Who is the Kent County County Clerk/Register of Deeds?

Lisa Posthumus Lyons (Republican) is the County Clerk/Register of Deeds of Kent County, Michigan.

Who is the Kent County Drain Commissioner?

Ken Yonker (Republican) is the Drain Commissioner of Kent County, Michigan.

Who is the Kent County Prosecuting Attorney?

Chris Becker (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Kent County, Michigan.

Who is the Kent County Sheriff?

Michelle LaJoye-Young (Republican) is the Sheriff of Kent County, Michigan.

Who is the Kent County County Treasurer?

Peter MacGregor (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Kent County, Michigan.

Who are the Kent County commissioners?

Ben Greene (District 1); Elizabeth Morse (District 2); Jenn Merchant (District 3); Katie DeBoer (District 4); Dave Hildenbrand (District 5); Stan Stek (District 6); Stan Ponstein (District 7); Dan Burrill (District 8); Matt Kallman (District 9); Robin Halsted (District 10); Lindsey Thiel (District 11); Monica Sparks (District 12); Michelle McCloud (District 13); Carol M. Hennessy (District 14); Lisa S. Oliver-King (District 15); Melissa LaGrand (District 16); Robert Womack (District 17); Steve Faber (District 18); Kris Pachla (District 19); Nancy L. Morales (District 20); Walter Bujak (District 21).

What is the population of Kent County?

About 663,150 people, with a median age of 35.9; the median household income is $82,631 and 10.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Kent County?

3.7% in September 2026 (preliminary): 12,406 people unemployed in a labor force of 332,968, against 3.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Kent County?

67 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 13 municipal, 21 township, 20 school district and 12 special district governments.

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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Kent County: 26 seats on 6 elected bodies.

Board of Commissioners

Kent County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

Office	Who holds it now
County Commissioner, District 1	Ben Greene Republican source
County Commissioner, District 2	Elizabeth Morse Republican source
County Commissioner, District 3	Jenn Merchant Republican source
County Commissioner, District 4	Katie DeBoer Republican source
County Commissioner, District 5	Dave Hildenbrand Republican source
County Commissioner, District 6	Stan Stek Republican source
County Commissioner, District 7	Stan Ponstein Republican source
County Commissioner, District 8	Dan Burrill Republican source
County Commissioner, District 9	Matt Kallman Republican source
County Commissioner, District 10	Robin Halsted Republican source
County Commissioner, District 11	Lindsey Thiel Republican source
County Commissioner, District 12	Monica Sparks Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 13	Michelle McCloud Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 14	Carol M. Hennessy Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 15	Lisa S. Oliver-King Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 16	Melissa LaGrand Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 17	Robert Womack Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 18	Steve Faber Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 19	Kris Pachla Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 20	Nancy L. Morales Democratic source
County Commissioner, District 21	Walter Bujak Republican source

County officers

Office	Who holds it now
County Clerk/Register of Deeds	Lisa Posthumus Lyons Republican source
Drain Commissioner	Ken Yonker Republican source
Prosecuting Attorney	Chris Becker Republican source
Sheriff	Michelle LaJoye-Young Republican source
County Treasurer	Peter MacGregor Republican source

How many local governments Kent County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 67 local governments in Kent 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 (13 municipal, 21 township)	34	0
School districts (school boards)	20	0
Special districts (elected boards)	12	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, 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 Kent County

663,150people

35.9median ageU.S.: 38.9

$82,631 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

10.1%below the U.S.: 12.5%

40.8%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$289,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700

4.2%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

8.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

4.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

4.8%U.S.: 8.4%

49%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

20%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 11.7% · White 70.4% · Black 9.4% · Asian 3.2% · Other or more than one race 5.3% (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 Kent County

3.7%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.9%. Michigan: 4.8%.

12,406people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

320,562people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

332,968in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	3.7%	12,406	320,562	332,968
August 2026	4.3%	14,496	325,175	339,671
July 2026	4.3%	14,804	326,664	341,468
June 2026	4.2%	14,382	324,509	338,891
May 2026	4.4%	15,046	330,543	345,589
April 2026	3.6%	12,532	330,964	343,496
March 2026	3.9%	13,790	337,217	351,007
February 2026	3.9%	13,721	338,613	352,334
January 2026	4.4%	15,581	338,820	354,401
December 2025	3.9%	13,733	338,432	352,165
November 2025	3.9%	13,905	345,259	359,164
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	3.9%	14,262	350,662	364,924
August 2025	4.5%	16,222	347,195	363,417
July 2025	5.0%	18,377	347,131	365,508
June 2025	4.8%	17,682	350,565	368,247
May 2025	4.5%	16,787	354,443	371,230
April 2025	4.2%	15,414	352,264	367,678
March 2025	4.5%	16,518	352,132	368,650
February 2025	4.6%	16,895	349,907	366,802
January 2025	4.4%	16,075	352,838	368,913
December 2024	4.2%	15,373	352,625	367,998
November 2024	3.9%	14,457	358,017	372,474
October 2024	3.9%	14,370	354,676	369,046

