
2017
1,534
1.78
640
5
2016
1,538
1.81
641
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 Durham County Clerk of Superior Court?
Aminah Thompson (Democratic) is the Clerk of Superior Court of Durham County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Durham County Register of Deeds?
Sharon A. Davis (Democratic) is the Register of Deeds of Durham County, North Carolina.
Who is the Durham County Sheriff?
Clarence Birkhead (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Durham County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Durham County commissioners?
Wendy Jacobs (County Commissioner); Mike Lee (County Commissioner); Michelle Burton (County Commissioner); Nida Allam (County Commissioner); Stephen J. Valentine (County Commissioner).
Who is on the Durham County School Board?
Joy Harrell (Board of Education Member, At-Large); Wendell Tabb (Board of Education Member, Consolidated District A); Millicent Rogers (Board of Education Member, Consolidated District B); Emily Susanna Chavez (Board of Education Member, District 1); Bettina Umstead (Board of Education Member, District 2); Jessica Carda-Auten (Board of Education Member, District 3); Natalie Beyer (Board of Education Member, District 4).
What is the population of Durham County?
About 332,353 people, with a median age of 36.1; the median household income is $82,316 and 11.5% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Durham County?
2.8% in September 2026 (preliminary): 5,271 people unemployed in a labor force of 186,784, against 3.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Durham County?
5 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal and 3 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Durham County?
1: Durham. 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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