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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Hunterdon County: 34 seats on 30 elected bodies. 7 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Hunterdon County Board of County Commissioners

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerJohn E. Lanza source
County CommissionerJeff Kuhl source
County CommissionerZachary T. Rich source
County CommissionerSusan J. Soloway source
County CommissionerShaun C. Van Doren Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County ClerkMary H. Melfi Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffFrederick W. Brown source
SurrogateHeidi Rohrbach source

Cities and towns

How many local governments Hunterdon County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 57 local governments in Hunterdon 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 (12 municipal, 14 township)2626
School districts (school boards)250
Special districts (elected boards)50

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 (1 in Hunterdon 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 Hunterdon County

130,160people
46.1median ageU.S.: 38.9
$141,715 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
4%below the U.S.: 12.5%
57.4%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$517,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
10.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
4.6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
2.8%U.S.: 8.4%
47.3%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
28.8%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 9.3% · White 79.9% · Black 2.4% · Asian 4.9% · Other or more than one race 3.5% (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 Hunterdon County

3.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.7%. New Jersey: 4.1%.
2,259people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
66,320people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
68,579in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Hunterdon County 0.0%1.8%3.7%5.5%7.4% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.3%2,25966,32068,579
August 20263.7%2,56765,94068,507
July 20263.7%2,55966,24868,807
June 20263.6%2,47566,35468,829
May 20263.4%2,33166,28268,613
April 20263.2%2,18866,23468,422
March 20263.9%2,67165,54768,218
February 20264.4%2,99864,91067,908
January 20264.0%2,70564,91167,616
December 20253.6%2,45965,70168,160
November 20253.8%2,63865,92168,559
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.7%3,17864,85368,031
August 20254.6%3,16064,79967,959
July 20254.8%3,25565,16968,424
June 20254.3%2,96865,91268,880
May 20254.0%2,72465,46068,184
April 20253.8%2,58766,03368,620
March 20254.2%2,87165,40668,277
February 20254.4%2,98765,25168,238
January 20254.1%2,78865,01567,803
December 20243.4%2,32265,89168,213
November 20243.5%2,35365,66768,020
October 20243.4%2,33966,23668,575
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.2%2,87465,41168,285
20243.6%2,49165,79568,286
20233.4%2,35866,23668,594
20223.1%2,07765,46467,541
20215.0%3,26562,43165,696
20207.0%4,56660,20664,772
20192.7%1,81165,16466,975
20183.1%2,06463,79465,858
20173.5%2,29363,80666,099
20163.8%2,49864,03766,535

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 Hunterdon County

19.2 per 100,0002020. New Jersey: 195.4.
350.4 per 100,0002020. New Jersey: 1,158.2.
1murders2020, 26 violent crimes in all.

2020 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
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
20202619.2475350.4
20195842.8468345.4
20184130.4580430.4
20174734.4662485.0
20164936.0699513.5
By police agency (15)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Raritan Township Police Department202543925,747
Readington Township Police Department202564916,437
Clinton Township Police Department2024107213,018
Lebanon Township Police Department20251266,251
Tewksbury Township Police Department20250145,936
Holland Township Police Department2025125,251
Flemington Police Department2025151234,915
Delaware Township Police Department2025234,604
Lambertville Police Department20252204,214
High Bridge Police Department20252183,626
Franklin Township Police Department, Hunterdon County2025273,320
West Amwell Township Police Department20241133,026
Clinton Police Department20240102,786
Frenchtown Police Department2024161,509
Califon Police Department2025021,021

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

2.31 per 1,000 residents2023, 15 agencies serving 100,208 people.
231sworn officers2023, full-time, as of October 31.
14civilian staff2023, full-time.

2023 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (15), 2023
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Raritan Township Police Department45224,371
Califon Police Department3121,025
Readington Township Police Department27316,364
Clinton Township Police Department28113,239
Flemington Police Department1704,927
Tewksbury Township Police Department1215,921
Lebanon Township Police Department1116,248
Clinton Police Department1102,798
Lambertville Police Department924,168
High Bridge Police Department903,626
Delaware Township Police Department714,597
Holland Township Police Department805,247
West Amwell Township Police Department703,037
Franklin Township Police Department, Hunterdon County603,253
Frenchtown Police Department311,387
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20232312.311415
20222282.272215
20201761.851315
20191661.741315
20181671.751415

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 Hunterdon County County Clerk?
Mary H. Melfi (Republican) is the County Clerk of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hunterdon County Sheriff?
Frederick W. Brown is the Sheriff of Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
Who is the Hunterdon County Surrogate?
Heidi Rohrbach is the Surrogate of Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
Who are the Hunterdon County commissioners?
John E. Lanza (County Commissioner); Jeff Kuhl (County Commissioner); Zachary T. Rich (County Commissioner); Susan J. Soloway (County Commissioner); Shaun C. Van Doren (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Hunterdon County?
About 130,160 people, with a median age of 46.1; the median household income is $141,715 and 4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Hunterdon County?
3.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 2,259 people unemployed in a labor force of 68,579, against 4.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Hunterdon County?
57 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 12 municipal, 14 township, 25 school district and 5 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Hunterdon County?
26: Alexandria, Bethlehem, Bloomsbury, Califon, Clinton Town, Clinton Township, Delaware, East Amwell, Flemington, Franklin, Frenchtown, Glen Gardner, Hampton, High Bridge, Holland, Kingwood, Lambertville, Lebanon Borough, Lebanon Township, Milford, Raritan, Readington, Stockton, Tewksbury, Union, West Amwell. 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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