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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Middlesex County: 6 seats on 6 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
Clerk of CourtsMichael A. Sullivan Democratic source
Register of ProbateTara Decristofaro Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffPeter J. Koutoujian Democratic source
Register of Deeds, Middlesex Northern DistrictKaren M. Cassella Democratic source
Register of Deeds, Middlesex Southern DistrictMaria C. Curtatone Democratic source
District Attorney, Northern DistrictMarian T. Ryan Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Middlesex County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 129 local governments in Middlesex County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
Cities, towns, villages and townships (13 municipal, 41 township)540
School districts (school boards)130
Special districts (elected boards)620

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 (44 in Middlesex 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 Middlesex County

1,638,365people
38.9median ageU.S.: 38.9
$130,847 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
7.7%below the U.S.: 12.5%
59.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$727,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
23.1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
3.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
2.4%U.S.: 8.4%
47.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
27.2%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 9.3% · White 65.1% · Black 4.7% · Asian 13.6% · Other or more than one race 7.3% (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 Middlesex County

3.8%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.1%. Massachusetts: 4.1%.
35,823people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
897,090people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
932,913in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Middlesex County 0.0%2.0%4.0%6.0%8.0% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.8%35,823897,090932,913
August 20264.0%37,153900,402937,555
July 20264.3%40,063899,228939,291
June 20263.9%36,239902,870939,109
May 20263.8%35,288891,510926,798
April 20263.7%34,728895,180929,908
March 20264.0%36,974894,343931,317
February 20264.5%41,508890,613932,121
January 20264.6%42,999894,139937,138
December 20254.2%39,246901,316940,562
November 20254.3%40,727903,139943,866
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.1%38,796902,704941,500
August 20254.3%40,847913,291954,138
July 20254.3%41,582914,359955,941
June 20254.2%39,916916,709956,625
May 20254.1%38,621909,567948,188
April 20253.6%34,010918,280952,290
March 20253.9%37,458916,594954,052
February 20254.1%38,819913,010951,829
January 20253.9%37,065918,672955,737
December 20243.5%33,513919,719953,232
November 20243.5%33,056918,496951,552
October 20243.5%33,316915,987949,303
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.1%38,826911,604950,430
20243.5%33,624914,622948,246
20233.0%27,512896,744924,256
20223.0%27,373885,264912,637
20214.3%38,894863,014901,908
20207.6%68,452831,080899,532
20192.4%22,458909,391931,849
20182.8%25,814899,452925,266
20173.1%28,255872,497900,752
20163.3%28,725852,659881,384

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 Middlesex County

193.8 per 100,0002025. Massachusetts: 302.7.
899.3 per 100,0002025. Massachusetts: 1,031.2.
6murders2025, 3,294 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
20253,294193.815,286899.3
20243,475207.116,729997.1
20233,353204.316,5321,007.5
20223,025185.415,433945.8
20212,627158.513,297802.4
20202,602158.813,802842.2
20182,816171.614,660893.4
By police agency (54)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Cambridge Police Department20255303,158121,634
Lowell Police Department20256121,679121,283
Newton Police Department20255147690,939
Somerville Police Department20251601,29482,255
Framingham Police Department202518857773,485
Malden Police Department202513579866,677
Waltham Police Department202514749766,089
Medford Police Department202510855759,842
Everett Police Department202516766852,437
Arlington Police Department20252121447,223
Woburn Police Department20255540144,588
Billerica Police Department20254311443,159
Marlborough Police Department202520438642,184
Natick Police Department20257938437,320
Chelmsford Police Department20254935737,003
Watertown Police Department20254957435,871
Lexington Police Department20251914834,738
Dracut Police Department20254113532,999
Tewksbury Police Department20258924731,883
Melrose Police Department20254716529,912
Wakefield Police Department2025419929,706
Belmont Police Department2025821627,425
Burlington Police Department20255040327,159
Reading Police Department2025813926,103
Westford Police Department202585425,043
Stoneham Police Department20252621524,849
Acton Police Department2025148524,622
Winchester Police Department202559824,154
Wilmington Police Department20253213523,869
Hudson Police Department2025579920,397
Hopkinton Police Department2025154420,233
Sudbury Police Department2025125819,994
Ashland Police Department2025175719,485
Concord Police Department2025198817,979
North Reading Police Department2025155016,563
Holliston Police Department202452815,309
Bedford Police Department2025125414,988
Wayland Police Department202594614,051
Tyngsboro Police Department202573112,843
Weston Police Department202544411,975
Pepperell Police Department2025222711,924
Groton Police Department2025122411,615
Maynard Police Department2025246110,815
Littleton Police Department202574110,561
Townsend Police Department20258299,225
Ayer Police Department202516519,125
Stow Police Department20255247,362
Lincoln Police Department20250106,983
Shirley Police Department202516116,980
Boxborough Police Department20255205,569
Carlisle Police Department20254135,324
Sherborn Police Department2025154,496
Dunstable Police Department2024693,489
Ashby Police Department20254223,284

