Who is the Essex County County Clerk?

Christopher J. Durkin is the County Clerk of Essex County, New Jersey.

Who is the Essex County County Executive?

Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. (Democratic) is the County Executive of Essex County, New Jersey. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Essex County Sheriff?

Amir D. Jones is the Sheriff of Essex County, New Jersey.

Who is the Essex County Surrogate?

Alturrick Kenney is the Surrogate of Essex County, New Jersey.

Who are the Essex County commissioners?

Carlos M. Pomares (District 5); A’Dorian Murray-Thomas (District 2); Patricia Sebold (At-Large); Romaine Sermons (At-Large); Brendan W. Gill (At-Large); Wayne L. Richardson (At-Large); Robert Mercado (District 1); Tyshammie L Cooper (District 3); Leonard M. Luciano (District 4).

What is the population of Essex County?

About 863,002 people, with a median age of 37.7; the median household income is $80,789 and 14.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Essex County?

5.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 21,763 people unemployed in a labor force of 427,804, against 7.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Essex County?

42 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 7 municipal, 15 township, 17 school district and 2 special district governments.

What cities and towns are in Essex County?

22: Belleville, Bloomfield, Caldwell, Cedar Grove, East Orange, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Irvington, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair, Newark, North Caldwell, Nutley, Orange, Roseland, South Orange Village, Verona, West Caldwell, West Orange. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.

Essex County, NJ elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Essex County: 35 seats on 27 elected bodies. 15 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Essex County Board of County Commissioners

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Commissioner, District 5	Carlos M. Pomares Democratic source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 2	A’Dorian Murray-Thomas Democratic source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, At-Large	Patricia Sebold source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, At-Large	Romaine Sermons source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, At-Large	Brendan W. Gill source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, At-Large	Wayne L. Richardson Democratic source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 1	Robert Mercado source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 3	Tyshammie L Cooper source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 4	Leonard M. Luciano Democratic source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Clerk	Christopher J. Durkin source
County Executive	Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. Democratic source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff	Amir D. Jones source
Surrogate	Alturrick Kenney source

Cities and towns

Belleville · Mayor Michael Melham · 1 seat
Bloomfield · Mayor Jenny Mundell · 1 seat
Caldwell · Mayor Garrett Jones · 1 seat
Cedar Grove · Mayor Michelle Mega · 1 seat
East Orange · Mayor Teeodore R. Green · 1 seat
Essex Fells · Mayor Edward A,. Davis · 1 seat
Fairfield · Mayor William Galese · 1 seat
Glen Ridge · Mayor Deborah Mans · 1 seat
Irvington · Mayor Anthony Vauss · 1 seat
Livingston · Mayor Shawn Klein · 1 seat
Maplewood · Mayor Victor De Luca · 1 seat
Millburn · Mayor Frank Saccomandi · 1 seat
Montclair · Mayor Renee Baskerville · 1 seat
Newark · Mayor Ras Baraka · 1 seat
North Caldwell · Mayor Joshua Raymond · 1 seat
Nutley · Mayor John V. Kelly, III · 1 seat
Orange · Mayor Dwayne D. Warren, Esq. · 1 seat
Roseland · Mayor James R. Spango · 1 seat
South Orange Village · Mayor Sheena Collum · 1 seat
Verona · Mayor ChristopherTamburro · 1 seat
West Caldwell · Mayor Joseph Tempesta, Jr. · 1 seat
West Orange · Mayor Susan McCartney · 1 seat

How many local governments Essex County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 42 local governments in Essex 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 (7 municipal, 15 township)	22	22
School districts (school boards)	17	0
Special districts (elected boards)	2	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 (6 in Essex 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 Essex County

863,002people

37.7median ageU.S.: 38.9

$80,789 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

14.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%

39.1%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$524,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700

8.7%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

30.1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

2.6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

11.9%U.S.: 8.4%

55.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

36.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 25.2% · White 27.3% · Black 35.4% · Asian 6% · Other or more than one race 6.2% (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 Essex County

5.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 7.1%. New Jersey: 4.1%.

21,763people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

406,041people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

427,804in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	5.1%	21,763	406,041	427,804
August 2026	5.7%	24,668	404,395	429,063
July 2026	5.6%	24,225	406,096	430,321
June 2026	5.4%	22,929	405,348	428,277
May 2026	5.1%	21,858	406,711	428,569
April 2026	4.9%	20,938	406,794	427,732
March 2026	5.5%	23,728	404,579	428,307
February 2026	6.1%	26,051	400,316	426,367
January 2026	5.7%	24,169	399,725	423,894
December 2025	5.4%	23,140	404,619	427,759
November 2025	5.7%	24,362	405,332	429,694
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	7.1%	30,111	396,801	426,912
August 2025	7.2%	30,545	395,977	426,522
July 2025	7.2%	31,120	398,686	429,806
June 2025	6.6%	28,482	402,407	430,889
May 2025	6.1%	26,184	399,936	426,120
April 2025	5.8%	24,987	404,732	429,719
March 2025	6.2%	26,583	403,737	430,320
February 2025	6.3%	27,033	402,194	429,227
January 2025	6.0%	25,721	400,393	426,114
December 2024	5.4%	23,113	404,537	427,650
November 2024	5.5%	23,380	404,319	427,699
October 2024	5.5%	23,462	405,409	428,871

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	6.3%	27,115	401,347	428,462
2024	5.6%	24,058	404,200	428,258
2023	5.2%	21,864	402,322	424,186
2022	4.5%	18,588	394,838	413,426
2021	8.0%	32,640	377,214	409,854
2020	10.6%	43,908	369,223	413,131
2019	4.1%	16,959	398,908	415,867
2018	4.7%	19,105	388,661	407,766
2017	5.2%	21,148	385,623	406,771
2016	5.6%	22,834	383,716	406,550

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. New Jersey's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.2% 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 Essex County

339.9 per 100,0002024. New Jersey: 219.7.

