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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Fairfield County: 12 seats on 6 elected bodies.

County Council

Fairfield County Council

OfficeWho holds it now
County Council MemberShirley M. Greene source
County Council MemberTimothy Roseborough source
County Council MemberNeil Robinson source
County Council MemberDouglas Pauley source
County Council MemberClarence Gilbert source
County Council MemberPeggy Swearin- gen source
County Council MemberDan Ruff source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Clerk of CourtDorothy B. Belton source
CoronerChris Hill source
Probate JudgeBrad Caulder source
SheriffWill Montgomery source

Cities and towns

  • Winnsboro · Mayor John McMeekin Legislative Delegation Office vacant, Legislative Coordinator Fairfield Co. Admin. Bldg. 350 Columbia Rd., Winnsboro, SC 29180 Tel. (803) 815-4037 Email: fc.delegation@fairfield.sc.gov · 1 seat

How many local governments Fairfield County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 7 local governments in Fairfield 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 townships31
School districts (school boards)10
Special districts (elected boards)20

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 Fairfield County

20,550people
47.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$47,885 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
15.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
15.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$151,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
7%U.S.: 8.4%
61.7%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
26.4%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.5% · White 38.9% · Black 54.5% · Asian 0.1% · Other or more than one race 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 Fairfield County

5.0%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.4%. South Carolina: 3.7%.
506people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
9,715people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
10,221in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Fairfield County 0.0%1.9%3.9%5.8%7.8% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)5.0%5069,71510,221
August 20265.2%5259,65310,178
July 20264.9%4939,65610,149
June 20265.0%5079,65110,158
May 20264.6%4699,65310,122
April 20264.6%4659,58210,047
March 20265.2%5239,55410,077
February 20266.4%6519,47510,126
January 20266.3%6349,47010,104
December 20255.4%5499,55210,101
November 20255.8%5819,51910,100
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20255.4%5359,4039,938
August 20255.8%5769,3409,916
July 20255.5%5499,3679,916
June 20255.3%5239,3809,903
May 20254.7%4599,3509,809
April 20254.4%4329,3759,807
March 20255.2%5139,3209,833
February 20255.4%5339,2629,795
January 20255.3%5259,3459,870
December 20245.0%4939,3969,889
November 20245.1%5009,3599,859
October 20245.3%5209,3539,873
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.3%5259,3839,908
20245.0%4869,2759,761
20233.8%3659,2639,628
20224.4%4219,1239,544
20215.4%5199,1329,651
20207.4%7209,0419,761
20194.1%3999,4399,838
20185.7%5699,4289,997
20176.7%6979,68410,381
20166.5%6889,84010,528

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 Fairfield County

528.1 per 100,0002021. South Carolina: 513.8.
1,731.1 per 100,0002021. South Carolina: 2,493.8.
6murders2021, 115 violent crimes in all.

2021 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
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2021115528.13771,731.1
2020143635.55112,271.0
2019167741.15282,343.2
2018142624.74952,177.6
2017191838.35402,370.1
2016175764.87443,251.3
By police agency (3)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Fairfield County Sheriff's Office202511224416,738
Winnsboro Police Department202212733,126
Ridgeway Police Department202400253

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

3.46 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 20,242 people.
70sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
6civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Fairfield County Sheriff's Office57616,738
Winnsboro Police Department1203,251
Ridgeway Police Department10253
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025703.4663
2024683.3473
2023602.96113
2021713.3072
2020652.9392
2019693.1052
2018632.8152
2016662.9262

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 Fairfield County Clerk of Court?
Dorothy B. Belton is the Clerk of Court of Fairfield County, South Carolina.
Who is the Fairfield County Coroner?
Chris Hill is the Coroner of Fairfield County, South Carolina.
Who is the Fairfield County Probate Judge?
Brad Caulder is the Probate Judge of Fairfield County, South Carolina.
Who is the Fairfield County Sheriff?
Will Montgomery is the Sheriff of Fairfield County, South Carolina.
Who are the Fairfield County commissioners?
Shirley M. Greene (County Council Member); Timothy Roseborough (County Council Member); Neil Robinson (County Council Member); Douglas Pauley (County Council Member); Clarence Gilbert (County Council Member); Peggy Swearin- gen (County Council Member); Dan Ruff (County Council Member).
What is the population of Fairfield County?
About 20,550 people, with a median age of 47.4; the median household income is $47,885 and 15.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Fairfield County?
5.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 506 people unemployed in a labor force of 10,221, against 5.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Fairfield County?
7 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 1 school district and 2 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Fairfield County?
1: Winnsboro. 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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