Karnes County, TX elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Karnes County: 9 seats on 6 elected bodies. 7 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 Karnes County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 18 local governments in Karnes 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
4
0
School districts (school boards)
4
0
Special districts (elected boards)
9
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 Karnes County
14,968people
38.1median ageU.S.: 38.9
$60,214 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
19.1%below the U.S.: 12.5%
14.3%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$149,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700
2.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
3.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
3.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
15.8%U.S.: 8.4%
41.3%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
24.1%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 53.4% · White 34.7% · Black 9.3% · Asian 0.3% · Other or more than one race 2.4% (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 Karnes County
4.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.2%. Texas: 4.3%.
223people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
4,967people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
5,190in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
4.3%
223
4,967
5,190
August 2026
4.5%
231
4,928
5,159
July 2026
4.6%
236
4,927
5,163
June 2026
4.7%
244
4,901
5,145
May 2026
4.1%
209
4,947
5,156
April 2026
3.7%
191
4,971
5,162
March 2026
4.0%
204
4,902
5,106
February 2026
4.3%
224
4,971
5,195
January 2026
4.4%
225
4,929
5,154
December 2025
3.8%
194
4,963
5,157
November 2025
4.1%
215
4,999
5,214
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
4.2%
222
5,021
5,243
August 2025
4.4%
228
5,003
5,231
July 2025
4.4%
230
4,993
5,223
June 2025
4.2%
217
4,988
5,205
May 2025
3.9%
204
4,998
5,202
April 2025
3.5%
182
5,059
5,241
March 2025
4.1%
212
4,987
5,199
February 2025
4.5%
236
5,010
5,246
January 2025
4.3%
224
4,984
5,208
December 2024
3.8%
198
4,952
5,150
November 2024
4.4%
230
4,966
5,196
October 2024
4.2%
219
4,962
5,181
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.1%
215
5,000
5,215
2024
4.2%
216
4,984
5,200
2023
4.0%
209
4,969
5,178
2022
4.3%
219
4,897
5,116
2021
6.7%
356
4,950
5,306
2020
8.1%
436
4,923
5,359
2019
3.2%
173
5,205
5,378
2018
3.7%
190
4,998
5,188
2017
4.6%
224
4,690
4,914
2016
6.3%
305
4,526
4,831
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 Karnes County
158.4 per 100,0002025. Texas: 344.9.
1,095.3 per 100,0002025. Texas: 1,786.0.
1murders2025, 24 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
24
158.4
166
1,095.3
2024
26
170.3
151
988.9
2023
16
107.4
162
1,087.2
2022
23
154.6
203
1,364.6
2021
36
232.6
164
1,059.6
2020
25
160.0
233
1,490.8
2019
55
351.4
286
1,827.5
2018
33
217.3
318
2,093.6
2017
39
254.8
301
1,966.5
2016
45
300.9
352
2,353.9
By police agency (3)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Karnes County Sheriff's Office
2025
15
60
8,177
Kenedy Police Department
2025
7
95
3,352
Karnes City Police Department
2024
6
19
3,112
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
2.97 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 15,156 people.
45sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
26civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Karnes County Sheriff's Office
26
24
8,177
Kenedy Police Department
11
1
3,352
Karnes City Police Department
8
1
3,627
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
45
2.97
26
3
2024
40
2.62
32
3
2023
55
3.69
35
3
2022
54
3.63
35
3
2021
52
3.36
35
3
2020
53
3.39
35
3
2017
46
3.01
36
3
2016
52
3.48
36
3
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 Karnes County County Attorney?
Jennifer Tapia is the County Attorney of Karnes County, Texas.
Who is the Karnes County County Clerk?
Jamie Leal is the County Clerk of Karnes County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Karnes County District Clerk?
Denise Rodriguez is the District Clerk of Karnes County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Karnes County County Judge?
Wade Hedtke is the County Judge of Karnes County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Karnes County Tax Assessor-Collector?
Tammy Braudaway is the Tax Assessor-Collector of Karnes County, Texas.
What is the population of Karnes County?
About 14,968 people, with a median age of 38.1; the median household income is $60,214 and 19.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Karnes County?
4.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 223 people unemployed in a labor force of 5,190, against 4.2% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Karnes County?
18 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal, 4 school district and 9 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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