Onslow County, NC elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Onslow County: 27 seats on 7 elected bodies. 10 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
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 8 local governments in Onslow 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
5
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 Onslow 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 Onslow County
207,906people
27.7median ageU.S.: 38.9
$68,148 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
11.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
26%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$236,400median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
4.2%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
21.4%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
9.5%U.S.: 8.4%
50.7%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
29.4%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 14% · White 64% · Black 11.5% · Asian 1.8% · Other or more than one race 8.6% (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 Onslow County
3.4%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.8%. North Carolina: 3.1%.
69,369people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
71,803in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
3.4%
2,434
69,369
71,803
August 2026
3.9%
2,773
68,336
71,109
July 2026
4.2%
2,903
65,843
68,746
June 2026
3.9%
2,740
68,300
71,040
May 2026
3.8%
2,720
69,350
72,070
April 2026
3.7%
2,664
69,561
72,225
March 2026
3.7%
2,715
70,167
72,882
February 2026
4.0%
2,928
69,692
72,620
January 2026
4.3%
3,127
69,409
72,536
December 2025
3.6%
2,651
70,878
73,529
November 2025
4.1%
3,011
70,850
73,861
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.8%
2,847
71,355
74,202
August 2025
4.4%
3,203
69,861
73,064
July 2025
4.3%
3,066
68,201
71,267
June 2025
4.2%
3,080
69,603
72,683
May 2025
3.9%
2,856
70,379
73,235
April 2025
3.6%
2,623
70,662
73,285
March 2025
4.0%
2,908
70,543
73,451
February 2025
4.0%
2,965
70,556
73,521
January 2025
4.1%
3,016
70,858
73,874
December 2024
3.5%
2,569
71,261
73,830
November 2024
3.7%
2,770
71,097
73,867
October 2024
3.4%
2,551
71,862
74,413
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.0%
2,930
70,341
73,271
2024
3.8%
2,815
71,294
74,109
2023
3.7%
2,741
71,537
74,278
2022
3.9%
2,845
69,902
72,747
2021
4.7%
3,294
66,168
69,462
2020
6.7%
4,458
62,196
66,654
2019
4.3%
2,907
65,313
68,220
2018
4.5%
3,053
64,435
67,488
2017
4.9%
3,319
64,369
67,688
2016
5.4%
3,593
63,407
67,000
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 Onslow County
226.2 per 100,0002024. North Carolina: 379.2.
1,303.1 per 100,0002024. North Carolina: 1,978.3.
7murders2024, 502 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
502
226.2
2,892
1,303.1
2023
468
219.6
3,050
1,431.5
2022
463
217.8
3,290
1,547.6
2021
516
251.9
3,244
1,583.4
2020
498
247.2
3,532
1,753.3
2019
498
247.6
3,985
1,981.2
2018
461
233.9
3,916
1,987.2
By police agency (7)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Onslow County Sheriff's Office
2025
330
1,215
130,093
Jacksonville Police Department
2025
160
1,204
70,256
Holly Ridge Police Department
2025
1
30
6,228
Surf City Police Department
2025
23
88
5,272
Swansboro Police Department
2024
2
80
4,273
Richlands Police Department
2025
0
18
2,485
North Topsail Beach Police Department
2025
0
26
1,100
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
1.62 per 1,000 residents2025, 7 agencies serving 219,707 people.
357sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
197civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (7), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Onslow County Sheriff's Office
167
147
130,093
Jacksonville Police Department
117
46
70,256
Surf City Police Department
28
1
5,272
Holly Ridge Police Department
16
1
6,228
North Topsail Beach Police Department
13
1
1,100
Swansboro Police Department
12
1
4,273
Richlands Police Department
4
0
2,485
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
357
1.62
197
7
2024
349
1.57
201
7
2023
354
1.66
174
7
2022
344
1.62
175
7
2021
334
1.63
158
7
2020
329
1.63
169
7
2019
312
1.55
165
7
2018
310
1.57
167
7
2017
307
1.61
165
7
2016
298
1.57
170
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 Onslow County Clerk of Superior Court?
Cindy Padgett Casteen (Republican) is the Clerk of Superior Court of Onslow County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Onslow County Register of Deeds?
Omega King Jarman (Republican) is the Register of Deeds of Onslow County, North Carolina.
Who is the Onslow County Sheriff?
Chris Thomas (Republican) is the Sheriff of Onslow County, North Carolina. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Onslow County commissioners?
Tim Foster (County Commissioner); Lisa Carpenter (County Commissioner); Royce Bennett (County Commissioner); John Davis (County Commissioner); Robin L. Knapp (County Commissioner); Tony Padgett (County Commissioner); Paul Buchanan (County Commissioner).
Who is on the Onslow County School Board?
Bill Lanier (Board of Education Member); Angie Todd (Board of Education Member); Bradley Williams (Board of Education Member); Michele Halley (Board of Education Member); Susanne Long (Board of Education Member); Phillip Williams (Board of Education Member); Elbert Garvey (Board of Education Member).
What is the population of Onslow County?
About 207,906 people, with a median age of 27.7; the median household income is $68,148 and 11.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Onslow County?
3.4% in September 2026 (preliminary): 2,434 people unemployed in a labor force of 71,803, against 3.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Onslow County?
8 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal and 2 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Onslow County?
1: Jacksonville. 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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