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	4.4%	15,988	349,166	365,154
2024	3.9%	14,490	354,552	369,042
2023	3.3%	12,099	352,603	364,702
2022	3.5%	12,309	340,059	352,368
2021	4.6%	15,865	325,892	341,757
2020	8.1%	28,352	322,864	351,216
2019	3.0%	10,578	343,810	354,388
2018	3.1%	10,769	341,677	352,446
2017	3.5%	12,090	335,653	347,743
2016	3.6%	12,287	331,226	343,513

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 Kent County

435.9 per 100,0002024. Michigan: 436.9.

1,684.6 per 100,0002024. Michigan: 1,397.8.

17murders2024, 2,938 violent crimes in all.

2024 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2024	2,938	435.9	11,354	1,684.6
2023	3,028	455.4	13,744	2,067.2
2022	3,215	485.5	13,156	1,986.8
2021	3,199	474.8	11,819	1,754.1
2020	3,164	475.6	12,125	1,822.5
2019	2,338	352.6	9,940	1,499.2
2018	2,417	366.0	10,215	1,546.8
2017	2,428	371.1	11,074	1,692.8
2016	2,349	363.3	11,577	1,790.4

By police agency (10)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Kent County Sheriff's Office	2025	436	1,943	270,333
Grand Rapids Police Department	2025	1,792	4,642	200,467
Wyoming Police Department	2025	366	1,545	79,015
Kentwood Police Department	2024	209	1,176	53,891
Walker Police Department	2025	56	615	26,096
Grandville Police Department	2025	37	420	17,368
East Grand Rapids Police Department	2025	5	67	11,672
Rockford Police Department	2025	15	30	6,323
Sparta Police Department	2024	9	34	4,279
Lowell Police Department	2025	5	22	4,155

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

1.28 per 1,000 residents2025, 10 agencies serving 674,667 people.

865sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

565civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (10), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Kent County Sheriff's Office	278	395	270,333
Grand Rapids Police Department	299	117	200,467
Wyoming Police Department	97	15	79,015
Kentwood Police Department	70	28	54,895
Walker Police Department	41	4	26,096
Grandville Police Department	30	3	17,368
East Grand Rapids Police Department	28	2	11,672
Rockford Police Department	9	0	6,323
Lowell Police Department	6	1	4,155
Sparta Police Department	7	0	4,343

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	865	1.28	565	10
2024	846	1.26	541	10
2023	849	1.28	600	10
2021	802	1.20	500	10
2020	767	1.16	560	10
2019	770	1.17	445	10
2018	746	1.14	436	11

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 Kent County County Clerk/Register of Deeds?: Lisa Posthumus Lyons (Republican) is the County Clerk/Register of Deeds of Kent County, Michigan.
Who is the Kent County Drain Commissioner?: Ken Yonker (Republican) is the Drain Commissioner of Kent County, Michigan.
Who is the Kent County Prosecuting Attorney?: Chris Becker (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Kent County, Michigan.
Who is the Kent County Sheriff?: Michelle LaJoye-Young (Republican) is the Sheriff of Kent County, Michigan.
Who is the Kent County County Treasurer?: Peter MacGregor (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Kent County, Michigan.
Who are the Kent County commissioners?: Ben Greene (District 1); Elizabeth Morse (District 2); Jenn Merchant (District 3); Katie DeBoer (District 4); Dave Hildenbrand (District 5); Stan Stek (District 6); Stan Ponstein (District 7); Dan Burrill (District 8); Matt Kallman (District 9); Robin Halsted (District 10); Lindsey Thiel (District 11); Monica Sparks (District 12); Michelle McCloud (District 13); Carol M. Hennessy (District 14); Lisa S. Oliver-King (District 15); Melissa LaGrand (District 16); Robert Womack (District 17); Steve Faber (District 18); Kris Pachla (District 19); Nancy L. Morales (District 20); Walter Bujak (District 21).
What is the population of Kent County?: About 663,150 people, with a median age of 35.9; the median household income is $82,631 and 10.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Kent County?: 3.7% in September 2026 (preliminary): 12,406 people unemployed in a labor force of 332,968, against 3.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Kent County?: 67 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 13 municipal, 21 township, 20 school district and 12 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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