Panola County, TX elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Panola County: 7 seats on 6 elected bodies. 6 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 Panola County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 13 local governments in Panola 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 Panola County
22,726people
40.9median ageU.S.: 38.9
$64,894 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
11.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
17%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$158,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
2.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
4%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
9.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
17%U.S.: 8.4%
40.4%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
18.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 10.4% · White 71.1% · Black 11.2% · Asian 0.5% · Other or more than one race 6.8% (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 Panola County
4.9%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.1%. Texas: 4.3%.
453people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
8,755people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
9,208in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
4.9%
453
8,755
9,208
August 2026
5.2%
473
8,649
9,122
July 2026
5.6%
510
8,593
9,103
June 2026
5.9%
538
8,520
9,058
May 2026
4.9%
449
8,642
9,091
April 2026
4.3%
388
8,567
8,955
March 2026
4.6%
414
8,560
8,974
February 2026
5.1%
464
8,576
9,040
January 2026
5.2%
468
8,448
8,916
December 2025
4.6%
417
8,582
8,999
November 2025
5.1%
467
8,662
9,129
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
5.1%
473
8,764
9,237
August 2025
5.4%
491
8,660
9,151
July 2025
5.3%
486
8,616
9,102
June 2025
4.9%
442
8,511
8,953
May 2025
4.6%
413
8,555
8,968
April 2025
4.3%
382
8,533
8,915
March 2025
4.7%
422
8,502
8,924
February 2025
5.3%
469
8,424
8,893
January 2025
5.2%
456
8,346
8,802
December 2024
4.5%
394
8,369
8,763
November 2024
5.1%
454
8,419
8,873
October 2024
5.2%
462
8,443
8,905
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
5.0%
447
8,560
9,007
2024
5.2%
458
8,422
8,880
2023
4.6%
422
8,679
9,101
2022
4.8%
437
8,609
9,046
2021
7.0%
637
8,519
9,156
2020
8.9%
783
8,055
8,838
2019
4.3%
398
8,935
9,333
2018
4.5%
440
9,318
9,758
2017
5.9%
559
8,981
9,540
2016
7.7%
725
8,737
9,462
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 Panola County
197.7 per 100,0002025. Texas: 344.9.
819.6 per 100,0002025. Texas: 1,786.0.
0murders2025, 48 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
48
197.7
199
819.6
2024
56
229.5
214
877.0
2023
50
208.3
229
954.2
2022
70
290.0
405
1,677.6
2021
73
303.6
412
1,713.4
2020
71
293.8
442
1,828.9
2019
75
311.6
494
2,052.7
2018
76
313.6
502
2,071.6
2017
72
293.6
553
2,254.8
2016
53
213.6
632
2,547.6
By police agency (3)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Panola County Sheriff's Office
2025
22
104
16,190
Carthage Police Department
2025
25
87
6,677
Tatum Police Department
2022
0
9
1,357
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
2.55 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 24,280 people.
62sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
31civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Panola County Sheriff's Office
40
25
16,190
Carthage Police Department
17
6
6,677
Tatum Police Department
5
0
1,413
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
62
2.55
31
3
2024
60
2.46
31
3
2023
60
2.50
33
3
2021
61
2.54
32
3
2020
62
2.57
33
3
2019
56
2.33
31
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 Panola County County Clerk?
Bobbie L. Davis is the County Clerk of Panola County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Panola County Criminal District Attorney?
Larry W. Fields is the Criminal District Attorney of Panola County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Panola County District Clerk?
Lindsey Smith is the District Clerk of Panola County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Panola County County Judge?
Rodger G. McLane is the County Judge of Panola County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Panola County Tax Assessor-Collector?
Holly Gibbs is the Tax Assessor-Collector of Panola County, Texas.
What is the population of Panola County?
About 22,726 people, with a median age of 40.9; the median household income is $64,894 and 11.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Panola County?
4.9% in September 2026 (preliminary): 453 people unemployed in a labor force of 9,208, against 5.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Panola 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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