Houghton County, MI elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Houghton County: 10 seats on 6 elected bodies.

Board of Commissioners

Houghton County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it now
County Commissioner, District 1Tom Tikkanen Republican source
County Commissioner, District 2Joel L. Keranen Republican source
County Commissioner, District 3Glenn Anderson Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 4Gretchen Janssen Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 5Roy A. Britz Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
County Clerk/Register of DeedsJennifer A. Kelly Democratic source
Drain CommissionerJohn Pekkala Democratic source
Prosecuting AttorneyDaniel J. Helmer Republican source
SheriffJoshua B. Saaranen Republican source
County TreasurerLisa A. Mattila Democratic source

How many local governments Houghton County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 37 local governments in Houghton County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships (7 municipal, 14 township)210
School districts (school boards)90
Special districts (elected boards)60

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 Houghton County

37,693people
32.2median ageU.S.: 38.9
$58,899 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
16.5%below the U.S.: 12.5%
37.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$159,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.7%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
5.3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5.1%U.S.: 8.4%
56.6%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
19.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.8% · White 90.9% · Black 1.1% · Asian 2.9% · Other or more than one race 3.3% (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 Houghton County

4.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.3%. Michigan: 4.8%.
725people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
16,381people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
17,106in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Houghton County 0.0%2.0%4.1%6.1%8.2% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.2%72516,38117,106
August 20265.1%84515,73216,577
July 20265.4%89115,64516,536
June 20265.5%89815,54116,439
May 20265.9%96115,44216,403
April 20265.3%91416,35617,270
March 20265.3%94816,90217,850
February 20264.9%88517,19318,078
January 20265.7%1,00816,75317,761
December 20255.3%92016,42617,346
November 20254.7%85417,19518,049
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.3%78517,32518,110
August 20255.7%97816,32417,302
July 20256.2%1,07116,16817,239
June 20256.4%1,10416,23917,343
May 20256.5%1,10515,91617,021
April 20255.7%1,02916,95917,988
March 20256.3%1,17417,34118,515
February 20255.8%1,06617,36418,430
January 20255.6%1,02717,27518,302
December 20245.6%97216,53817,510
November 20244.9%88017,16818,048
October 20244.4%79117,13717,928
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.7%1,01016,77617,786
20245.4%93816,45717,395
20234.9%85216,41217,264
20224.8%81716,07016,887
20215.0%80315,12515,928
20207.8%1,24514,76116,006
20195.0%83015,85816,688
20185.1%84815,68716,535
20175.8%98115,80916,790
20166.1%1,02615,92816,954

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 Houghton County

60.0 per 100,0002025. Michigan: 416.2.
343.5 per 100,0002025. Michigan: 1,258.5.
0murders2025, 25 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
20252560.0143343.5
20243481.7127305.3
20233586.5115284.4
20212872.7177459.3
20202974.7216556.6
2019923.2177456.7
20182666.6231591.9
20171640.7282717.0
By police agency (5)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Houghton County Sheriff's Office2025184121,929
Houghton Police Department20252728,588
Hancock Police Department20254224,640
Laurium Police Department2024451,879
Lake Linden Police Department2025161,056

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

1.15 per 1,000 residents2025, 5 agencies serving 38,126 people.
44sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
13civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (5), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Houghton County Sheriff's Office201121,929
Hancock Police Department1014,640
Houghton Police Department1018,588
Laurium Police Department301,913
Lake Linden Police Department101,056
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025441.15135
2024441.15135
2023431.16125
2022431.15125
2021441.25115
2020471.33105
2019431.19106
2018421.16106
2016441.21106

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 Houghton County County Clerk/Register of Deeds?
Jennifer A. Kelly (Democratic) is the County Clerk/Register of Deeds of Houghton County, Michigan.
Who is the Houghton County Drain Commissioner?
John Pekkala (Democratic) is the Drain Commissioner of Houghton County, Michigan.
Who is the Houghton County Prosecuting Attorney?
Daniel J. Helmer (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Houghton County, Michigan.
Who is the Houghton County Sheriff?
Joshua B. Saaranen (Republican) is the Sheriff of Houghton County, Michigan.
Who is the Houghton County County Treasurer?
Lisa A. Mattila (Democratic) is the County Treasurer of Houghton County, Michigan.
Who are the Houghton County commissioners?
Tom Tikkanen (District 1); Joel L. Keranen (District 2); Glenn Anderson (District 3); Gretchen Janssen (District 4); Roy A. Britz (District 5).
What is the population of Houghton County?
About 37,693 people, with a median age of 32.2; the median household income is $58,899 and 16.5% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Houghton County?
4.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 725 people unemployed in a labor force of 17,106, against 4.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Houghton County?
37 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 7 municipal, 14 township, 9 school district and 6 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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