Fayette 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 Fayette County: 7 seats on 6 elected bodies.

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Circuit ClerkTravis Prince Republican source
County ClerkMichelle Holly Democratic source
Prosecuting AttorneyAnthony Ciliberti Democratic source
SheriffJess Mcmullen Republican source
County SurveyorJack Booda Democratic source

School Board

Fayette County Board of Education

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it now
Board of Education MemberJoshua Crist source
Board of Education MemberCindy Whitlock source

How many local governments Fayette County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 22 local governments in Fayette County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government10
Cities, towns, villages and townships100
School districts (school boards)11
Special districts (elected boards)100

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 Fayette County

39,519people
44.7median ageU.S.: 38.9
$53,194 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
19.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
15.8%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$105,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8.4%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
8%U.S.: 8.4%
52.7%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
16.8%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.4% · White 91.4% · Black 4.1% · Asian 0.1% · Other or more than one race 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 Fayette County

3.8%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.3%. West Virginia: 3.5%.
591people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
14,911people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
15,502in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Fayette County 0.0%2.5%5.1%7.6%10.2% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.8%59114,91115,502
August 20264.3%67114,83815,509
July 20264.5%70014,95015,650
June 20265.0%78314,86315,646
May 20264.1%63514,71715,352
April 20264.8%73514,66515,400
March 20265.1%77514,45515,230
February 20266.7%1,04014,47615,516
January 20266.2%96014,47415,434
December 20255.7%90314,82015,723
November 20255.4%84714,85215,699
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.3%68715,12115,808
August 20254.7%74715,10715,854
July 20254.6%74215,32416,066
June 20254.5%71415,31516,029
May 20254.0%63315,05815,691
April 20254.3%67814,98715,665
March 20254.9%75614,77415,530
February 20255.1%78314,70215,485
January 20255.1%78714,67015,457
December 20243.9%60414,92415,528
November 20243.8%59115,00115,592
October 20243.3%52815,30815,836
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.8%75214,97515,727
20244.3%67815,23415,912
20234.2%66715,30615,973
20224.5%70515,11315,818
20216.1%96314,81915,782
20209.7%1,56014,56416,124
20195.4%89415,55916,453
20185.9%97215,44216,414
20176.1%99115,29216,283
20167.7%1,24715,01116,258

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.

Police in Fayette County

Police staffing

1.88 per 1,000 residents2025, 7 agencies serving 38,736 people.
73sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
15civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (7), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Fayette County Sheriff's Office33624,183
Oak Hill Police Department1747,630
Fayetteville Police Department1322,719
Montgomery Police Department621,183
Mount Hope Police Department211,233
Ansted Police Department101,274
Gauley Bridge Police Department10514
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025731.88157
2023701.76207
2022731.82167
2021771.82187
2020761.78157
2019811.88158
2018781.79158
2017721.62108

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 Fayette County Circuit Clerk?
Travis Prince (Republican) is the Circuit Clerk of Fayette County, West Virginia.
Who is the Fayette County County Clerk?
Michelle Holly (Democratic) is the County Clerk of Fayette County, West Virginia.
Who is the Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney?
Anthony Ciliberti (Democratic) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Fayette County, West Virginia.
Who is the Fayette County Sheriff?
Jess Mcmullen (Republican) is the Sheriff of Fayette County, West Virginia.
Who is the Fayette County County Surveyor?
Jack Booda (Democratic) is the County Surveyor of Fayette County, West Virginia.
Who is on the Fayette County School Board?
Joshua Crist (Board of Education Member); Cindy Whitlock (Board of Education Member).
What is the population of Fayette County?
About 39,519 people, with a median age of 44.7; the median household income is $53,194 and 19.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Fayette County?
3.8% in September 2026 (preliminary): 591 people unemployed in a labor force of 15,502, against 4.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Fayette County?
22 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 10 municipal, 1 school district and 10 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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