Columbia County, PA elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Columbia County: 226 seats on 87 elected bodies.

Board of County Commissioners

OfficeWho holds it now
County CommissionerDean Brewer source

Cities and towns

How many local governments Columbia County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 55 local governments in Columbia 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 (9 municipal, 24 township)3333
School districts (school boards)60
Special districts (elected boards)150

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 Columbia County

65,362people
41median ageU.S.: 38.9
$64,644 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
13.7%below the U.S.: 12.5%
26.6%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$206,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700
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%U.S.: 8.4%
42%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
23.8%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 4.1% · White 90.5% · Black 1.7% · Asian 0.7% · Other or more than one race 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 Columbia County

3.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.7%. Pennsylvania: 3.2%.
1,097people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
30,641people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
31,738in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Columbia County 0.0%2.2%4.4%6.6%8.8% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.5%1,09730,64131,738
August 20264.4%1,39330,27931,672
July 20264.5%1,42230,07631,498
June 20264.7%1,47330,02731,500
May 20264.4%1,41230,61932,031
April 20264.2%1,32530,54331,868
March 20265.0%1,58930,11331,702
February 20265.7%1,79729,83531,632
January 20265.5%1,68529,16530,850
December 20254.5%1,40729,82131,228
November 20254.6%1,44630,09031,536
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.7%1,48229,74331,225
August 20255.8%1,81829,26831,086
July 20255.4%1,69229,37231,064
June 20255.3%1,63229,04830,680
May 20254.3%1,34829,91331,261
April 20254.1%1,26730,01231,279
March 20255.1%1,59929,72031,319
February 20255.5%1,73729,59931,336
January 20255.6%1,72729,15230,879
December 20244.1%1,26929,91631,185
November 20244.0%1,25430,18431,438
October 20243.7%1,16130,63131,792
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.0%1,56029,61331,173
20244.4%1,38530,39731,782
20234.2%1,34630,67832,024
20224.6%1,45130,05631,507
20215.9%1,83129,41531,246
20208.4%2,65028,92131,571
20194.9%1,57530,36831,943
20185.1%1,63930,36532,004
20175.5%1,77330,29432,067
20165.7%1,85230,54332,395

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. Pennsylvania's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.6% 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 Columbia County

110.8 per 100,0002017. Pennsylvania: 313.0.
993.1 per 100,0002017. Pennsylvania: 1,644.3.
1murders2017, 85 violent crimes in all.

2017 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.

By police agency (11)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Bloomsburg Town Police Department20244314213,256
Berwick Police Department2024610810,243
Scott Township Police Department, Columbia County20243735,670
Briar Creek Township Police Department20256235,154
Hemlock Township Police Department202511204,872
Mifflin Township Police Department2025404,317
Montour Township Police Department2025182,178
Locust Township Police Department2024032,010
Catawissa Police Department2025351,537
Main Township Police Department2025011,288
Benton Police Department202401822

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 Pennsylvania · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.48 per 1,000 residents2025, 12 agencies serving 53,403 people.
79sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
5civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (12), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Bloomsburg Town Police Department16413,437
Berwick Police Department16110,332
Scott Township Police Department, Columbia County905,692
Hemlock Township Police Department904,872
Mifflin Township Police Department804,317
Briar Creek Township Police Department605,154
Locust Township Police Department602,590
Catawissa Police Department501,537
Montour Township Police Department302,178
Orange Township Police Department101,181
Benton Police Department00825
Main Township Police Department001,288

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 are the Columbia County commissioners?
Dean Brewer (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Columbia County?
About 65,362 people, with a median age of 41; the median household income is $64,644 and 13.7% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Columbia County?
3.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 1,097 people unemployed in a labor force of 31,738, against 4.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Columbia County?
55 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal, 24 township, 6 school district and 15 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Columbia County?
86: Beaver Township, Beaver Township, Benton Borough, Benton Borough, Benton Borough, Benton Township, Benton Township, Benton Township, Berwick Borough, Berwick Borough, Berwick Borough, Briar Creek Borough, Briar Creek Borough, Briar Creek Township, Catawissa Borough, Catawissa Borough, Catawissa Borough, Catawissa Township, Catawissa Township, Catawissa Township, Centralia Borough, Centralia Borough, Cleveland Township, Cleveland Township, Cleveland Township, Conyngham Township, Fishing Creek Township, Fishing Creek Township, Franklin Township, Franklin Township, Franklin Township, Greenwood Township, Greenwood Township, Hemlock Township, Hemlock Township, Hemlock Township, Jackson Township, Jackson Township, Jackson Township, Locust Township, Locust Township, Madison Township, Madison Township, Madison Township, Main Township, Main Township, Main Township, Mifflin Township, Mifflin Township, Millville Borough, Millville Borough, Millville Borough, Montour Township, Montour Township, Montour Township, Mount Pleasant Township, Mount Pleasant Township, North Centre Township, North Centre Township, Orange Township, Orange Township, Orangeville Borough, Orangeville Borough, Orangeville Borough, Pine Township, Pine Township, Pine Township, Roaring Creek Township, Roaring Creek Township, Roaring Creek Township, Scott Township, Scott Township, Scott Township, South Centre Township, South Centre Township, South Centre Township, Stillwater Borough, Stillwater Borough, Stillwater Borough, Stillwater Borough, Sugarloaf Township, Sugarloaf Township, Sugarloaf Township, Town of Bloomsburg, Town of Bloomsburg, Town of Bloomsburg. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development's Municipal Statistics officials list (self-reported by each county and municipality); 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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