Wharton County, TX elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Wharton County: 14 seats on 7 elected bodies. 9 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 Wharton County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 23 local governments in Wharton 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
3
0
School districts (school boards)
6
0
Special districts (elected boards)
13
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 Wharton County
41,794people
38.1median ageU.S.: 38.9
$66,924 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
13.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
20.7%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$189,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
8.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
14.2%U.S.: 8.4%
49.3%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
31.4%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 42% · White 43.3% · Black 10.9% · Asian 0.5% · Other or more than one race 3.3% (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 Wharton County
4.8%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.8%. Texas: 4.3%.
942people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
18,560people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
19,502in 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%
942
18,560
19,502
August 2026
5.2%
1,014
18,484
19,498
July 2026
5.3%
1,027
18,399
19,426
June 2026
5.3%
1,035
18,342
19,377
May 2026
4.6%
898
18,576
19,474
April 2026
4.2%
820
18,759
19,579
March 2026
4.3%
826
18,532
19,358
February 2026
4.6%
911
18,811
19,722
January 2026
4.7%
922
18,501
19,423
December 2025
4.2%
823
18,662
19,485
November 2025
4.7%
913
18,721
19,634
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
4.8%
939
18,606
19,545
August 2025
4.7%
919
18,661
19,580
July 2025
4.7%
920
18,620
19,540
June 2025
4.4%
855
18,553
19,408
May 2025
4.1%
800
18,720
19,520
April 2025
3.9%
771
19,086
19,857
March 2025
4.1%
813
18,995
19,808
February 2025
4.4%
882
19,138
20,020
January 2025
4.4%
862
18,864
19,726
December 2024
4.0%
774
18,734
19,508
November 2024
4.4%
850
18,666
19,516
October 2024
4.3%
841
18,646
19,487
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.4%
863
18,784
19,647
2024
4.3%
847
18,713
19,560
2023
4.3%
844
18,582
19,426
2022
4.4%
825
18,041
18,866
2021
6.5%
1,225
17,478
18,703
2020
7.7%
1,449
17,272
18,721
2019
3.9%
731
18,081
18,812
2018
4.3%
792
17,683
18,475
2017
5.2%
951
17,361
18,312
2016
5.8%
1,058
17,217
18,275
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 Wharton County
243.0 per 100,0002025. Texas: 344.9.
1,138.9 per 100,0002025. Texas: 1,786.0.
4murders2025, 102 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
102
243.0
478
1,138.9
2024
139
329.0
559
1,323.0
2023
158
375.9
768
1,827.3
2022
192
455.6
1,044
2,477.2
2021
197
476.9
801
1,939.0
2020
144
347.4
805
1,942.3
2019
147
355.1
797
1,925.1
2018
139
331.3
727
1,733.0
2017
168
402.3
918
2,198.2
2016
173
417.9
1,097
2,649.9
By police agency (3)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Wharton County Sheriff's Office
2025
36
131
21,054
El Campo Police Department
2025
47
196
12,136
Wharton Police Department
2025
19
151
8,782
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
2.14 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 41,972 people.
90sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
60civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Wharton County Sheriff's Office
42
37
21,054
El Campo Police Department
29
13
12,136
Wharton Police Department
19
10
8,782
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
90
2.14
60
3
2024
96
2.27
60
3
2023
101
2.40
55
3
2022
89
2.11
52
3
2021
89
2.15
57
3
2020
97
2.34
57
3
2019
98
2.37
55
3
2016
99
2.39
48
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 Wharton County County Attorney?
G. A. Maffett III is the County Attorney of Wharton County, Texas.
Who is the Wharton County County Clerk?
Barbara Svatek is the County Clerk of Wharton County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Wharton County District Attorney?
Mark Racer is the District Attorney of Wharton County, Texas.
Who is the Wharton County District Clerk?
Kendra Charbula is the District Clerk of Wharton County, Texas. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Wharton County Tax Assessor-Collector?
Cindy Hernandez is the Tax Assessor-Collector of Wharton County, Texas.
Who are the Wharton County commissioners?
Phillip Spenrath (County Judge); Richard Zahn (Precinct 1); Bud Graves (Precinct 2); Steven Goetsch (Precinct 3); Doug Mathews (Precinct 4).
What is the population of Wharton County?
About 41,794 people, with a median age of 38.1; the median household income is $66,924 and 13.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Wharton County?
4.8% in September 2026 (preliminary): 942 people unemployed in a labor force of 19,502, against 4.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Wharton County?
23 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 6 school district and 13 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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