Coles County, IL elected officials: county board members, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Coles County: 3 seats on 3 elected bodies. 2 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 Coles County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 77 local governments in Coles 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 (6 municipal, 12 township)
18
0
School districts (school boards)
4
0
Special districts (elected boards)
54
0
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 Coles County
46,777people
37.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$56,478 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
18.7%below the U.S.: 12.5%
26.9%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$127,400median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.8%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
7.1%U.S.: 8.4%
43.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
18.9%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3.9% · White 88% · Black 3.6% · Asian 1.1% · Other or more than one race 3.5% (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 Coles County
3.0%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.8%. Illinois: 4.2%.
762people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
24,346people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
25,108in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
3.0%
762
24,346
25,108
August 2026
3.2%
752
22,576
23,328
July 2026
3.4%
788
22,684
23,472
June 2026
4.1%
953
22,555
23,508
May 2026
3.7%
865
22,413
23,278
April 2026
3.4%
817
23,410
24,227
March 2026
4.1%
1,012
23,520
24,532
February 2026
4.2%
1,025
23,473
24,498
January 2026
4.2%
1,006
23,211
24,217
December 2025
4.4%
1,057
23,182
24,239
November 2025
4.2%
1,037
23,500
24,537
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.8%
931
23,652
24,583
August 2025
4.3%
996
22,210
23,206
July 2025
4.5%
1,039
22,215
23,254
June 2025
3.9%
912
22,510
23,422
May 2025
3.3%
772
22,544
23,316
April 2025
2.9%
713
23,784
24,497
March 2025
3.4%
822
23,487
24,309
February 2025
3.5%
859
23,409
24,268
January 2025
3.6%
872
23,264
24,136
December 2024
3.1%
757
24,018
24,775
November 2024
3.3%
822
24,134
24,956
October 2024
3.3%
820
23,984
24,804
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
3.8%
910
23,069
23,979
2024
3.9%
936
23,233
24,169
2023
4.0%
951
22,667
23,618
2022
4.0%
941
22,303
23,244
2021
4.9%
1,151
22,191
23,342
2020
6.9%
1,627
21,827
23,454
2019
3.7%
897
23,490
24,387
2018
4.5%
1,116
23,614
24,730
2017
4.4%
1,087
23,868
24,955
2016
5.5%
1,378
23,640
25,018
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. Illinois's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.6% 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 Coles County
295.4 per 100,0002025. Illinois: 251.0.
1,153.8 per 100,0002025. Illinois: 1,507.5.
1murders2025, 137 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
137
295.4
535
1,153.8
2024
164
351.1
583
1,248.2
2023
139
299.7
421
907.8
2019
45
89.5
356
707.8
2018
37
71.9
440
854.6
2017
37
71.0
527
1,011.2
2016
38
73.1
585
1,125.1
By police agency (3)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Charleston Police Department
2025
44
277
17,307
Mattoon Police Department
2025
71
191
16,540
Coles County Sheriff's Office
2025
22
67
12,523
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 Illinois · the U.S.
Police staffing
2.11 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 46,370 people.
98sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
24civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Coles County Sheriff's Office
27
17
12,523
Mattoon Police Department
38
4
16,540
Charleston Police Department
33
3
17,307
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
98
2.11
24
3
2024
95
2.03
29
3
2023
95
2.05
41
3
2019
88
1.75
15
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 Coles County Circuit Clerk?
Melissa Hurst is the Circuit Clerk of Coles County, Illinois.
Who is the Coles County County Clerk & Recorder?
Julie Coe is the County Clerk & Recorder of Coles County, Illinois. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is on the Coles County School Board?
Kyle Thompson (Regional Superintendent of Schools).
What is the population of Coles County?
About 46,777 people, with a median age of 37.5; the median household income is $56,478 and 18.7% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Coles County?
3.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 762 people unemployed in a labor force of 25,108, against 3.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Coles County?
77 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 6 municipal, 12 township, 4 school district and 54 special district governments.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the State Board of Elections' list of election authorities (county clerks), the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts' directory of circuit clerks, the State Board of Education's directory of regional offices of education, the Cook County Clerk's 2025 Directory of Elected Officials, and the large counties' own websites; 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.
See your members of Congress and every race and measure on your ballot in Coles County, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races