Knox 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 Knox County: 3 seats on 3 elected bodies. 2 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Circuit ClerkMary Ostrander source
County Clerk & RecorderScott G. Erickson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

School Board

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Regional Superintendent of SchoolsKathryn Jennings sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Knox County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 68 local governments in Knox 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 townships (14 municipal, 21 township)350
School districts (school boards)60
Special districts (elected boards)260

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 Knox County

49,046people
42.6median ageU.S.: 38.9
$57,030 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
14.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
21%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$111,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
3.2%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5%U.S.: 8.4%
52.1%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 6.4% · White 79.9% · Black 8% · Asian 1.3% · Other or more than one race 4.4% (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 Knox County

4.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.3%. Illinois: 4.2%.
881people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
19,640people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
20,521in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Knox County 0.0%2.2%4.5%6.7%8.9% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.3%88119,64020,521
August 20264.4%87819,28320,161
July 20264.3%88319,48220,365
June 20265.1%1,04219,22520,267
May 20265.0%1,00219,20820,210
April 20265.2%1,03519,04220,077
March 20266.5%1,32519,08220,407
February 20266.4%1,28418,83320,117
January 20266.2%1,24718,72419,971
December 20256.1%1,19218,47919,671
November 20255.7%1,13118,84119,972
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20255.3%1,07119,15620,227
August 20255.6%1,12919,02720,156
July 20255.2%1,06519,25220,317
June 20254.7%95419,34320,297
May 20254.1%84519,65520,500
April 20254.1%83519,66020,495
March 20254.8%97119,36720,338
February 20255.1%1,03619,39620,432
January 20255.2%1,07219,47220,544
December 20244.4%90019,38020,280
November 20244.4%89719,68820,585
October 20244.5%94619,93720,883
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.1%1,02719,24120,268
20245.2%1,09019,67320,763
20235.5%1,11119,24120,352
20225.4%1,07018,77019,840
20216.6%1,35919,12720,486
20208.5%1,78319,21520,998
20194.9%1,06120,71321,774
20185.4%1,19420,98322,177
20175.2%1,16921,39222,561
20165.9%1,40022,26023,660

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. 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.

Quick answers

Who is the Knox County Circuit Clerk?
Mary Ostrander is the Circuit Clerk of Knox County, Illinois.
Who is the Knox County County Clerk & Recorder?
Scott G. Erickson is the County Clerk & Recorder of Knox County, Illinois. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is on the Knox County School Board?
Kathryn Jennings (Regional Superintendent of Schools).
What is the population of Knox County?
About 49,046 people, with a median age of 42.6; the median household income is $57,030 and 14.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Knox County?
4.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 881 people unemployed in a labor force of 20,521, against 5.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Knox County?
68 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 14 municipal, 21 township, 6 school district and 26 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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