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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Charleston County: 14 seats on 6 elected bodies.

County Council

Charleston County Council

OfficeWho holds it now
County Council MemberHenry Darby source
County Council MemberTeddie Pryor source
County Council MemberRob Wehrman source
County Council MemberKylon Middleton source
County Council MemberHerbert R. Sass III source
County Council MemberBrantley Moody source
County Council MemberJenny Costa Honeycutt source
County Council MemberLarry Kobrovsky source
County Council MemberJoe Boykin source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Clerk of CourtJulie J. Armstrong source
CoronerBobbi Jo O’Neal source
Probate JudgeIrvin G. Condon source
SheriffCarl Richie source

Cities and towns

  • Charleston · Mayor William Cogswell, Jr. Legislative Delegation Office 2500 City Hall Lane, N. Charleston 29406 Tel. (843) 740-5855; Fax (843) 308-4794 · 1 seat

How many local governments Charleston County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 35 local governments in Charleston 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 townships161
School districts (school boards)10
Special districts (elected boards)170

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 Charleston County

420,264people
39.2median ageU.S.: 38.9
$88,494 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
11.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%
50.3%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$489,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
6.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8.2%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
8.3%U.S.: 8.4%
53.4%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 7.2% · White 64.5% · Black 22.7% · Asian 1.8% · Other or more than one race 3.9% (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 Charleston County

3.0%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.7%. South Carolina: 3.7%.
7,405people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
237,683people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
245,088in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Charleston County 0.0%1.6%3.2%4.8%6.4% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.0%7,405237,683245,088
August 20263.5%8,684237,152245,836
July 20263.4%8,290238,861247,151
June 20263.5%8,578237,737246,315
May 20263.0%7,464237,575245,039
April 20262.9%6,973236,161243,134
March 20263.4%8,201233,459241,660
February 20264.5%10,764230,145240,909
January 20264.4%10,618229,619240,237
December 20253.8%9,190230,508239,698
November 20254.0%9,685230,644240,329
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.7%8,803228,065236,868
August 20254.0%9,504227,826237,330
July 20253.8%9,088230,415239,503
June 20253.7%8,860232,146241,006
May 20253.1%7,331230,681238,012
April 20252.9%6,762230,492237,254
March 20253.3%7,933229,025236,958
February 20253.7%8,693226,413235,106
January 20253.5%8,248227,226235,474
December 20243.2%7,493225,998233,491
November 20243.4%7,889224,825232,714
October 20243.5%8,197226,334234,531
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.6%8,554229,404237,958
20243.3%7,726224,547232,273
20232.4%5,537220,824226,361
20222.7%5,884211,584217,468
20213.5%7,454203,795211,249
20206.1%12,752194,991207,743
20192.2%4,603202,979207,582
20182.7%5,468197,163202,631
20173.4%6,806193,297200,103
20164.0%7,884191,201199,085

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 Charleston County

362.2 per 100,0002025. South Carolina: 387.6.
1,899.8 per 100,0002025. South Carolina: 1,676.2.
16murders2025, 1,184 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
20251,184362.26,2111,899.8
20241,312407.66,9292,152.6
By police agency (6)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
North Charleston Police Department20258584,404128,751
Mount Pleasant Police Department202512797896,727
Charleston County Sheriff's Office202518574689,066
Isle of Palms Police Department202510414,384
Folly Beach Police Department20254282,086
Sullivan's Island Police Department20250141,961

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

2.40 per 1,000 residents2024, 6 agencies serving 318,023 people.
762sworn officers2024, full-time, as of October 31.
498civilian staff2024, full-time.

2024 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (6), 2024
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Charleston County Sheriff's Office25038589,513
North Charleston Police Department29574123,511
Mount Pleasant Police Department1652696,608
Isle of Palms Police Department2084,377
Folly Beach Police Department2042,084
Sullivan's Island Police Department1211,930

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 Charleston County Clerk of Court?
Julie J. Armstrong is the Clerk of Court of Charleston County, South Carolina.
Who is the Charleston County Coroner?
Bobbi Jo O’Neal is the Coroner of Charleston County, South Carolina.
Who is the Charleston County Probate Judge?
Irvin G. Condon is the Probate Judge of Charleston County, South Carolina.
Who is the Charleston County Sheriff?
Carl Richie is the Sheriff of Charleston County, South Carolina.
Who are the Charleston County commissioners?
Henry Darby (County Council Member); Teddie Pryor (County Council Member); Rob Wehrman (County Council Member); Kylon Middleton (County Council Member); Herbert R. Sass III (County Council Member); Brantley Moody (County Council Member); Jenny Costa Honeycutt (County Council Member); Larry Kobrovsky (County Council Member); Joe Boykin (County Council Member).
What is the population of Charleston County?
About 420,264 people, with a median age of 39.2; the median household income is $88,494 and 11.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Charleston County?
3.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 7,405 people unemployed in a labor force of 245,088, against 3.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Charleston County?
35 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 16 municipal, 1 school district and 17 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Charleston County?
1: Charleston. 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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