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

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

County Council

Sumter County Council

OfficeWho holds it now
County Council MemberJames T. McCain, Jr source
County Council MemberJames Byrd source
County Council MemberVivian Fleming-McGhaney source
County Council MemberTasha Gardner Green source
County Council MemberArtie Baker source
County Council MemberCharles T. Edens source
County Council MemberCarlton Washington source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Clerk of CourtJames C. Campbell source
CoronerRobbie Baker source
Probate JudgeDale Atkinson source
SheriffAnthony Dennis source

Cities and towns

  • Sumter · Mayor David Merchant · 1 seat

How many local governments Sumter County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 9 local governments in Sumter 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)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 Sumter County

104,725people
38median ageU.S.: 38.9
$56,693 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
16.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
23.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$165,300median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
14.2%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
10.5%U.S.: 8.4%
51.8%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
31.8%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 4.4% · White 43.6% · Black 45.8% · Asian 1.4% · Other or more than one race 4.7% (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 Sumter County

4.8%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.4%. South Carolina: 3.7%.
2,050people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
40,817people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
42,867in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Sumter County 0.0%1.7%3.5%5.2%6.9% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.8%2,05040,81742,867
August 20265.4%2,31140,69243,003
July 20265.1%2,20841,18843,396
June 20265.4%2,31340,86543,178
May 20264.9%2,12841,18643,314
April 20264.7%2,01941,28643,305
March 20265.2%2,26441,41043,674
February 20266.7%2,93041,11444,044
January 20266.7%2,87940,33643,215
December 20256.0%2,56940,57143,140
November 20256.2%2,68840,57043,258
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20255.4%2,32840,54942,877
August 20255.8%2,49040,23442,724
July 20255.7%2,43840,45942,897
June 20255.5%2,34240,44042,782
May 20254.8%2,04240,16242,204
April 20254.5%1,92440,65142,575
March 20255.1%2,17340,67942,852
February 20255.4%2,33240,48742,819
January 20255.4%2,25639,67341,929
December 20245.2%2,15639,62141,777
November 20245.5%2,29639,37041,666
October 20245.5%2,31040,05442,364
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.4%2,32640,40742,733
20245.1%2,14040,00842,148
20233.8%1,57139,96341,534
20223.8%1,57640,39341,969
20214.5%1,91940,47442,393
20206.6%2,81939,90342,722
20193.3%1,39940,82342,222
20184.0%1,69440,59042,284
20175.2%2,20740,43242,639
20165.8%2,50640,58343,089

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 Sumter County

645.6 per 100,0002025. South Carolina: 387.6.
2,146.1 per 100,0002025. South Carolina: 1,676.2.
15murders2025, 682 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2025682645.62,2672,146.1
2024859816.82,7922,654.9
2023767733.52,9842,853.7
2022874826.42,7702,619.2
2021770729.12,7422,596.2
2020967895.42,8152,606.7
2019803745.73,3523,112.8
2018796737.23,6213,353.4
2017739679.63,8183,511.2
2016636583.83,5463,255.2
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Sumter County Sheriff's Office20253791,09761,746
Sumter Police Department20253031,17042,838

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

2.12 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 104,584 people.
222sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
61civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Sumter Police Department1024642,838
Sumter County Sheriff's Office1201561,746
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20252222.12612
20242242.15552
20232142.07542
20222061.97692
20212252.16492
20202172.031322
20192162.031392
20182041.911412
20172141.991622
20162192.03742

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 Sumter County Clerk of Court?
James C. Campbell is the Clerk of Court of Sumter County, South Carolina.
Who is the Sumter County Coroner?
Robbie Baker is the Coroner of Sumter County, South Carolina.
Who is the Sumter County Probate Judge?
Dale Atkinson is the Probate Judge of Sumter County, South Carolina.
Who is the Sumter County Sheriff?
Anthony Dennis is the Sheriff of Sumter County, South Carolina.
Who are the Sumter County commissioners?
James T. McCain, Jr (County Council Member); James Byrd (County Council Member); Vivian Fleming-McGhaney (County Council Member); Tasha Gardner Green (County Council Member); Artie Baker (County Council Member); Charles T. Edens (County Council Member); Carlton Washington (County Council Member).
What is the population of Sumter County?
About 104,725 people, with a median age of 38; the median household income is $56,693 and 16.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Sumter County?
4.8% in September 2026 (preliminary): 2,050 people unemployed in a labor force of 42,867, against 5.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Sumter County?
9 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 1 school district and 4 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Sumter County?
1: Sumter. 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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