Howard County, TX elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Howard County: 7 seats on 5 elected bodies. 5 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
How many local governments Howard County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 13 local governments in Howard County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
0
Cities, towns, villages and townships
3
0
School districts (school boards)
4
0
Special districts (elected boards)
5
1
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 Howard County
32,290people
36.7median ageU.S.: 38.9
$69,649 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
13.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
15.7%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$155,600median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
9.8%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
13.6%U.S.: 8.4%
50.8%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
21.4%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 47.7% · White 43.1% · Black 4.5% · Asian 1% · Other or more than one race 3.6% (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 Howard County
4.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.1%. Texas: 4.3%.
547people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
12,402people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
12,949in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
4.2%
547
12,402
12,949
August 2026
4.5%
579
12,267
12,846
July 2026
5.0%
638
12,244
12,882
June 2026
5.1%
655
12,167
12,822
May 2026
4.1%
522
12,254
12,776
April 2026
3.8%
482
12,280
12,762
March 2026
3.8%
493
12,585
13,078
February 2026
4.0%
529
12,614
13,143
January 2026
4.1%
539
12,543
13,082
December 2025
3.4%
449
12,695
13,144
November 2025
3.8%
505
12,713
13,218
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
4.1%
542
12,645
13,187
August 2025
4.3%
568
12,550
13,118
July 2025
4.3%
570
12,623
13,193
June 2025
4.1%
540
12,642
13,182
May 2025
3.6%
470
12,741
13,211
April 2025
3.2%
426
12,926
13,352
March 2025
3.5%
494
13,635
14,129
February 2025
3.6%
513
13,588
14,101
January 2025
3.6%
504
13,528
14,032
December 2024
3.1%
441
13,567
14,008
November 2024
3.6%
501
13,596
14,097
October 2024
3.5%
494
13,585
14,079
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.8%
507
12,935
13,442
2024
3.6%
497
13,473
13,970
2023
3.8%
522
13,191
13,713
2022
4.7%
643
13,108
13,751
2021
6.0%
840
13,096
13,936
2020
7.8%
1,087
12,840
13,927
2019
2.9%
428
14,126
14,554
2018
3.1%
440
13,652
14,092
2017
4.1%
560
13,017
13,577
2016
5.4%
725
12,776
13,501
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. Texas's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.4% 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 Howard County
751.2 per 100,0002025. Texas: 344.9.
2,545.3 per 100,0002025. Texas: 1,786.0.
4murders2025, 224 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
224
751.2
759
2,545.3
2024
208
702.6
883
2,982.6
2023
232
699.3
841
2,535.0
2022
212
629.6
820
2,435.2
2021
238
655.0
930
2,559.4
2020
175
476.4
1,035
2,817.7
2019
206
565.6
1,324
3,635.4
2018
207
573.5
1,000
2,770.5
2017
197
533.0
1,176
3,181.6
2016
199
529.9
1,643
4,375.4
By police agency (2)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Big Spring Police Department
2025
186
527
21,734
Howard County Sheriff's Office
2025
38
232
8,086
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 Texas · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.81 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 29,820 people.
54sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
48civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Howard County Sheriff's Office
26
37
8,086
Big Spring Police Department
28
11
21,734
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
54
1.81
48
2
2024
52
1.76
49
2
2023
60
1.81
46
2
2022
59
1.75
55
2
2021
59
1.62
52
2
2020
62
1.69
51
2
2019
55
1.51
53
2
2016
55
1.46
53
2
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 Howard County County Clerk?
Jury Padron is the County Clerk of Howard County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Howard County District Clerk?
JoAnna Gonzales is the District Clerk of Howard County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Howard County County Judge?
Randy S. Johnson is the County Judge of Howard County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Howard County County and District Attorney?
Joshua Hamby is the County and District Attorney of Howard County, Texas.
What is the population of Howard County?
About 32,290 people, with a median age of 36.7; the median household income is $69,649 and 13.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Howard County?
4.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 547 people unemployed in a labor force of 12,949, against 4.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Howard County?
13 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 4 school district and 5 special district governments.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Office of Court Administration's directory of trial courts by county (May 2026), the Texas Secretary of State's county officer lists, the Comptroller's county directory and each county's own website (commissioners); officials appointed since those lists were updated may differ; 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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