Hardin County, KY elected officials: the fiscal court, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Hardin County: 22 seats on 9 elected bodies. 22 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
Fiscal Court
Hardin County Fiscal Court
Each member is elected by the voters of their district.
On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
How many local governments Hardin County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 11 local governments in Hardin 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
0
School districts (school boards)
2
0
Special districts (elected boards)
3
1
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 Hardin County
111,942people
37.3median ageU.S.: 38.9
$67,647 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
13.1%below the U.S.: 12.5%
24.8%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$225,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
4.3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
15.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5.8%U.S.: 8.4%
36.6%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
23%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 6.5% · White 74.4% · Black 10.7% · Asian 2.2% · Other or more than one race 6.2% (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 Hardin County
5.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.8%. Kentucky: 4.5%.
47,031people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
49,533in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
5.1%
2,502
47,031
49,533
August 2026
4.8%
2,359
47,181
49,540
July 2026
5.8%
2,890
47,245
50,135
June 2026
6.3%
3,128
46,392
49,520
May 2026
5.7%
2,782
46,430
49,212
April 2026
5.1%
2,453
46,120
48,573
March 2026
5.5%
2,720
46,365
49,085
February 2026
5.3%
2,562
45,911
48,473
January 2026
4.8%
2,330
46,029
48,359
December 2025
4.1%
2,012
47,207
49,219
November 2025
4.3%
2,109
47,114
49,223
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
4.8%
2,384
47,282
49,666
August 2025
4.7%
2,338
47,357
49,695
July 2025
5.4%
2,702
47,287
49,989
June 2025
5.1%
2,523
47,429
49,952
May 2025
4.6%
2,281
47,147
49,428
April 2025
4.5%
2,218
47,122
49,340
March 2025
5.3%
2,625
46,650
49,275
February 2025
5.6%
2,749
46,288
49,037
January 2025
5.4%
2,654
46,221
48,875
December 2024
4.8%
2,342
46,893
49,235
November 2024
4.7%
2,314
46,588
48,902
October 2024
4.7%
2,310
46,719
49,029
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.9%
2,418
47,009
49,427
2024
4.9%
2,408
46,494
48,902
2023
4.3%
2,042
45,508
47,550
2022
4.3%
2,011
44,757
46,768
2021
4.6%
2,130
44,507
46,637
2020
7.0%
3,305
43,988
47,293
2019
3.9%
1,924
46,969
48,893
2018
4.0%
1,931
46,762
48,693
2017
4.5%
2,168
46,136
48,304
2016
4.4%
2,116
45,475
47,591
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. Kentucky's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.7% 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 Hardin County
128.9 per 100,0002025. Kentucky: 212.1.
705.4 per 100,0002025. Kentucky: 1,261.7.
3murders2025, 146 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
146
128.9
799
705.4
2024
123
107.8
861
754.3
2023
128
113.6
992
880.5
2022
115
102.3
1,006
894.8
2021
169
150.6
1,050
935.8
2020
140
125.8
1,159
1,041.4
2019
135
122.3
1,444
1,308.3
2018
160
147.9
1,561
1,442.9
2017
155
144.3
1,544
1,437.5
2016
172
161.9
1,282
1,206.9
By police agency (5)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Hardin County Sheriff's Office
2025
35
189
47,318
Elizabethtown Police Department
2025
38
225
35,407
Radcliff Police Department
2025
67
368
22,628
Vine Grove Police Department
2025
6
17
7,016
West Point Police Department
2025
0
0
899
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 Kentucky · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.31 per 1,000 residents2022, 5 agencies serving 112,432 people.
147sworn officers2022, full-time, as of October 31.
44civilian staff2022, full-time.
2022 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.
Agencies counted (5), 2022
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Elizabethtown Police Department
66
21
32,437
Hardin County Sheriff's Office
43
15
49,279
Radcliff Police Department
31
8
22,931
Vine Grove Police Department
6
0
6,843
West Point Police Department
1
0
942
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2022
147
1.31
44
5
2020
144
1.29
47
5
2019
142
1.29
49
5
2017
129
1.20
44
5
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 Hardin County County Attorney?
Jenny Oldham (Republican) is the County Attorney of Hardin County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hardin County County Clerk?
Brian D. Smith (Republican) is the County Clerk of Hardin County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hardin County Coroner?
William H. Lee (Democratic) is the Coroner of Hardin County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hardin County Jailer?
Joshua "Big Josh" Lindblom (Democratic) is the Jailer of Hardin County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hardin County Property Valuation Administrator?
Danny L. Hutcherson (Democratic) is the Property Valuation Administrator of Hardin County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hardin County Sheriff?
John Ward (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Hardin County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hardin County County Surveyor?
Eric Spurrier (Republican) is the County Surveyor of Hardin County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Hardin County commissioners?
Keith Taul (County Judge/Executive); Chris Yates (Magistrate, 1st District); Kenny Saltsman (Magistrate, 2nd District); Patsy Whitehead (Magistrate, 3rd District); Fred Clem Jr. (Magistrate, 4th District); Aaron Pennington (Magistrate, 5th District); E. G. Thompson (Magistrate, 6th District); Larry Allen Hicks (Magistrate, 7th District); Kenny Muse (Magistrate, 8th District).
What is the population of Hardin County?
About 111,942 people, with a median age of 37.3; the median household income is $67,647 and 13.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Hardin County?
5.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 2,502 people unemployed in a labor force of 49,533, against 4.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Hardin County?
11 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 2 school district and 3 special district governments.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Kentucky State Board of Elections' official precinct recaps of each seat's last election (2022, and 2024 for some Louisville and Lexington council seats); 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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