Chester County, TN elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Chester County: 7 seats on 7 elected bodies.

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Assessor of PropertyBeverly Morton source
Circuit Court ClerkJustin Emerson source
County ClerkWilliam Smith source
County MayorBarry Hutcherson source
Register of DeedsDoris Ethridge source
SheriffMark Griffin source
TrusteeLance Beshires source

How many local governments Chester County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 4 local governments in Chester County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government10
Cities, towns, villages and townships20
School districts (school boards)00
Special districts (elected boards)10

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 (1 in Chester County), 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 Chester County

17,611people
37.6median ageU.S.: 38.9
$59,341 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
16.1%below the U.S.: 12.5%
22%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$164,400median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.8%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
7.7%U.S.: 8.4%
38.3%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
20.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3.4% · White 83.8% · Black 9.5% · Asian 0.2% · Other or more than one race 3.2% (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 Chester County

4.0%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.2%. Tennessee: 3.3%.
284people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
6,890people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
7,174in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Chester 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)4.0%2846,8907,174
August 20264.5%3266,8607,186
July 20264.4%3176,9207,237
June 20264.8%3526,9097,261
May 20263.6%2576,8987,155
April 20263.8%2716,8407,111
March 20263.5%2476,8417,088
February 20264.1%2966,8437,139
January 20263.9%2826,8737,155
December 20253.8%2726,9747,246
November 20254.2%3046,9437,247
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.2%3036,9707,273
August 20254.3%3096,9487,257
July 20255.0%3697,0037,372
June 20255.0%3727,0007,372
May 20253.8%2786,9907,268
April 20253.4%2447,0087,252
March 20253.7%2706,9687,238
February 20253.6%2576,9097,166
January 20254.1%2936,9077,200
December 20243.7%2666,9147,180
November 20244.1%2936,8467,139
October 20244.0%2826,8377,119
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.1%2976,9657,262
20243.9%2766,8257,101
20233.7%2576,7226,979
20223.6%2516,6876,938
20214.3%2966,6486,944
20206.8%4676,4086,875
20194.2%2896,6576,946
20184.6%3166,5526,868
20174.9%3326,4246,756
20166.1%4136,3546,767

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. Tennessee's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.4% 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 Chester County

244.1 per 100,0002025. Tennessee: 492.3.
688.0 per 100,0002025. Tennessee: 1,636.6.
2murders2025, 44 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202544244.1124688.0
202444247.782461.7
202337208.4131738.0
202246259.7109615.4
202157325.1118673.1
202053306.2123710.6
201964370.11871,081.4
201838222.1158923.7
201762353.71961,118.1
201644251.02031,158.1
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Chester County Sheriff's Office2025265111,456
Henderson Police Department202518736,566

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 Tennessee · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.05 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 18,022 people.
37sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
12civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Chester County Sheriff's Office201111,456
Henderson Police Department1716,566
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025372.05122
2024351.97122
2023311.75292
2022331.86252
2021331.88302
2020331.91272
2019321.85332
2018311.81342
2017291.65342
2016301.71312

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 Chester County Assessor of Property?
Beverly Morton is the Assessor of Property of Chester County, Tennessee.
Who is the Chester County Circuit Court Clerk?
Justin Emerson is the Circuit Court Clerk of Chester County, Tennessee.
Who is the Chester County County Clerk?
William Smith is the County Clerk of Chester County, Tennessee.
Who is the Chester County County Mayor?
Barry Hutcherson is the County Mayor of Chester County, Tennessee.
Who is the Chester County Register of Deeds?
Doris Ethridge is the Register of Deeds of Chester County, Tennessee.
Who is the Chester County Sheriff?
Mark Griffin is the Sheriff of Chester County, Tennessee.
Who is the Chester County Trustee?
Lance Beshires is the Trustee of Chester County, Tennessee.
What is the population of Chester County?
About 17,611 people, with a median age of 37.6; the median household income is $59,341 and 16.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Chester County?
4.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 284 people unemployed in a labor force of 7,174, against 4.2% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Chester County?
4 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal and 1 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the county directory of the University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS); 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.

Every Tennessee county · Tennessee's members of Congress

See your members of Congress and every race and measure on your ballot in Chester County, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races

See something wrong on this page? Report a problem · Corrections