Polk County, TX elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Polk County: 13 seats on 6 elected bodies. 10 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 Polk County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 18 local governments in Polk County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
1
Cities, towns, villages and townships
5
0
School districts (school boards)
6
0
Special districts (elected boards)
6
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 Polk County
52,800people
44median ageU.S.: 38.9
$62,259 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
17.5%below the U.S.: 12.5%
16.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$184,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
8.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
4.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
9.5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
14.4%U.S.: 8.4%
46.4%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
29.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 15.3% · White 70.9% · Black 7.7% · Asian 0.6% · Other or more than one race 5.5% (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 Polk County
4.8%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.2%. Texas: 4.3%.
20,778people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
21,815in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
4.8%
1,037
20,778
21,815
August 2026
5.0%
1,081
20,614
21,695
July 2026
5.3%
1,136
20,437
21,573
June 2026
5.4%
1,168
20,309
21,477
May 2026
4.9%
1,054
20,528
21,582
April 2026
4.6%
980
20,507
21,487
March 2026
4.6%
1,002
20,552
21,554
February 2026
5.1%
1,101
20,484
21,585
January 2026
5.3%
1,148
20,330
21,478
December 2025
4.6%
986
20,453
21,439
November 2025
5.0%
1,080
20,546
21,626
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
5.2%
1,127
20,537
21,664
August 2025
5.3%
1,145
20,493
21,638
July 2025
5.2%
1,125
20,398
21,523
June 2025
4.9%
1,057
20,378
21,435
May 2025
4.5%
973
20,430
21,403
April 2025
4.3%
925
20,552
21,477
March 2025
4.6%
988
20,538
21,526
February 2025
4.9%
1,054
20,266
21,320
January 2025
5.0%
1,068
20,151
21,219
December 2024
4.6%
966
20,070
21,036
November 2024
5.0%
1,066
20,105
21,171
October 2024
4.8%
1,007
20,110
21,117
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.9%
1,048
20,431
21,479
2024
5.1%
1,066
19,910
20,976
2023
5.1%
1,038
19,204
20,242
2022
5.3%
1,050
18,703
19,753
2021
7.5%
1,467
18,153
19,620
2020
8.3%
1,599
17,551
19,150
2019
4.5%
843
17,870
18,713
2018
4.8%
886
17,624
18,510
2017
5.8%
1,053
17,135
18,188
2016
6.0%
1,079
16,984
18,063
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 Polk County
254.5 per 100,0002025. Texas: 344.9.
1,161.5 per 100,0002025. Texas: 1,786.0.
2murders2025, 140 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
140
254.5
639
1,161.5
2024
102
181.9
633
1,128.8
2023
158
288.4
798
1,456.5
2022
147
274.0
886
1,651.4
2021
121
227.1
743
1,394.4
2020
118
227.4
861
1,659.6
2019
113
224.6
1,060
2,106.5
2018
114
229.9
829
1,672.0
2017
120
248.5
825
1,708.6
2016
114
241.8
797
1,690.8
By police agency (4)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Polk County Sheriff's Office
2025
101
430
44,665
Livingston Police Department
2025
18
160
5,521
Onalaska Police Department
2025
10
43
3,443
Corrigan Police Department
2025
11
6
1,384
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
1.56 per 1,000 residents2025, 4 agencies serving 55,013 people.
86sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
80civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (4), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Polk County Sheriff's Office
39
67
44,665
Livingston Police Department
25
8
5,521
Corrigan Police Department
10
5
1,384
Onalaska Police Department
12
0
3,443
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
86
1.56
80
4
2024
83
1.48
77
4
2023
72
1.31
70
4
2022
81
1.51
81
4
2021
87
1.63
70
4
2019
85
1.69
72
4
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 Polk County County Clerk?
Schelana Hock is the County Clerk of Polk County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Polk County Criminal District Attorney?
Shelly Bush Sitton is the Criminal District Attorney of Polk County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Polk County District Clerk?
Monica Goodson is the District Clerk of Polk County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Polk County Tax Assessor-Collector?
Tatum White is the Tax Assessor-Collector of Polk County, Texas.
Who are the Polk County commissioners?
Sydney Murphy (County Judge); Guylene Robertson (Precinct 1); Mark DuBose (Precinct 2); Milt Purvis (Precinct 3); Jerry Cassity (Precinct 4).
What is the population of Polk County?
About 52,800 people, with a median age of 44; the median household income is $62,259 and 17.5% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Polk County?
4.8% in September 2026 (preliminary): 1,037 people unemployed in a labor force of 21,815, against 5.2% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Polk County?
18 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 6 school district and 6 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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