Beaufort County, SC elected officials: county council, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Beaufort County: 16 seats on 6 elected bodies.

County Council

Beaufort County Council

OfficeWho holds it now
County Council MemberJoseph Passiment source
County Council MemberGerald Dawson source
County Council MemberAlice Howard source
County Council MemberThomas Reitz source
County Council MemberYork Glover source
County Council MemberPaula B. Brown source
County Council MemberDavid P. Bartholomew source
County Council MemberAnna M. Tabernik source
County Council MemberMark Lawson source
County Council MemberLawrence McElynn source
County Council MemberLogan Cunningham source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Clerk of CourtJerri Ann Roseneau source
CoronerDeborah Ann Youmans source
Probate JudgeHeather J. Galvin source
SheriffP. J. Tanner source

Cities and towns

How many local governments Beaufort County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 16 local governments in Beaufort County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships41
School districts (school boards)10
Special districts (elected boards)100

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, 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 Beaufort County

195,289people
48.1median ageU.S.: 38.9
$86,573 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
9.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
46%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$455,600median home valueU.S.: $332,700
2.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
7.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
11%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
8.5%U.S.: 8.4%
52.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
33.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 12.4% · White 67.3% · Black 15.5% · Asian 1.1% · Other or more than one race 3.7% (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 Beaufort County

3.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.5%. South Carolina: 3.7%.
3,025people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
84,454people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
87,479in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Beaufort County 0.0%1.3%2.6%3.9%5.3% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.5%3,02584,45487,479
August 20264.0%3,56984,88188,450
July 20263.8%3,35386,03489,387
June 20264.1%3,62885,57689,204
May 20263.4%3,04985,45588,504
April 20263.3%2,88384,74287,625
March 20263.9%3,41683,64887,064
February 20265.3%4,64082,96987,609
January 20265.2%4,55082,29586,845
December 20254.4%3,84782,74686,593
November 20254.7%4,07282,73786,809
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.5%3,81081,71585,525
August 20254.6%4,02982,88086,909
July 20254.4%3,91184,12488,035
June 20254.3%3,81183,83187,642
May 20253.5%2,99982,39785,396
April 20253.2%2,73181,91384,644
March 20253.9%3,31381,35384,666
February 20254.4%3,64979,76883,417
January 20254.2%3,46279,29282,754
December 20243.7%3,03579,18782,222
November 20243.9%3,20379,21982,422
October 20243.9%3,23180,63683,867
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.2%3,60382,06985,672
20243.8%3,22580,84384,068
20232.7%2,23081,08783,317
20222.9%2,36378,30980,672
20213.2%2,56676,62279,188
20205.0%3,91573,92277,837
20192.4%1,90276,78178,683
20182.9%2,27274,76477,036
20173.7%2,81972,67775,496
20164.4%3,25970,86574,124

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. South Carolina's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.0% 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 Beaufort County

172.3 per 100,0002025. South Carolina: 387.6.
922.4 per 100,0002025. South Carolina: 1,676.2.
6murders2025, 383 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2025383172.32,050922.4
2024627287.42,9341,344.8
2023702328.13,0941,446.1
2022753361.93,0271,454.9
2021668324.13,3431,622.0
2020646315.32,9711,450.2
2019800399.53,0941,545.2
2018863436.13,4801,758.4
2017771397.23,7311,922.2
2016633332.84,0412,124.4
By police agency (6)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Beaufort County Sheriff's Office20252601,086135,071
Bluffton Police Department20252327238,446
Port Royal Police Department20252422717,030
Hardeeville Police Department20252317616,040
Beaufort Police Department20253926114,521
Yemassee Police Department202514281,127

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 South Carolina · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.80 per 1,000 residents2025, 6 agencies serving 222,235 people.
401sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
121civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (6), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Beaufort County Sheriff's Office21297135,071
Bluffton Police Department601038,446
Beaufort Police Department49614,521
Hardeeville Police Department43416,040
Port Royal Police Department25317,030
Yemassee Police Department1211,127
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20254011.801216
20243811.751166
20223511.691056
20193611.801106
20183741.89966

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 Beaufort County Clerk of Court?
Jerri Ann Roseneau is the Clerk of Court of Beaufort County, South Carolina.
Who is the Beaufort County Coroner?
Deborah Ann Youmans is the Coroner of Beaufort County, South Carolina.
Who is the Beaufort County Probate Judge?
Heather J. Galvin is the Probate Judge of Beaufort County, South Carolina.
Who is the Beaufort County Sheriff?
P. J. Tanner is the Sheriff of Beaufort County, South Carolina.
Who are the Beaufort County commissioners?
Joseph Passiment (County Council Member); Gerald Dawson (County Council Member); Alice Howard (County Council Member); Thomas Reitz (County Council Member); York Glover (County Council Member); Paula B. Brown (County Council Member); David P. Bartholomew (County Council Member); Anna M. Tabernik (County Council Member); Mark Lawson (County Council Member); Lawrence McElynn (County Council Member); Logan Cunningham (County Council Member).
What is the population of Beaufort County?
About 195,289 people, with a median age of 48.1; the median household income is $86,573 and 9.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Beaufort County?
3.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 3,025 people unemployed in a labor force of 87,479, against 4.5% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Beaufort County?
16 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal, 1 school district and 10 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Beaufort County?
1: Beaufort. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.

Officeholders as of October 15, 2026, from the South Carolina Legislative Manual's list of county officers and mayors of county seats; 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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