Wells County, IN elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Wells County: 53 seats on 29 elected bodies. 44 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 21 local governments in Wells County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
1
Cities, towns, villages and townships (5 municipal, 9 township)
14
9
School districts (school boards)
3
0
Special districts (elected boards)
3
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 Wells County
28,420people
39.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$71,957 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
7.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
19.9%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$197,600median home valueU.S.: $332,700
2.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
6.9%U.S.: 8.4%
35%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
18%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 4% · White 92.2% · Black 1% · Asian 0.2% · Other or more than one race 2.6% (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 Wells County
2.9%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.9%. Indiana: 3.7%.
448people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
15,071people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
15,519in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
2.9%
448
15,071
15,519
August 2026
2.7%
424
15,084
15,508
July 2026
2.8%
445
15,202
15,647
June 2026
2.9%
449
15,265
15,714
May 2026
2.5%
387
15,337
15,724
April 2026
2.0%
300
15,044
15,344
March 2026
2.7%
420
14,924
15,344
February 2026
3.0%
455
14,840
15,295
January 2026
3.3%
512
14,904
15,416
December 2025
2.0%
305
15,025
15,330
November 2025
2.5%
387
14,982
15,369
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
2.9%
447
14,970
15,417
August 2025
3.0%
466
14,967
15,433
July 2025
3.2%
508
15,169
15,677
June 2025
3.1%
489
15,116
15,605
May 2025
2.9%
450
15,014
15,464
April 2025
2.5%
378
14,973
15,351
March 2025
3.1%
481
14,843
15,324
February 2025
3.5%
530
14,676
15,206
January 2025
3.5%
534
14,773
15,307
December 2024
2.9%
443
14,825
15,268
November 2024
3.3%
497
14,709
15,206
October 2024
3.0%
466
14,846
15,312
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
2.9%
452
14,955
15,407
2024
3.3%
506
14,670
15,176
2023
2.7%
398
14,614
15,012
2022
2.3%
337
14,392
14,729
2021
2.8%
396
13,949
14,345
2020
5.7%
823
13,571
14,394
2019
2.6%
390
14,634
15,024
2018
2.7%
402
14,535
14,937
2017
2.8%
416
14,322
14,738
2016
3.4%
498
14,255
14,753
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. Indiana's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.4% 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 Wells County
80.7 per 100,0002025. Indiana: 254.4.
221.0 per 100,0002025. Indiana: 1,052.2.
0murders2025, 23 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
23
80.7
63
221.0
2024
27
95.3
87
307.0
2023
33
118.1
98
350.8
2022
17
61.3
115
414.4
2021
8
28.8
107
384.5
2020
14
50.2
171
613.3
2019
11
39.5
181
649.4
2016
6
21.5
526
1,881.0
By police agency (3)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Wells County Sheriff's Office
2025
5
17
14,431
Bluffton Police Department
2025
17
43
10,618
Ossian Police Department
2025
1
3
3,459
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 Indiana · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.31 per 1,000 residents2024, 2 agencies serving 28,337 people.
37sworn officers2024, full-time, as of October 31.
25civilian staff2024, full-time.
2024 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.
Agencies counted (2), 2024
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Wells County Sheriff's Office
17
23
17,818
Bluffton Police Department
20
2
10,519
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2024
37
1.31
25
2
2023
39
1.40
37
2
2022
39
1.41
32
2
2020
37
1.33
37
2
2019
37
1.33
13
2
2018
34
1.21
13
2
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 Wells County County Assessor?
Laura Roberts (Republican) is the County Assessor of Wells County, Indiana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Wells County County Auditor?
Lisa Mccormick (Republican) is the County Auditor of Wells County, Indiana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Wells County Clerk of the Circuit Court?
Beth Davis (Republican) is the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Wells County, Indiana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Wells County County Coroner?
Cliff Thomas (Republican) is the County Coroner of Wells County, Indiana.
Who is the Wells County Prosecuting Attorney?
Colin Z. Andrews (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Wells County, Indiana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Wells County County Recorder?
Rina E Stuck (Republican) is the County Recorder of Wells County, Indiana.
Who is the Wells County Sheriff?
Scott A Holliday (Republican) is the Sheriff of Wells County, Indiana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Wells County County Surveyor?
Jarrod M Hahn (Republican) is the County Surveyor of Wells County, Indiana.
Who is the Wells County County Treasurer?
Pam Gregory (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Wells County, Indiana.
Who are the Wells County commissioners?
Mike Vanover (District 1); Blake Gerber (District 2); Jeff Stringer (District 3); Brian Lambert (County Council Member, District 1); Steven R Huggins (County Council Member, District 2); Todd J Mahnensmith (County Council Member, District 3); Brandon Harnish (County Council Member, District 4); Vicki Andrews (County Council Member, At-large); Scott Elzey (County Council Member, At-large); R. Seth Whicker (County Council Member, At-large).
What is the population of Wells County?
About 28,420 people, with a median age of 39.8; the median household income is $71,957 and 7.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Wells County?
2.9% in September 2026 (preliminary): 448 people unemployed in a labor force of 15,519, against 2.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Wells County?
21 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 9 township, 3 school district and 3 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Wells County?
18: Chester Township, Chester Township, Harrison Township, Harrison Township, Jackson Township, Jackson Township, Jefferson Township, Jefferson Township, Lancaster Township, Lancaster Township, Liberty Township, Liberty Township, Nottingham Township, Nottingham Township, Rockcreek Township, Rockcreek Township, Union Township, Union Township. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Indiana Election Division's certified results of each seat's last election (the 2022 and 2024 generals and the 2023 municipal election, on enr.indianavoters.in.gov); county vacancies are filled by party caucus, so officials appointed since then 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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