Who is the Bristol County Clerk of Courts?

Jennifer A. Sullivan (Democratic) is the Clerk of Courts of Bristol County, Massachusetts.

Who is the Bristol County Register of Probate?

Thomas C. Hoye, Jr (Democratic) is the Register of Probate of Bristol County, Massachusetts. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Bristol County Sheriff?

Paul R. Heroux (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Bristol County, Massachusetts.

Who is the Bristol County County Treasurer?

Christopher T. Saunders (Democratic) is the County Treasurer of Bristol County, Massachusetts. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Bristol County District Attorney, Bristol District?

Thomas M. Quinn, III (Democratic) is the District Attorney, Bristol District of Bristol County, Massachusetts. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Bristol County Register of Deeds, Bristol Northern District?

Barry J. Amaral (Democratic) is the Register of Deeds, Bristol Northern District of Bristol County, Massachusetts.

Who is the Bristol County Register of Deeds, Bristol Southern District?

Sherrilynn M. Mello (Democratic) is the Register of Deeds, Bristol Southern District of Bristol County, Massachusetts.

Who is the Bristol County Register of Deeds, Fall River District?

Bernard J. McDonald, III (Democratic) is the Register of Deeds, Fall River District of Bristol County, Massachusetts.

Who are the Bristol County commissioners?

John R. Mitchell (County Commissioner); John T. Saunders (County Commissioner); Julie K. Ruggiero (County Commissioner).

What is the population of Bristol County?

About 582,270 people, with a median age of 40.9; the median household income is $85,625 and 11.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Bristol County?

4.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 14,135 people unemployed in a labor force of 313,254, against 4.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Bristol County?

63 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 15 township, 7 school district and 35 special district governments.

Bristol County, MA elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Bristol County: 11 seats on 9 elected bodies. 3 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Commissioners (in the six counties that still have a county government)

Bristol County Commissioners

Every member is elected countywide.

Office	Who holds it now
County Commissioner	John R. Mitchell source
County Commissioner	John T. Saunders source
County Commissioner	Julie K. Ruggiero source

Official website

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
Clerk of Courts	Jennifer A. Sullivan Democratic source
Register of Probate	Thomas C. Hoye, Jr Democratic source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff	Paul R. Heroux Democratic source
County Treasurer	Christopher T. Saunders Democratic source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
District Attorney, Bristol District	Thomas M. Quinn, III Democratic source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Register of Deeds, Bristol Northern District	Barry J. Amaral Democratic source
Register of Deeds, Bristol Southern District	Sherrilynn M. Mello Democratic source
Register of Deeds, Fall River District	Bernard J. McDonald, III Democratic source

How many local governments Bristol County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 63 local governments in Bristol 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, 15 township)	20	0
School districts (school boards)	7	0
Special districts (elected boards)	35	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 (17 in Bristol County), 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 Bristol County

582,270people

40.9median ageU.S.: 38.9

$85,625 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

11.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%

30.8%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$451,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700

5.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

13.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

5.2%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

3.3%U.S.: 8.4%

52.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

29.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 10.2% · White 75.3% · Black 4% · Asian 2.4% · Other or more than one race 8% (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 Bristol County

4.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.7%. Massachusetts: 4.1%.

14,135people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

299,119people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

313,254in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	4.5%	14,135	299,119	313,254
August 2026	4.9%	15,468	298,175	313,643
July 2026	5.3%	16,424	295,778	312,202
June 2026	4.6%	14,246	296,527	310,773
May 2026	4.5%	14,017	294,485	308,502
April 2026	4.7%	14,648	294,389	309,037
March 2026	5.6%	17,466	293,901	311,367
February 2026	6.2%	19,495	293,471	312,966
January 2026	6.2%	19,557	293,727	313,284
December 2025	5.1%	16,079	298,253	314,332
November 2025	5.0%	15,663	298,913	314,576
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	4.7%	14,715	300,759	315,474
August 2025	5.1%	16,303	303,204	319,507
July 2025	5.2%	16,674	302,248	318,922
June 2025	4.8%	15,366	303,392	318,758
May 2025	4.8%	15,066	301,926	316,992
April 2025	4.6%	14,728	302,217	316,945
March 2025	5.4%	17,173	299,668	316,841
February 2025	5.9%	18,574	298,371	316,945
January 2025	5.7%	17,908	298,060	315,968
December 2024	4.5%	14,020	301,008	315,028
November 2024	4.2%	13,200	300,965	314,165
October 2024	4.2%	13,083	300,139	313,222

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	5.1%	16,204	300,637	316,841
2024	4.6%	14,486	298,901	313,387
2023	4.2%	12,939	291,970	304,909
2022	4.5%	13,658	286,763	300,421
2021	6.1%	18,178	278,965	297,143
2020	10.8%	32,225	265,334	297,559
2019	3.9%	11,983	292,133	304,116
2018	4.4%	13,504	290,490	303,994
2017	4.9%	14,645	283,413	298,058
2016	5.1%	14,951	277,437	292,388

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. Massachusetts's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.3% 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 Bristol County

335.1 per 100,0002025. Massachusetts: 302.7.

