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

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

County Council

Lancaster County Council

OfficeWho holds it now
County Council MemberBryant Neal source
County Council MemberBrian Carnes source
County Council MemberStuart Graham source
County Council MemberSteve Harper source
County Council MemberBilly Mosteller source
County Council MemberCharlene McGriff source
County Council MemberJose Luis source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Clerk of CourtMike Watkins source
CoronerKarla Knight source
Probate JudgeMary Rathel source
SheriffBarry Faile source

Cities and towns

How many local governments Lancaster County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 10 local governments in Lancaster 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)40

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 Lancaster County

104,475people
42.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$78,869 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
11.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%
33.6%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$329,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.3%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
7.1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
7.9%U.S.: 8.4%
57.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
21.2%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 7.5% · White 67.2% · Black 19.3% · Asian 2.5% · Other or more than one race 3.6% (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 Lancaster County

4.0%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.0%. South Carolina: 3.7%.
2,099people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
50,439people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
52,538in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Lancaster County 0.0%1.7%3.4%5.1%6.8% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.0%2,09950,43952,538
August 20264.5%2,36650,39852,764
July 20264.1%2,18450,45052,634
June 20264.4%2,31150,56952,880
May 20264.0%2,12250,47852,600
April 20263.9%2,03350,10552,138
March 20264.6%2,37449,73152,105
February 20265.8%3,04849,28252,330
January 20265.8%3,01048,97551,985
December 20255.0%2,59849,23551,833
November 20255.3%2,73649,16151,897
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20255.0%2,53448,52751,061
August 20255.3%2,70048,55551,255
July 20254.9%2,50948,79051,299
June 20254.7%2,42548,92651,351
May 20254.2%2,14748,51650,663
April 20253.9%1,98448,46150,445
March 20254.5%2,28548,04350,328
February 20254.8%2,39547,79450,189
January 20254.5%2,28448,03650,320
December 20244.3%2,17048,00650,176
November 20244.5%2,27147,77550,046
October 20244.5%2,23948,05150,290
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.7%2,41848,54950,967
20244.3%2,13847,86149,999
20233.2%1,53847,18248,720
20223.4%1,58345,06346,646
20214.1%1,84742,74644,593
20206.5%2,79440,11242,906
20193.2%1,31640,19741,513
20183.6%1,43438,40439,838
20174.4%1,74137,50739,248
20165.0%1,94436,63638,580

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 Lancaster County

277.1 per 100,0002025. South Carolina: 387.6.
1,134.6 per 100,0002025. South Carolina: 1,676.2.
12murders2025, 329 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2025329277.11,3471,134.6
2024361312.11,5981,381.6
2023334298.71,6111,440.6
2022390363.11,9071,775.6
2021372352.81,3361,267.1
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Lancaster County Sheriff's Office2025215950106,128
Lancaster Police Department20251143979,628

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

1.49 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 115,756 people.
173sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
43civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Lancaster County Sheriff's Office13729106,128
Lancaster Police Department36149,628
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20251731.49432
20221681.60722
20181581.66582
20161391.58642

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 Lancaster County Clerk of Court?
Mike Watkins is the Clerk of Court of Lancaster County, South Carolina.
Who is the Lancaster County Coroner?
Karla Knight is the Coroner of Lancaster County, South Carolina.
Who is the Lancaster County Probate Judge?
Mary Rathel is the Probate Judge of Lancaster County, South Carolina.
Who is the Lancaster County Sheriff?
Barry Faile is the Sheriff of Lancaster County, South Carolina.
Who are the Lancaster County commissioners?
Bryant Neal (County Council Member); Brian Carnes (County Council Member); Stuart Graham (County Council Member); Steve Harper (County Council Member); Billy Mosteller (County Council Member); Charlene McGriff (County Council Member); Jose Luis (County Council Member).
What is the population of Lancaster County?
About 104,475 people, with a median age of 42.5; the median household income is $78,869 and 11.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Lancaster County?
4.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 2,099 people unemployed in a labor force of 52,538, against 5.0% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Lancaster County?
10 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal, 1 school district and 4 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Lancaster County?
1: Lancaster. 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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