Barbour County, WV elected officials: the county commission, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Barbour County: 10 seats on 7 elected bodies. 1 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Commission

Barbour County Commission

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, North DistrictDavid Strait Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerJed Schola Republican source
County CommissionerRobert Richardson Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
AssessorDerick Spencer Republican source
Circuit ClerkGerald Fogg Democratic source
County ClerkLaurie Austin Republican source
Prosecuting AttorneyAndrew Phillips Republican source
SheriffBrett Carpenter Republican source

School Board

Barbour County Board of Education

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it now
Board of Education MemberMartin Durst source
Board of Education MemberAdam Starks source

How many local governments Barbour County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 11 local governments in Barbour County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships30
School districts (school boards)11
Special districts (elected boards)60

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 Barbour County

15,424people
42.2median ageU.S.: 38.9
$51,394 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
20%below the U.S.: 12.5%
12.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$131,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
8.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.4%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
6.5%U.S.: 8.4%
33.5%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
16.9%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.2% · White 90.5% · Black 1.5% · Asian 0.3% · Other or more than one race 6.4% (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 Barbour County

4.0%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.7%. West Virginia: 3.5%.
253people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
6,134people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
6,387in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Barbour County 0.0%2.3%4.6%6.9%9.1% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.0%2536,1346,387
August 20264.6%2886,0266,314
July 20264.4%2806,0476,327
June 20265.2%3316,0236,354
May 20264.2%2666,0596,325
April 20264.7%2986,0216,319
March 20264.8%3015,9476,248
February 20266.7%4275,9676,394
January 20265.9%3695,8826,251
December 20255.2%3235,9316,254
November 20255.1%3195,9826,301
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.7%2996,0456,344
August 20255.3%3335,9696,302
July 20255.2%3275,9486,275
June 20254.8%3116,1106,421
May 20254.4%2786,0376,315
April 20254.7%2946,0206,314
March 20255.4%3395,9856,324
February 20256.4%4115,9666,377
January 20255.8%3716,0466,417
December 20244.6%2976,1056,402
November 20244.1%2626,1536,415
October 20244.1%2706,2506,520
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.2%3286,0046,332
20245.0%3316,2356,566
20235.1%3386,3036,641
20224.7%3156,3596,674
20215.6%3736,2356,608
20208.7%5826,0816,663
20196.2%4156,2916,706
20186.0%3916,1186,509
20176.0%3856,0576,442
20166.9%4576,2036,660

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. West Virginia's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.0% 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 Barbour County

90.9 per 100,0002024. West Virginia: 253.2.
240.2 per 100,0002024. West Virginia: 1,135.8.
2murders2024, 14 violent crimes in all.

2024 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
20241490.937240.2
201743256.542250.6
201662373.078469.2
By police agency (3)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Barbour County Sheriff's Office2024101410,724
Philippi Police Department20244232,897
Belington Police Department2024001,784

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 West Virginia · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.37 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 15,355 people.
21sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
8civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Barbour County Sheriff's Office14710,726
Philippi Police Department412,838
Belington Police Department301,791
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025211.3783
2024231.4973
2023221.4373
2022221.4213
2021201.2183
2020171.0433
2019160.9783
2018160.9733
2017181.0793
2016181.0813

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 Barbour County Assessor?
Derick Spencer (Republican) is the Assessor of Barbour County, West Virginia.
Who is the Barbour County Circuit Clerk?
Gerald Fogg (Democratic) is the Circuit Clerk of Barbour County, West Virginia.
Who is the Barbour County County Clerk?
Laurie Austin (Republican) is the County Clerk of Barbour County, West Virginia.
Who is the Barbour County Prosecuting Attorney?
Andrew Phillips (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Barbour County, West Virginia.
Who is the Barbour County Sheriff?
Brett Carpenter (Republican) is the Sheriff of Barbour County, West Virginia.
Who are the Barbour County commissioners?
David Strait (North District); Jed Schola (County Commissioner); Robert Richardson (County Commissioner).
Who is on the Barbour County School Board?
Martin Durst (Board of Education Member); Adam Starks (Board of Education Member).
What is the population of Barbour County?
About 15,424 people, with a median age of 42.2; the median household income is $51,394 and 20% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Barbour County?
4.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 253 people unemployed in a labor force of 6,387, against 4.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Barbour County?
11 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 1 school district and 6 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the West Virginia Secretary of State's County Elected Official Directory (2025) and the official results of the 2020, 2022 and 2024 elections (for terms and party); officials appointed or changed since the directory was 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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