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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Pickens County: 11 seats on 6 elected bodies.

County Council

Pickens County Council

OfficeWho holds it now
County Council MemberAlex Saitta source
County Council MemberChris Bowers source
County Council MemberChris Lollis source
County Council MemberC. Claiborne Linvill source
County Council MemberDr. D.A. Holloway source
County Council MemberScott Lang source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Clerk of CourtHarold P. Welborn, Jr. source
CoronerAndrew Wilson source
Probate JudgeDavid Allison source
SheriffTommy Blankenship source

Cities and towns

  • Pickens · Mayor Isaiah Scipio · 1 seat

How many local governments Pickens County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 14 local governments in Pickens 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 townships71
School districts (school boards)10
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 Pickens County

134,629people
36.2median ageU.S.: 38.9
$61,064 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
17.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
28.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$231,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
3.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
8.6%U.S.: 8.4%
55.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
22.8%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 5.4% · White 82.7% · Black 5.7% · Asian 1.6% · Other or more than one race 4.6% (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 Pickens County

3.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.1%. South Carolina: 3.7%.
2,233people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
67,182people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
69,415in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Pickens County 0.0%1.3%2.6%3.9%5.1% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.2%2,23367,18269,415
August 20264.0%2,81266,69369,505
July 20264.1%2,84566,52569,370
June 20264.4%3,03966,64269,681
May 20264.0%2,75566,59869,353
April 20263.5%2,39166,25868,649
March 20263.9%2,66065,83268,492
February 20265.2%3,58865,28468,872
January 20265.3%3,64064,98268,622
December 20255.0%3,40565,05468,459
November 20254.8%3,27265,33268,604
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.1%2,72264,25066,972
August 20254.5%3,02863,83166,859
July 20255.0%3,38863,78767,175
June 20254.7%3,15864,05567,213
May 20254.1%2,69563,47066,165
April 20253.7%2,48363,96366,446
March 20253.6%2,40663,90566,311
February 20254.2%2,75463,32466,078
January 20253.9%2,55863,42265,980
December 20243.6%2,39763,41165,808
November 20244.1%2,68963,25965,948
October 20244.3%2,82663,27566,101
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.3%2,89764,03666,933
20244.0%2,60562,97865,583
20232.9%1,83062,36064,190
20223.0%1,86460,50462,368
20213.3%2,00058,60260,602
20204.9%2,93456,73359,667
20192.6%1,59058,63660,226
20183.2%1,89457,46659,360
20173.9%2,31956,47958,798
20164.7%2,79756,21259,009

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 Pickens County

201.5 per 100,0002025. South Carolina: 387.6.
810.4 per 100,0002025. South Carolina: 1,676.2.
4murders2025, 189 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2025189201.5760810.4
2024155167.3862930.4
2023189204.61,1351,228.4
2022201217.31,1741,269.3
2021213243.31,5191,734.7
2020283316.61,7111,914.2
2019265302.11,8032,055.6
2018332382.72,0922,411.8
2017343394.32,3052,649.9
2016289333.42,2082,547.4
By police agency (4)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Pickens County Sheriff's Office202517361881,124
Central Police Department202431155,340
Pickens Police Department2024101043,388
Liberty Police Department20257293,343

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

2.17 per 1,000 residents2025, 4 agencies serving 93,020 people.
202sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
27civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (4), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Pickens County Sheriff's Office1612581,124
Pickens Police Department1803,197
Central Police Department1315,356
Liberty Police Department1013,343
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20252022.17274
20241842.00254
20231751.91204
20221922.09294
20191852.13354
20181451.69394
20161451.69274

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 Pickens County Clerk of Court?
Harold P. Welborn, Jr. is the Clerk of Court of Pickens County, South Carolina.
Who is the Pickens County Coroner?
Andrew Wilson is the Coroner of Pickens County, South Carolina.
Who is the Pickens County Probate Judge?
David Allison is the Probate Judge of Pickens County, South Carolina.
Who is the Pickens County Sheriff?
Tommy Blankenship is the Sheriff of Pickens County, South Carolina.
Who are the Pickens County commissioners?
Alex Saitta (County Council Member); Chris Bowers (County Council Member); Chris Lollis (County Council Member); C. Claiborne Linvill (County Council Member); Dr. D.A. Holloway (County Council Member); Scott Lang (County Council Member).
What is the population of Pickens County?
About 134,629 people, with a median age of 36.2; the median household income is $61,064 and 17.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Pickens County?
3.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 2,233 people unemployed in a labor force of 69,415, against 4.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Pickens County?
14 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 7 municipal, 1 school district and 5 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Pickens County?
1: Pickens. 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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