The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 35 local governments in Cortland 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, 15 township)
19
0
School districts (school boards)
5
0
Special districts (elected boards)
10
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 Cortland County
46,246people
37median ageU.S.: 38.9
$70,418 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
12.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
29.1%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$162,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.8%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.2%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.5%U.S.: 8.4%
50.4%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
24.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3.6% · White 89.2% · Black 1.7% · Asian 1.4% · Other or more than one race 4.1% (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 Cortland County
4.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.9%. New York: 4.5%.
958people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
21,743people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
22,701in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
4.2%
958
21,743
22,701
August 2026
4.5%
977
20,645
21,622
July 2026
4.5%
951
20,388
21,339
June 2026
4.3%
931
20,578
21,509
May 2026
4.1%
899
21,082
21,981
April 2026
4.3%
954
21,112
22,066
March 2026
5.1%
1,162
21,787
22,949
February 2026
5.8%
1,340
21,894
23,234
January 2026
5.6%
1,276
21,363
22,639
December 2025
4.7%
1,053
21,415
22,468
November 2025
4.2%
932
21,470
22,402
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
3.9%
864
21,377
22,241
August 2025
4.4%
932
20,266
21,198
July 2025
4.3%
923
20,615
21,538
June 2025
3.9%
832
20,730
21,562
May 2025
3.3%
719
20,978
21,697
April 2025
3.7%
804
20,901
21,705
March 2025
4.6%
996
20,700
21,696
February 2025
5.3%
1,161
20,678
21,839
January 2025
5.3%
1,139
20,297
21,436
December 2024
4.3%
924
20,434
21,358
November 2024
3.8%
823
20,630
21,453
October 2024
3.2%
694
20,827
21,521
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.3%
941
20,857
21,798
2024
4.2%
899
20,574
21,473
2023
4.1%
893
21,075
21,968
2022
3.7%
845
22,070
22,915
2021
4.9%
1,120
21,754
22,874
2020
7.5%
1,748
21,493
23,241
2019
4.5%
1,076
22,866
23,942
2018
4.8%
1,156
22,761
23,917
2017
5.5%
1,324
22,741
24,065
2016
5.5%
1,328
22,731
24,059
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 York's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.3% 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 Cortland County
116.1 per 100,0002025. New York: 368.4.
1,337.8 per 100,0002025. New York: 1,574.8.
1murders2025, 57 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
57
116.1
657
1,337.8
2024
82
165.9
793
1,604.2
2023
80
163.2
799
1,629.9
2022
83
168.5
983
1,995.9
2018
42
84.8
555
1,120.8
2017
34
66.9
734
1,443.3
2016
29
56.9
616
1,209.4
By police agency (3)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Cortland County Sheriff's Office
2025
13
167
25,692
Cortland Police Department
2025
41
483
17,445
Homer Village Police Department
2024
1
30
3,042
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 York · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.81 per 1,000 residents2024, 3 agencies serving 46,518 people.
84sworn officers2024, full-time, as of October 31.
7civilian staff2024, full-time.
2024 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.
Agencies counted (3), 2024
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Cortland Police Department
41
2
17,197
Cortland County Sheriff's Office
38
4
26,279
Homer Village Police Department
5
1
3,042
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2024
84
1.81
7
3
2023
80
1.74
5
3
2022
82
1.77
6
3
2019
79
1.67
7
3
2018
87
1.86
7
3
2017
87
1.81
7
3
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 Cortland County County Clerk?
Brooke Kemak is the County Clerk of Cortland County, New York.
Who is the Cortland County Coroner?
Bryan Riccardi is the Coroner of Cortland County, New York.
Who is the Cortland County Coroner?
Nicholas Lundberg is the Coroner of Cortland County, New York.
Who is the Cortland County District Attorney?
Patrick A. Perfetti is the District Attorney of Cortland County, New York.
Who is the Cortland County Sheriff?
Mark E. Helms is the Sheriff of Cortland County, New York.
Who are the Cortland County commissioners?
Douglas Bentley (County Legislator, District 1); Beau Harbin (County Legislator, District 2); Cathy Bischoff (County Legislator, District 3); Ronald VanDee (County Legislator, District 4); Jason Prentice (County Legislator, District 5); Dominick Mantella (County Legislator, District 6); Keith VanGorder (County Legislator, District 7); Kevin Fitch (County Legislator, District 8); Linda Jones (County Legislator, District 9); Reed Cleland (County Legislator, District 10); Christopher Newell (County Legislator, District 11); Joseph Nauseef (County Legislator, District 12); Eugene Waldbauer (County Legislator, District 13); Sandra Price (County Legislator, District 14); William McGovern (County Legislator, District 15); Paul Heider (County Legislator, District 16); Mitchel Eccleston (County Legislator, District 17).
What is the population of Cortland County?
About 46,246 people, with a median age of 37; the median household income is $70,418 and 12.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Cortland County?
4.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 958 people unemployed in a labor force of 22,701, against 3.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Cortland County?
35 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal, 15 township, 5 school district and 10 special district governments.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from each county's own website (its legislature, elected-officials and board of elections pages and rosters); in New York City, the City Council's member list and the NYC Board of Elections' certified 2023 and 2025 results; officials appointed since a page was posted 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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