Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 51 local governments in Jefferson 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 (9 municipal, 16 township)
25
0
School districts (school boards)
15
0
Special districts (elected boards)
10
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 Jefferson County
36,550people
41.2median ageU.S.: 38.9
$63,118 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
13.5%below the U.S.: 12.5%
18.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$126,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.8%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
7.2%U.S.: 8.4%
43.3%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
21.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.8% · White 83.6% · Black 5.8% · Asian 1% · Other or more than one race 6.7% (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 Jefferson County
4.4%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.9%. Illinois: 4.2%.
674people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
14,692people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
15,366in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
4.4%
674
14,692
15,366
August 2026
4.6%
711
14,646
15,357
July 2026
4.6%
714
14,893
15,607
June 2026
5.2%
820
14,821
15,641
May 2026
5.0%
760
14,526
15,286
April 2026
4.7%
718
14,560
15,278
March 2026
5.8%
905
14,710
15,615
February 2026
6.0%
925
14,613
15,538
January 2026
5.9%
920
14,560
15,480
December 2025
5.6%
852
14,392
15,244
November 2025
5.8%
892
14,447
15,339
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
4.9%
765
14,703
15,468
August 2025
5.2%
820
14,831
15,651
July 2025
5.2%
822
15,125
15,947
June 2025
4.5%
723
15,192
15,915
May 2025
4.3%
664
14,933
15,597
April 2025
3.9%
621
15,216
15,837
March 2025
4.5%
712
15,059
15,771
February 2025
4.6%
728
14,953
15,681
January 2025
4.8%
763
15,004
15,767
December 2024
4.1%
640
15,162
15,802
November 2024
4.3%
675
15,103
15,778
October 2024
4.3%
682
15,133
15,815
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.9%
760
14,896
15,656
2024
4.7%
754
15,211
15,965
2023
4.8%
770
15,407
16,177
2022
4.8%
789
15,503
16,292
2021
6.4%
1,047
15,429
16,476
2020
10.0%
1,672
15,118
16,790
2019
4.5%
787
16,536
17,323
2018
5.4%
950
16,718
17,668
2017
5.5%
952
16,444
17,396
2016
6.4%
1,114
16,361
17,475
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 Jefferson County
266.9 per 100,0002025. Illinois: 251.0.
1,192.6 per 100,0002025. Illinois: 1,507.5.
0murders2025, 96 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
96
266.9
429
1,192.6
2024
50
135.9
278
755.7
2020
41
109.7
942
2,520.7
2019
44
117.2
1,022
2,722.9
2018
55
145.0
1,018
2,683.9
2017
49
127.5
642
1,670.6
2016
48
126.0
990
2,599.4
By police agency (3)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
2025
15
144
20,263
Mount Vernon Police Department
2025
81
283
14,062
Ina Police Department
2023
0
7
1,658
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
2.04 per 1,000 residents2024, 3 agencies serving 36,789 people.
75sworn officers2024, full-time, as of October 31.
57civilian staff2024, full-time.
2024 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.
Agencies counted (3), 2024
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
32
44
20,989
Mount Vernon Police Department
41
13
14,146
Ina Police Department
2
0
1,654
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2024
75
2.04
57
3
2023
73
2.01
58
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 Jefferson County Circuit Clerk?
Randy Pollard, Jr. is the Circuit Clerk of Jefferson County, Illinois.
Who is the Jefferson County County Clerk & Recorder?
Joseph Davis is the County Clerk & Recorder of Jefferson County, Illinois. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is on the Jefferson County School Board?
Matt Renaud (Regional Superintendent of Schools).
What is the population of Jefferson County?
About 36,550 people, with a median age of 41.2; the median household income is $63,118 and 13.5% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Jefferson County?
4.4% in September 2026 (preliminary): 674 people unemployed in a labor force of 15,366, against 4.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Jefferson County?
51 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal, 16 township, 15 school district and 10 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.
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