1,020.2 per 100,0002025. Massachusetts: 1,031.2.

10murders2025, 1,977 violent crimes in all.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2025	1,977	335.1	6,020	1,020.2
2024	1,851	311.3	5,915	994.8
2023	2,320	397.4	6,258	1,071.9
2022	2,496	427.4	6,044	1,035.0
2021	2,309	402.8	5,642	984.2
2020	2,172	385.1	5,635	999.1
2019	2,236	398.2	6,547	1,165.8
2018	2,352	417.6	7,467	1,325.9
2017	2,311	412.4	8,758	1,563.0
2016	2,550	458.7	9,826	1,767.7

By police agency (20)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
New Bedford Police Department	2025	347	1,565	101,139
Fall River Police Department	2025	751	1,436	94,628
Taunton Police Department	2025	240	655	62,418
Attleboro Police Department	2025	120	445	47,111
Dartmouth Police Department	2025	101	484	34,759
North Attleboro Police Department	2024	30	326	31,565
Easton Police Department	2025	45	188	25,625
Mansfield Police Department	2025	45	177	24,070
Norton Police Department	2025	22	18	19,383
Somerset Police Department	2025	40	81	18,347
Swansea Police Department	2025	31	173	17,582
Westport Police Department	2025	24	61	16,751
Raynham Police Department	2025	33	158	15,992
Fairhaven Police Department	2025	49	117	15,986
Seekonk Police Department	2025	26	232	15,965
Rehoboth Police Department	2025	12	26	13,766
Acushnet Police Department	2025	24	33	10,708
Freetown Police Department	2025	26	58	9,400
Dighton Police Department	2025	10	29	8,291
Berkley Police Department	2025	11	18	6,904

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 Massachusetts · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.00 per 1,000 residents2025, 20 agencies serving 590,052 people.

1,182sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

251civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (20), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Fall River Police Department	232	49	94,628
New Bedford Police Department	212	59	101,139
Taunton Police Department	124	11	62,418
Attleboro Police Department	90	17	47,111
Dartmouth Police Department	67	16	34,759
North Attleboro Police Department	51	17	31,227
Mansfield Police Department	39	11	24,070
Seekonk Police Department	42	6	15,965
Somerset Police Department	34	8	18,347
Easton Police Department	37	3	25,625
Fairhaven Police Department	35	4	15,986
Raynham Police Department	31	8	15,992
Swansea Police Department	33	6	17,582
Norton Police Department	35	1	19,383
Westport Police Department	30	6	16,751
Rehoboth Police Department	27	7	13,766
Freetown Police Department	20	8	9,400
Acushnet Police Department	19	4	10,708
Dighton Police Department	14	6	8,291
Berkley Police Department	10	4	6,904

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	1,182	2.00	251	20
2024	1,127	1.90	245	20
2023	1,135	1.94	223	20
2022	1,147	1.96	212	20
2018	1,179	2.09	230	20
2017	1,151	2.05	215	20
2016	1,132	2.04	202	20

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 Bristol County Clerk of Courts?: Jennifer A. Sullivan (Democratic) is the Clerk of Courts of Bristol County, Massachusetts.
Who is the Bristol County Register of Probate?: Thomas C. Hoye, Jr (Democratic) is the Register of Probate of Bristol County, Massachusetts. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Bristol County Sheriff?: Paul R. Heroux (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Bristol County, Massachusetts.
Who is the Bristol County County Treasurer?: Christopher T. Saunders (Democratic) is the County Treasurer of Bristol County, Massachusetts. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Bristol County District Attorney, Bristol District?: Thomas M. Quinn, III (Democratic) is the District Attorney, Bristol District of Bristol County, Massachusetts. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Bristol County Register of Deeds, Bristol Northern District?: Barry J. Amaral (Democratic) is the Register of Deeds, Bristol Northern District of Bristol County, Massachusetts.
Who is the Bristol County Register of Deeds, Bristol Southern District?: Sherrilynn M. Mello (Democratic) is the Register of Deeds, Bristol Southern District of Bristol County, Massachusetts.
Who is the Bristol County Register of Deeds, Fall River District?: Bernard J. McDonald, III (Democratic) is the Register of Deeds, Fall River District of Bristol County, Massachusetts.
Who are the Bristol County commissioners?: John R. Mitchell (County Commissioner); John T. Saunders (County Commissioner); Julie K. Ruggiero (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Bristol County?: About 582,270 people, with a median age of 40.9; the median household income is $85,625 and 11.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Bristol County?: 4.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 14,135 people unemployed in a labor force of 313,254, against 4.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Bristol County?: 63 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 15 township, 7 school district and 35 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Secretary of the Commonwealth's certified election statistics (PD43+) of each seat's last election, and the county governments' own pages for their commissioners; officials appointed since an election 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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