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

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

County Council

Laurens County Council

OfficeWho holds it now
County Council MemberBrown Patterson source
County Council MemberKemp Younts source
County Council MemberJeffrey Carroll source
County Council MemberShirley Clark source
County Council MemberMatthew Brownlee source
County Council MemberJustin Lane source
County Council MemberArthur Lee Philson, Jr source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Clerk of CourtMichelle Simmons source
CoronerPatti Canupp source
Probate JudgeKaye W. Fridy source
SheriffDon Reynolds source

Cities and towns

  • Laurens · Mayor Nathan Senn Legislative Delegation Office P.O. Box 445, Laurens 29360, Tel. (864) 984-5214 · 1 seat

How many local governments Laurens County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 13 local governments in Laurens 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 townships51
School districts (school boards)20
Special districts (elected boards)50

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 Laurens County

68,666people
40.9median ageU.S.: 38.9
$57,623 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
18.1%below the U.S.: 12.5%
17.6%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$170,600median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
3.8%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.4%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
12.4%U.S.: 8.4%
46.6%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
25.2%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 6.7% · White 65.8% · Black 22.9% · Asian 0.6% · 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 Laurens County

3.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.8%. South Carolina: 3.7%.
1,212people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
32,133people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
33,345in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Laurens County 0.0%1.8%3.6%5.4%7.1% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.6%1,21232,13333,345
August 20264.2%1,41031,91133,321
July 20264.1%1,35131,85933,210
June 20264.3%1,43131,86033,291
May 20264.0%1,31731,89333,210
April 20263.9%1,29431,78033,074
March 20264.4%1,45731,60033,057
February 20265.6%1,87331,34233,215
January 20265.8%1,91231,04632,958
December 20255.2%1,70031,07032,770
November 20255.3%1,74431,21032,954
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.8%1,53830,73532,273
August 20255.1%1,65630,54832,204
July 20255.1%1,62830,57332,201
June 20254.9%1,57730,66232,239
May 20254.4%1,40230,40131,803
April 20254.2%1,34130,65932,000
March 20254.4%1,42730,68032,107
February 20254.7%1,48730,40431,891
January 20254.6%1,46630,29531,761
December 20244.2%1,34230,28931,631
November 20244.5%1,43230,22831,660
October 20244.5%1,43030,27331,703
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.8%1,54230,65832,200
20244.4%1,37830,12831,506
20233.3%99929,56130,560
20223.4%1,01128,71429,725
20214.3%1,26628,19329,459
20206.8%1,98027,31629,296
20192.9%85628,36629,222
20183.6%1,02827,92628,954
20174.4%1,26627,78629,052
20165.2%1,50927,76729,276

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 Laurens County

379.5 per 100,0002025. South Carolina: 387.6.
1,679.2 per 100,0002025. South Carolina: 1,676.2.
2murders2025, 261 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2025261379.51,1551,679.2
2024325483.71,3131,954.0
2023323487.01,2661,908.9
2022338506.81,5272,289.7
2021411624.71,8182,763.4
2020389583.01,8422,760.5
2019374564.91,7772,684.1
2018404609.01,8492,787.3
2017491740.21,9522,942.6
2016337508.71,7462,635.5
By police agency (3)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Laurens County Sheriff's Office202512058850,277
Laurens Police Department2025792909,349
Clinton Police Department2025622777,910

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

1.87 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 67,536 people.
126sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
61civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Laurens County Sheriff's Office685750,277
Laurens Police Department3239,349
Clinton Police Department2617,910
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20251261.87613
20221201.83593
20211141.77723
20191141.76493
20181692.60143
20161241.91183

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 Laurens County Clerk of Court?
Michelle Simmons is the Clerk of Court of Laurens County, South Carolina.
Who is the Laurens County Coroner?
Patti Canupp is the Coroner of Laurens County, South Carolina.
Who is the Laurens County Probate Judge?
Kaye W. Fridy is the Probate Judge of Laurens County, South Carolina.
Who is the Laurens County Sheriff?
Don Reynolds is the Sheriff of Laurens County, South Carolina.
Who are the Laurens County commissioners?
Brown Patterson (County Council Member); Kemp Younts (County Council Member); Jeffrey Carroll (County Council Member); Shirley Clark (County Council Member); Matthew Brownlee (County Council Member); Justin Lane (County Council Member); Arthur Lee Philson, Jr (County Council Member).
What is the population of Laurens County?
About 68,666 people, with a median age of 40.9; the median household income is $57,623 and 18.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Laurens County?
3.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 1,212 people unemployed in a labor force of 33,345, against 4.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Laurens County?
13 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 2 school district and 5 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Laurens County?
1: Laurens. 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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