Matagorda County, TX elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Matagorda County: 11 seats on 7 elected bodies. 8 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 Matagorda County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 27 local governments in Matagorda 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
2
0
School districts (school boards)
5
0
Special districts (elected boards)
19
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 Matagorda County
36,329people
37.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$58,628 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
20.7%below the U.S.: 12.5%
22.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$172,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
8.7%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
11.8%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
17.9%U.S.: 8.4%
49.7%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
27.1%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 43.7% · White 41.4% · Black 9.7% · Asian 1.6% · 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 Matagorda County
5.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 6.0%. Texas: 4.3%.
988people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
16,682people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
17,670in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
5.6%
988
16,682
17,670
August 2026
6.0%
1,039
16,396
17,435
July 2026
6.1%
1,061
16,373
17,434
June 2026
6.3%
1,085
16,218
17,303
May 2026
5.6%
971
16,430
17,401
April 2026
5.0%
881
16,847
17,728
March 2026
5.2%
909
16,551
17,460
February 2026
5.6%
991
16,587
17,578
January 2026
6.2%
1,089
16,395
17,484
December 2025
5.5%
954
16,292
17,246
November 2025
5.8%
1,009
16,464
17,473
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
6.0%
1,050
16,318
17,368
August 2025
6.3%
1,076
16,010
17,086
July 2025
6.2%
1,057
16,028
17,085
June 2025
6.0%
1,012
15,930
16,942
May 2025
5.4%
921
16,053
16,974
April 2025
5.2%
893
16,426
17,319
March 2025
5.5%
935
16,028
16,963
February 2025
5.8%
988
16,086
17,074
January 2025
5.6%
949
15,945
16,894
December 2024
5.5%
903
15,450
16,353
November 2024
5.4%
892
15,523
16,415
October 2024
5.2%
868
15,926
16,794
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
5.8%
986
16,144
17,130
2024
5.6%
923
15,494
16,417
2023
5.7%
932
15,414
16,346
2022
6.2%
1,019
15,461
16,480
2021
8.5%
1,354
14,528
15,882
2020
11.0%
1,733
14,002
15,735
2019
5.9%
939
14,869
15,808
2018
6.5%
1,028
14,888
15,916
2017
7.7%
1,235
14,793
16,028
2016
7.7%
1,230
14,788
16,018
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 Matagorda County
438.5 per 100,0002025. Texas: 344.9.
1,334.7 per 100,0002025. Texas: 1,786.0.
2murders2025, 159 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
159
438.5
484
1,334.7
2024
210
571.0
755
2,052.7
2023
187
517.8
771
2,135.0
2022
195
532.2
942
2,571.1
2021
201
552.8
914
2,513.8
2020
180
493.0
961
2,632.1
2019
153
421.5
1,133
3,121.0
2018
148
402.7
1,112
3,025.4
2017
173
464.7
1,014
2,723.6
2016
135
368.1
1,221
3,329.3
By police agency (3)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Bay City Police Department
2025
69
297
17,330
Matagorda County Sheriff's Office
2025
79
142
14,567
Palacios Police Department
2025
11
45
4,366
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
1.82 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 36,263 people.
66sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
60civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Matagorda County Sheriff's Office
23
39
14,567
Bay City Police Department
32
19
17,330
Palacios Police Department
11
2
4,366
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
66
1.82
60
3
2024
69
1.88
66
3
2023
80
2.22
58
3
2022
78
2.13
60
3
2021
77
2.12
63
3
2020
114
3.12
30
3
2016
90
2.45
63
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 Matagorda County County Attorney?
Kim Chau is the County Attorney of Matagorda County, Texas.
Who is the Matagorda County County Clerk?
Stephanie Cantu Wurtz is the County Clerk of Matagorda County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Matagorda County District Attorney?
Steven Reis is the District Attorney of Matagorda County, Texas.
Who is the Matagorda County District Clerk?
Janice Hawthorne is the District Clerk of Matagorda County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Matagorda County County Judge?
Bobby Seiferman is the County Judge of Matagorda County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Matagorda County Tax Assessor-Collector?
Becky Cook is the Tax Assessor-Collector of Matagorda County, Texas.
What is the population of Matagorda County?
About 36,329 people, with a median age of 37.8; the median household income is $58,628 and 20.7% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Matagorda County?
5.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 988 people unemployed in a labor force of 17,670, against 6.0% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Matagorda County?
27 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal, 5 school district and 19 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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