Who is the Salem County County Clerk?

Dale A. Cross is the County Clerk of Salem County, New Jersey.

Who is the Salem County Sheriff?

Charles M. Miller is the Sheriff of Salem County, New Jersey.

Who is the Salem County Surrogate?

Gordon J. Ostrum Jr. is the Surrogate of Salem County, New Jersey.

Who are the Salem County commissioners?

Benjamin H. Laury (County Commissioner); Cordy Taylor (County Commissioner); Ed Ramsay (County Commissioner); Daniel Timmerman (County Commissioner); Paul Collier (County Commissioner).

What is the population of Salem County?

About 65,275 people, with a median age of 41.9; the median household income is $79,960 and 12.7% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Salem County?

5.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 1,551 people unemployed in a labor force of 30,511, against 7.2% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Salem County?

31 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal, 11 township, 12 school district and 3 special district governments.

What cities and towns are in Salem County?

15: Alloway, Carneys Point, Elmer, Elsinboro, Lower Alloways Creek, Mannington, Oldmans, Penns Grove, Pennsville, Pilesgrove, Pittsgrove, Quinton, Salem, Upper Pittsgrove, Woodstown. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.

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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Salem County: 23 seats on 19 elected bodies. 2 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Salem County Board of County Commissioners

Every member is elected countywide.

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Commissioner	Benjamin H. Laury source
County Commissioner	Cordy Taylor source
County Commissioner	Ed Ramsay Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner	Daniel Timmerman source
County Commissioner	Paul Collier Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

County officers

Office	Who holds it now
County Clerk	Dale A. Cross source
Sheriff	Charles M. Miller source
Surrogate	Gordon J. Ostrum Jr. source

Cities and towns

Alloway · Mayor P. Ed McCkelvey · 1 seat
Carneys Point · Mayor Pat Bomba · 1 seat
Elmer · Mayor Joseph Stemberger · 1 seat
Elsinboro · Mayor Sean Elwell · 1 seat
Lower Alloways Creek · Mayor Timoth Bradway · 1 seat
Mannington · Mayor Richard Eber, Jr. · 1 seat
Oldmans · Mayor Jeffrey Newman · 1 seat
Penns Grove · Mayor Ladaena D. Londo · 1 seat
Pennsville · Mayor Daniel Neu · 1 seat
Pilesgrove · Mayor Kevin Eachus · 1 seat
Pittsgrove · Mayor Fiore Copare · 1 seat
Quinton · Mayor Joseph Hannagan · 1 seat
Salem · Mayor Jody Veler · 1 seat
Upper Pittsgrove · Mayor David Zeck · 1 seat
Woodstown · Mayor Joseph Hiles · 1 seat

How many local governments Salem County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 31 local governments in Salem 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 (4 municipal, 11 township)	15	15
School districts (school boards)	12	0
Special districts (elected boards)	3	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 (3 in Salem 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 Salem County

65,275people

41.9median ageU.S.: 38.9

$79,960 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

12.7%below the U.S.: 12.5%

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

$239,500median home valueU.S.: $332,700

7.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

5.8%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

4.7%U.S.: 8.4%

54.9%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 11.3% · White 70.2% · Black 13.2% · Asian 1% · Other or more than one race 4.4% (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 Salem County

5.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 7.2%. New Jersey: 4.1%.