1,662.3 per 100,0002024. New Jersey: 1,435.6.

57murders2024, 2,946 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	2,946	339.9	14,408	1,662.3
2023	2,628	310.1	15,183	1,791.8
2022	2,419	285.1	12,549	1,479.1
2020	2,430	303.8	10,764	1,345.8
2019	2,849	357.0	11,625	1,456.6
2018	3,344	417.8	13,196	1,648.9
2017	4,139	515.9	15,572	1,941.0
2016	4,355	547.1	14,438	1,813.8

By police agency (22)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Newark Police Department	2025	1,646	5,680	318,638
East Orange Police Department	2025	308	1,400	72,390
Irvington Police Department	2025	245	1,569	62,004
Bloomfield Police Department	2025	46	747	56,009
West Orange Police Department	2025	55	460	49,285
Montclair Police Department	2025	32	326	41,340
Belleville Police Department	2025	94	730	38,778
Orange Police Department	2025	148	663	35,247
Livingston Township Police Department	2025	17	210	32,351
Nutley Township Police Department	2025	17	173	30,592
Maplewood Township Police Department	2025	14	231	26,239
Millburn Township Police Department	2025	2	378	23,019
South Orange Police Department	2025	19	235	18,790
Verona Police Department	2024	9	82	14,552
Cedar Grove Township Police Department	2025	1	50	13,928
West Caldwell Township Police Department	2025	4	109	11,185
Caldwell Police Department	2025	2	43	9,407
Glen Ridge Police Department	2025	6	79	8,312
Fairfield Township Police Department, Essex County	2025	4	122	8,288
North Caldwell Police Department	2025	2	10	6,791
Roseland Police Department	2024	1	47	6,268
Essex Fells Police Department	2025	0	31	2,217

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 New Jersey · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.92 per 1,000 residents2024, 22 agencies serving 866,740 people.

2,529sworn officers2024, full-time, as of October 31.

577civilian staff2024, full-time.

2024 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (22), 2024

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Newark Police Department	1,067	303	309,708
East Orange Police Department	171	61	71,138
Irvington Police Department	174	52	60,900
Orange Police Department	150	17	34,349
Bloomfield Police Department	124	27	55,161
Montclair Police Department	109	17	40,656
Belleville Police Department	103	10	38,062
West Orange Police Department	95	13	48,638
Livingston Township Police Department	69	12	31,715
Nutley Township Police Department	69	9	30,014
Maplewood Township Police Department	63	12	25,786
Millburn Township Police Department	60	6	22,415
South Orange Police Department	43	6	18,532
Fairfield Township Police Department, Essex County	43	3	8,150
Verona Police Department	31	5	14,552
West Caldwell Township Police Department	26	6	10,975
Cedar Grove Township Police Department	29	1	13,705
Glen Ridge Police Department	24	6	8,195
North Caldwell Police Department	19	8	6,685
Roseland Police Department	24	2	6,268
Caldwell Police Department	22	1	8,976
Essex Fells Police Department	14	0	2,160

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2024	2,529	2.92	577	22
2023	2,509	2.96	465	22
2022	2,558	3.01	474	22
2021	2,499	2.99	609	22
2020	2,484	3.11	630	22
2019	2,656	3.33	618	22
2018	2,607	3.26	617	22
2017	2,588	3.23	588	22
2016	2,527	3.17	524	22

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 Essex County County Clerk?: Christopher J. Durkin is the County Clerk of Essex County, New Jersey.
Who is the Essex County County Executive?: Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. (Democratic) is the County Executive of Essex County, New Jersey. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Essex County Sheriff?: Amir D. Jones is the Sheriff of Essex County, New Jersey.
Who is the Essex County Surrogate?: Alturrick Kenney is the Surrogate of Essex County, New Jersey.
Who are the Essex County commissioners?: Carlos M. Pomares (District 5); A’Dorian Murray-Thomas (District 2); Patricia Sebold (At-Large); Romaine Sermons (At-Large); Brendan W. Gill (At-Large); Wayne L. Richardson (At-Large); Robert Mercado (District 1); Tyshammie L Cooper (District 3); Leonard M. Luciano (District 4).
What is the population of Essex County?: About 863,002 people, with a median age of 37.7; the median household income is $80,789 and 14.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Essex County?: 5.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 21,763 people unemployed in a labor force of 427,804, against 7.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Essex County?: 42 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 7 municipal, 15 township, 17 school district and 2 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Essex County?: 22: Belleville, Bloomfield, Caldwell, Cedar Grove, East Orange, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Irvington, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair, Newark, North Caldwell, Nutley, Orange, Roseland, South Orange Village, Verona, West Caldwell, West Orange. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the NJ Department of Community Affairs' Mayors Directory, the Division of Elections' list of county clerks, and each county's own website; where a county site blocks automated reading, from the county clerk's certified election results (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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