Haywood County, NC elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Haywood County: 24 seats on 8 elected bodies. 13 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 9 local governments in Haywood 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
4
1
School districts (school boards)
0
1
Special districts (elected boards)
4
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 Haywood 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 Haywood County
62,662people
47.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$61,912 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
13.1%below the U.S.: 12.5%
29.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$279,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.8%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
9.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
11.4%U.S.: 8.4%
51.6%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
26.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 5% · White 90.4% · Black 0.9% · Asian 0.4% · 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 Haywood County
2.8%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.5%. North Carolina: 3.1%.
796people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
27,881people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
28,677in 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%
796
27,881
28,677
August 2026
3.1%
885
27,372
28,257
July 2026
3.4%
943
26,956
27,899
June 2026
3.3%
926
27,505
28,431
May 2026
3.2%
915
27,617
28,532
April 2026
3.1%
873
27,677
28,550
March 2026
3.1%
903
27,934
28,837
February 2026
3.4%
976
27,797
28,773
January 2026
3.5%
1,002
27,448
28,450
December 2025
3.0%
870
27,860
28,730
November 2025
3.7%
1,071
27,639
28,710
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.5%
999
27,740
28,739
August 2025
4.0%
1,135
27,398
28,533
July 2025
3.7%
1,054
27,332
28,386
June 2025
4.0%
1,128
27,352
28,480
May 2025
3.9%
1,123
27,535
28,658
April 2025
3.7%
1,054
27,553
28,607
March 2025
4.0%
1,143
27,559
28,702
February 2025
4.5%
1,305
27,378
28,683
January 2025
4.6%
1,304
27,284
28,588
December 2024
4.1%
1,161
27,428
28,589
November 2024
4.6%
1,323
27,313
28,636
October 2024
5.4%
1,564
27,140
28,704
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.9%
1,108
27,512
28,620
2024
3.6%
1,045
27,828
28,873
2023
3.2%
918
28,144
29,062
2022
3.4%
968
27,882
28,850
2021
4.4%
1,240
27,011
28,251
2020
7.5%
2,083
25,812
27,895
2019
3.4%
1,005
28,257
29,262
2018
3.5%
1,011
27,735
28,746
2017
4.1%
1,154
26,999
28,153
2016
4.6%
1,272
26,612
27,884
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 Haywood County
215.2 per 100,0002024. North Carolina: 379.2.
1,332.7 per 100,0002024. North Carolina: 1,978.3.
8murders2024, 140 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
140
215.2
867
1,332.7
2023
168
261.6
989
1,539.9
2022
133
206.1
1,092
1,692.5
2021
172
269.8
1,952
3,062.4
2020
153
239.0
1,931
3,016.1
2018
199
324.1
1,554
2,530.5
By police agency (4)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Haywood County Sheriff's Office
2025
67
460
46,229
Waynesville Police Department
2025
46
331
10,829
Canton Police Department
2024
7
83
4,417
Maggie Valley Police Department
2024
9
89
1,751
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
2.31 per 1,000 residents2025, 4 agencies serving 63,228 people.
146sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
41civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (4), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Haywood County Sheriff's Office
76
21
46,229
Waynesville Police Department
40
13
10,829
Canton Police Department
19
5
4,422
Maggie Valley Police Department
11
2
1,748
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
146
2.31
41
4
2024
136
2.14
77
4
2023
138
2.20
78
4
2022
131
2.08
86
4
2021
124
1.99
80
4
2020
133
2.12
75
4
2019
127
2.04
77
5
2018
130
2.12
90
5
2017
125
2.05
78
5
2016
129
2.15
71
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 Haywood County Clerk of Superior Court?
Hunter Plemmons (Democratic) is the Clerk of Superior Court of Haywood County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Haywood County Register of Deeds?
Sherri C. Rogers (Democratic) is the Register of Deeds of Haywood County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Haywood County Sheriff?
William (Bill) Wilke (Republican) is the Sheriff of Haywood County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Haywood County Tax Collector?
Sebastian Cothran (Republican) is the Tax Collector of Haywood County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Haywood County commissioners?
Jennifer Best (County Commissioner); Tommy Long (County Commissioner); Terry Ramey (County Commissioner); L. Kevin Ensley (County Commissioner); Brandon C. Rogers (County Commissioner).
Who is on the Haywood County School Board?
Chuck Francis (Board of Education Chair); David Burnette (Board of Education Member, Beaverdam District); Ronnie D. Clark (Board of Education Member, Beaverdam District); Larry D. Henson (Board of Education Member, Bethel District); James M. (Jimmy) Rogers (Board of Education Member, Clyde District); Marla Ferguson Morris (Board of Education Member, Crabtree-Ironduff District); Steven Kirkpatrick (Board of Education Member, Fines Creek District); Logan Nesbitt (Board of Education Member, Waynesville District); James Harley (Jim) Francis III (Board of Education Member, Waynesville District).
What is the population of Haywood County?
About 62,662 people, with a median age of 47.8; the median household income is $61,912 and 13.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Haywood County?
2.8% in September 2026 (preliminary): 796 people unemployed in a labor force of 28,677, against 3.5% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Haywood County?
9 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal and 4 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Haywood County?
1: Waynesville. 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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