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

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

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Assessor of PropertyPhil Ballard source
Circuit Court ClerkCharlie Susano source
County ClerkRichie Beeler source
County MayorBetsy Henderson source
Register of DeedsSherry Witt source
SheriffBrent Gibson source
TrusteeNick McBride source

How many local governments Knox County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 12 local governments in Knox 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)90

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 Knox 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 Knox County

494,148people
37.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$74,222 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
12.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
41%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$320,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
6.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
8.3%U.S.: 8.4%
50.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
20.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 6.3% · White 79.1% · Black 8% · Asian 2.3% · Other or more than one race 4.3% (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 Knox County

2.8%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.0%. Tennessee: 3.3%.
7,314people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
254,910people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
262,224in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Knox County 0.0%1.6%3.2%4.7%6.3% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)2.8%7,314254,910262,224
August 20263.2%8,213251,838260,051
July 20263.1%8,037254,521262,558
June 20263.3%8,689252,955261,644
May 20262.5%6,687256,519263,206
April 20262.7%7,034255,955262,989
March 20262.6%6,792253,704260,496
February 20263.1%8,102253,043261,145
January 20262.9%7,489253,536261,025
December 20252.7%7,199257,548264,747
November 20253.1%8,145257,728265,873
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.0%8,099258,216266,315
August 20253.1%8,078256,554264,632
July 20253.5%9,261257,929267,190
June 20253.5%9,367256,546265,913
May 20252.8%7,480257,814265,294
April 20252.5%6,708258,956265,664
March 20252.8%7,432255,519262,951
February 20252.8%7,374254,307261,681
January 20253.1%8,158251,634259,792
December 20242.8%7,318250,990258,308
November 20243.0%7,849251,513259,362
October 20243.0%7,772251,550259,322
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.0%7,936256,614264,550
20242.9%7,549249,507257,056
20232.8%7,176244,990252,166
20222.9%7,346242,839250,185
20213.5%8,524235,648244,172
20206.0%14,313225,103239,416
20192.9%7,039234,693241,732
20183.0%7,069229,696236,765
20173.3%7,585225,626233,211
20164.1%9,362220,771230,133

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 Knox County

369.2 per 100,0002025. Tennessee: 492.3.
1,350.6 per 100,0002025. Tennessee: 1,636.6.
20murders2025, 1,898 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
20251,898369.26,9441,350.6
20242,052402.57,6211,494.9
20232,193436.58,6751,726.5
20222,281461.110,3502,092.3
20212,252467.111,0022,281.8
20202,093440.911,4612,414.5
20191,856395.111,7852,509.1
20182,213474.812,5532,693.5
20172,401520.914,2573,093.0
20162,396526.614,7753,247.0
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Knox County Sheriff's Office20255242,218313,481
Knoxville Police Department20251,3744,726200,645

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

1.54 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 514,126 people.
794sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
607civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Knox County Sheriff's Office425507313,481
Knoxville Police Department369100200,645
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20257941.546072
20247301.435492
20237591.515792
20227531.525622
20217821.626422
20207711.627152
20198001.707052
20187911.707382
20177901.716582
20168101.786092

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 Knox County Assessor of Property?
Phil Ballard is the Assessor of Property of Knox County, Tennessee.
Who is the Knox County Circuit Court Clerk?
Charlie Susano is the Circuit Court Clerk of Knox County, Tennessee.
Who is the Knox County County Clerk?
Richie Beeler is the County Clerk of Knox County, Tennessee.
Who is the Knox County County Mayor?
Betsy Henderson is the County Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.
Who is the Knox County Register of Deeds?
Sherry Witt is the Register of Deeds of Knox County, Tennessee.
Who is the Knox County Sheriff?
Brent Gibson is the Sheriff of Knox County, Tennessee.
Who is the Knox County Trustee?
Nick McBride is the Trustee of Knox County, Tennessee.
What is the population of Knox County?
About 494,148 people, with a median age of 37.4; the median household income is $74,222 and 12.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Knox County?
2.8% in September 2026 (preliminary): 7,314 people unemployed in a labor force of 262,224, against 3.0% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Knox County?
12 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal and 9 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.

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