1,551people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

28,960people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

30,511in 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%	1,551	28,960	30,511
August 2026	6.1%	1,896	28,964	30,860
July 2026	5.9%	1,831	29,014	30,845
June 2026	5.4%	1,644	28,917	30,561
May 2026	5.1%	1,556	28,867	30,423
April 2026	5.0%	1,510	28,882	30,392
March 2026	6.0%	1,819	28,459	30,278
February 2026	6.9%	2,103	28,207	30,310
January 2026	6.3%	1,878	28,162	30,040
December 2025	6.0%	1,795	28,340	30,135
November 2025	6.0%	1,837	28,542	30,379
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	7.2%	2,192	28,308	30,500
August 2025	7.5%	2,327	28,573	30,900
July 2025	7.6%	2,364	28,633	30,997
June 2025	6.8%	2,076	28,613	30,689
May 2025	6.4%	1,951	28,606	30,557
April 2025	6.2%	1,924	29,004	30,928
March 2025	6.8%	2,086	28,498	30,584
February 2025	7.2%	2,203	28,371	30,574
January 2025	6.9%	2,097	28,302	30,399
December 2024	6.1%	1,857	28,476	30,333
November 2024	5.9%	1,805	28,620	30,425
October 2024	5.7%	1,739	28,877	30,616

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	6.8%	2,077	28,526	30,603
2024	6.1%	1,850	28,668	30,518
2023	5.6%	1,695	28,822	30,517
2022	5.0%	1,485	28,267	29,752
2021	7.9%	2,360	27,374	29,734
2020	9.5%	2,842	26,985	29,827
2019	4.9%	1,436	28,077	29,513
2018	5.4%	1,581	27,604	29,185
2017	6.2%	1,821	27,740	29,561
2016	6.6%	1,968	28,039	30,007

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 Salem County

321.3 per 100,0002020. New Jersey: 195.4.

1,477.4 per 100,0002020. New Jersey: 1,158.2.

16murders2020, 199 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

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2020	199	321.3	915	1,477.4
2019	181	292.3	918	1,482.7
2018	121	196.8	1,078	1,753.6
2017	160	252.8	1,115	1,762.0
2016	172	270.9	1,052	1,656.6

By police agency (8)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Pennsville Township Police Department	2025	24	271	12,899
Carney's Point Township Police Department	2025	16	55	8,708
Salem Police Department	2025	34	104	5,386
Penns Grove Police Department	2024	29	76	4,872
Woodstown Police Department	2025	0	32	3,776
Lower Alloways Creek Township Police Department	2025	1	6	1,758
Elmer Police Department	2024	0	13	1,376
Elsinboro Township Police Department	2019	2	11	967

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

2.53 per 1,000 residents2021, 8 agencies serving 36,736 people.

93sworn officers2021, full-time, as of October 31.

6civilian staff2021, full-time.

2021 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (8), 2021

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Pennsville Township Police Department	22	2	12,336
Carney's Point Township Police Department	20	1	7,656
Salem Police Department	17	1	4,673
Penns Grove Police Department	12	1	4,719
Lower Alloways Creek Township Police Department	11	0	1,652
Woodstown Police Department	9	1	3,434
Elmer Police Department	2	0	1,304
Elsinboro Township Police Department	0	0	962

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2021	93	2.53	6	8
2020	94	2.56	7	8
2019	96	2.61	7	8
2018	98	2.65	7	8

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 Salem County County Clerk?: Dale A. Cross is the County Clerk of Salem County, New Jersey.
Who is the Salem County Sheriff?: Charles M. Miller is the Sheriff of Salem County, New Jersey.
Who is the Salem County Surrogate?: Gordon J. Ostrum Jr. is the Surrogate of Salem County, New Jersey.
Who are the Salem County commissioners?: Benjamin H. Laury (County Commissioner); Cordy Taylor (County Commissioner); Ed Ramsay (County Commissioner); Daniel Timmerman (County Commissioner); Paul Collier (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Salem County?: About 65,275 people, with a median age of 41.9; the median household income is $79,960 and 12.7% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Salem County?: 5.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 1,551 people unemployed in a labor force of 30,511, against 7.2% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Salem County?: 31 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal, 11 township, 12 school district and 3 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Salem County?: 15: Alloway, Carneys Point, Elmer, Elsinboro, Lower Alloways Creek, Mannington, Oldmans, Penns Grove, Pennsville, Pilesgrove, Pittsgrove, Quinton, Salem, Upper Pittsgrove, Woodstown. 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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