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

1.72 per 1,000 residents2025, 54 agencies serving 1,675,147 people.
2,885sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
625civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (54), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Cambridge Police Department26742121,634
Lowell Police Department22872121,283
Waltham Police Department1453966,089
Newton Police Department1304390,939
Framingham Police Department1302273,485
Somerville Police Department1123382,255
Everett Police Department1201152,437
Malden Police Department102966,677
Medford Police Department921059,842
Billerica Police Department603443,159
Arlington Police Department661847,223
Marlborough Police Department731142,184
Watertown Police Department681435,871
Woburn Police Department74544,588
Tewksbury Police Department68531,883
Natick Police Department561637,320
Chelmsford Police Department531537,003
Belmont Police Department441627,425
Reading Police Department441626,103
Lexington Police Department441534,738
Burlington Police Department44827,159
Westford Police Department48425,043
Wilmington Police Department47523,869
Stoneham Police Department401124,849
Winchester Police Department401124,154
Acton Police Department381224,622
Melrose Police Department47129,912
Dracut Police Department44332,999
Wakefield Police Department46129,706
Concord Police Department301117,979
Hudson Police Department36420,397
Ashland Police Department291019,485
Hopkinton Police Department261020,233
Tyngsboro Police Department27912,843
Weston Police Department261011,975
Littleton Police Department25910,561
North Reading Police Department31316,563
Sudbury Police Department29519,994
Ayer Police Department18129,125
Bedford Police Department27314,988
Holliston Police Department28215,399
Wayland Police Department21914,051
Maynard Police Department21510,815
Groton Police Department19111,615
Lincoln Police Department1356,983
Pepperell Police Department17111,924
Stow Police Department1267,362
Sherborn Police Department1504,496
Townsend Police Department1419,225
Carlisle Police Department1225,324
Shirley Police Department1226,980
Boxborough Police Department1115,569
Ashby Police Department813,284
Dunstable Police Department813,526
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20252,8851.7262554
20242,8721.7461554
20222,8951.8064254

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 Middlesex County Clerk of Courts?
Michael A. Sullivan (Democratic) is the Clerk of Courts of Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
Who is the Middlesex County Register of Probate?
Tara Decristofaro (Democratic) is the Register of Probate of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Middlesex County Sheriff?
Peter J. Koutoujian (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
Who is the Middlesex County Register of Deeds, Middlesex Northern District?
Karen M. Cassella (Democratic) is the Register of Deeds, Middlesex Northern District of Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
Who is the Middlesex County Register of Deeds, Middlesex Southern District?
Maria C. Curtatone (Democratic) is the Register of Deeds, Middlesex Southern District of Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
Who is the Middlesex County District Attorney, Northern District?
Marian T. Ryan (Democratic) is the District Attorney, Northern District of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
What is the population of Middlesex County?
About 1,638,365 people, with a median age of 38.9; the median household income is $130,847 and 7.7% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Middlesex County?
3.8% in September 2026 (preliminary): 35,823 people unemployed in a labor force of 932,913, against 4.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Middlesex County?
129 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 13 municipal, 41 township, 13 school district and 62 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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