Jackson County, NC elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Jackson County: 20 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
Who lives in the school district (Census figures)
School district
People
Median household income
Below the poverty line
Without health insurance
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent
Jackson County Schools
40,902
$56,240
17.8%
14.3%
42.4%
Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates for each school district's area, matched to its board by name. They're estimates with a , larger for small districts.
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 7 local governments in Jackson 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)
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 Jackson 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 Jackson County
43,771people
38.1median ageU.S.: 38.9
$55,815 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
18%below the U.S.: 12.5%
31.1%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$284,700median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
4.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
15.8%U.S.: 8.4%
42.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
26%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 8% · White 78.4% · Black 2.1% · Asian 1% · Other or more than one race 10.5% (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 Jackson County
2.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.3%. North Carolina: 3.1%.
599people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
22,315people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
22,914in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
2.6%
599
22,315
22,914
August 2026
3.5%
780
21,315
22,095
July 2026
3.6%
785
21,087
21,872
June 2026
3.2%
716
21,369
22,085
May 2026
3.1%
691
21,686
22,377
April 2026
3.1%
699
21,676
22,375
March 2026
3.2%
714
21,579
22,293
February 2026
3.5%
754
21,088
21,842
January 2026
3.9%
825
20,497
21,322
December 2025
3.1%
700
21,637
22,337
November 2025
3.3%
752
21,770
22,522
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.3%
755
21,783
22,538
August 2025
3.7%
818
21,228
22,046
July 2025
3.8%
840
21,330
22,170
June 2025
3.5%
770
20,976
21,746
May 2025
3.4%
745
21,313
22,058
April 2025
3.2%
706
21,085
21,791
March 2025
3.9%
850
20,891
21,741
February 2025
3.6%
775
20,589
21,364
January 2025
4.0%
833
20,163
20,996
December 2024
3.4%
726
20,631
21,357
November 2024
3.4%
734
20,801
21,535
October 2024
3.1%
672
21,123
21,795
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.5%
777
21,160
21,937
2024
3.4%
733
20,522
21,255
2023
3.6%
739
19,903
20,642
2022
3.8%
772
19,600
20,372
2021
4.4%
864
18,562
19,426
2020
7.3%
1,412
17,851
19,263
2019
4.0%
809
19,184
19,993
2018
4.2%
820
18,691
19,511
2017
4.8%
914
18,109
19,023
2016
5.3%
1,022
18,209
19,231
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 Jackson County
298.7 per 100,0002025. North Carolina: 330.3.
1,341.0 per 100,0002025. North Carolina: 1,779.9.
0murders2025, 141 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
141
298.7
633
1,341.0
2024
119
254.2
466
995.3
2023
98
220.4
488
1,097.6
2022
85
188.9
495
1,100.2
2021
94
210.2
607
1,357.2
2020
101
222.7
1,008
2,223.0
2019
87
194.8
983
2,201.1
2018
74
167.0
1,058
2,387.9
2017
88
201.9
1,074
2,463.6
2016
76
179.3
1,073
2,531.2
By police agency (3)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Jackson County Sheriff's Office
2025
118
503
43,353
Sylva Police Department
2025
22
109
2,721
Highlands Police Department
2025
1
21
1,131
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
1.74 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 47,205 people.
82sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
30civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Jackson County Sheriff's Office
53
29
43,353
Sylva Police Department
15
0
2,721
Highlands Police Department
14
1
1,131
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
82
1.74
30
3
2024
85
1.82
25
3
2023
74
1.66
24
3
2022
88
1.96
6
3
2021
84
1.88
24
3
2020
84
1.85
24
3
2019
80
1.79
25
3
2018
84
1.90
26
3
2017
77
1.77
25
3
2016
80
1.89
24
3
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 Jackson County Clerk of Superior Court?
Kim Coggins Poteet (Democratic) is the Clerk of Superior Court of Jackson County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Jackson County Register of Deeds?
Shandra Sims (Democratic) is the Register of Deeds of Jackson County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Jackson County Sheriff?
Doug Farmer (Republican) is the Sheriff of Jackson County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Jackson County commissioners?
Mark Letson (Chair, Board of Commissioners); Todd Bryson (District 1); John W. Smith (District 2); Jenny Lynn Hooper (District 3); Michael Jennings (District 4).
Who is on the Jackson County School Board?
Gayle Woody (Board of Education Member, District 1); Abigail Blakley Clayton (Board of Education Member, District 2); Wes Jamison (Board of Education Member, District 3); Kim Moore (Board of Education Member, District 4); Lynn Dillard (Board of Education Member, District 5).
What is the population of Jackson County?
About 43,771 people, with a median age of 38.1; the median household income is $55,815 and 18% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Jackson County?
2.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 599 people unemployed in a labor force of 22,914, against 3.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Jackson County?
7 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal and 2 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Jackson County?
1: Sylva. 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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