Hillsdale County, MI elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Hillsdale County: 15 seats on 9 elected bodies. 1 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
Board of Commissioners
Hillsdale County Board of Commissioners
Each member is elected by the voters of their district.
On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
How many local governments Hillsdale County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 41 local governments in Hillsdale 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 (9 municipal, 18 township)
27
0
School districts (school boards)
8
0
Special districts (elected boards)
5
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 Hillsdale County
45,654people
43.1median ageU.S.: 38.9
$64,242 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
14.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%
21.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$176,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.2%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
6.4%U.S.: 8.4%
40.8%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
25.9%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.8% · White 92.1% · Black 0.7% · Asian 0.3% · Other or more than one race 4.1% (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 Hillsdale County
4.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.3%. Michigan: 4.8%.
807people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
18,932people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
19,739in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
4.1%
807
18,932
19,739
August 2026
4.7%
963
19,452
20,415
July 2026
4.8%
993
19,493
20,486
June 2026
4.7%
967
19,449
20,416
May 2026
5.2%
1,034
19,035
20,069
April 2026
4.4%
882
19,104
19,986
March 2026
4.8%
976
19,204
20,180
February 2026
5.0%
1,010
19,106
20,116
January 2026
5.9%
1,189
19,126
20,315
December 2025
4.8%
979
19,297
20,276
November 2025
4.5%
930
19,779
20,709
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
4.3%
925
20,677
21,602
August 2025
5.1%
1,111
20,566
21,677
July 2025
6.0%
1,324
20,725
22,049
June 2025
5.7%
1,251
20,543
21,794
May 2025
5.5%
1,184
20,369
21,553
April 2025
5.1%
1,078
20,132
21,210
March 2025
5.8%
1,229
19,831
21,060
February 2025
6.3%
1,323
19,631
20,954
January 2025
6.1%
1,286
19,690
20,976
December 2024
5.2%
1,097
20,042
21,139
November 2024
4.9%
1,054
20,634
21,688
October 2024
4.6%
1,000
20,615
21,615
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
5.4%
1,147
20,113
21,260
2024
4.8%
1,047
20,881
21,928
2023
4.1%
877
20,375
21,252
2022
4.4%
900
19,485
20,385
2021
5.2%
1,042
18,808
19,850
2020
9.4%
1,886
18,208
20,094
2019
4.2%
865
19,862
20,727
2018
4.0%
833
19,969
20,802
2017
4.7%
1,005
20,187
21,192
2016
4.9%
1,062
20,491
21,553
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. Michigan's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 5.0% 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 Hillsdale County
124.8 per 100,0002025. Michigan: 416.2.
426.0 per 100,0002025. Michigan: 1,258.5.
0murders2025, 58 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
58
124.8
198
426.0
2024
58
123.1
294
623.9
2023
91
193.9
342
728.6
2022
101
217.3
416
895.2
2021
98
208.9
317
675.6
2020
119
256.7
411
886.6
2019
98
210.5
376
807.8
2017
61
130.4
413
883.0
2016
48
102.5
317
677.1
By police agency (6)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office
2025
37
81
28,234
Hillsdale Police Department
2025
15
65
7,971
Somerset Township Police Department
2025
0
19
4,585
Jonesville Police Department
2024
3
57
2,167
Litchfield Police Department
2023
0
14
1,395
Reading Police Department
2025
2
1
1,077
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 Michigan · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.32 per 1,000 residents2025, 6 agencies serving 45,420 people.
60sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
4civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (6), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office
34
2
28,234
Hillsdale Police Department
14
2
7,971
Jonesville Police Department
4
0
2,164
Litchfield Police Department
3
0
1,389
Reading Police Department
3
0
1,077
Somerset Township Police Department
2
0
4,585
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
60
1.32
4
6
2024
56
1.22
6
6
2023
50
1.09
28
6
2022
45
0.99
19
6
2021
43
0.94
16
6
2020
43
0.95
16
6
2019
44
0.97
20
6
2018
46
1.00
15
6
2016
44
0.96
11
6
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 Hillsdale County County Clerk?
Abe Dane (Republican) is the County Clerk of Hillsdale County, Michigan.
Who is the Hillsdale County Drain Commissioner?
Matt Word (Republican) is the Drain Commissioner of Hillsdale County, Michigan.
Who is the Hillsdale County Prosecuting Attorney?
Jamie Wisniewski (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Hillsdale County, Michigan.
Who is the Hillsdale County Register of Deeds?
Nick Wheeler (Republican) is the Register of Deeds of Hillsdale County, Michigan.
Who is the Hillsdale County Sheriff?
Scott Hodshire (Republican) is the Sheriff of Hillsdale County, Michigan.
Who is the Hillsdale County County Surveyor?
Michael Lodzinski (Republican) is the County Surveyor of Hillsdale County, Michigan.
Who is the Hillsdale County County Treasurer?
Stephenie Kyser (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Hillsdale County, Michigan.
Who are the Hillsdale County commissioners?
Doug Ingles (District 1); Kevin Collins (District 2); Mark E. Wiley (District 3); Brad Benzing (District 4); Brent A. Leininger (District 5).
What is the population of Hillsdale County?
About 45,654 people, with a median age of 43.1; the median household income is $64,242 and 14.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Hillsdale County?
4.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 807 people unemployed in a labor force of 19,739, against 4.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Hillsdale County?
41 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal, 18 township, 8 school district and 5 special district governments.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from each county clerk's official results of the November 5, 2024 general election (certified by the county board of canvassers); 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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