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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Lancaster County: 426 seats on 132 elected bodies.

Cities and towns

How many local governments Lancaster County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 132 local governments in Lancaster County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government10
Cities, towns, villages and townships (19 municipal, 41 township)6060
School districts (school boards)160
Special districts (elected boards)550

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 Lancaster County

557,931people
39.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$86,959 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
8.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
32.4%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$301,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
5.8%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
11.2%U.S.: 8.4%
46.4%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
23.2%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 11.5% · White 79.1% · Black 3.4% · Asian 2.4% · 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 Lancaster County

2.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.5%. Pennsylvania: 3.2%.
7,517people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
290,253people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
297,770in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Lancaster County 0.0%1.9%3.8%5.7%7.7% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)2.5%7,517290,253297,770
August 20263.2%9,797292,622302,419
July 20263.0%9,130293,125302,255
June 20263.2%9,483290,348299,831
May 20263.1%9,252287,547296,799
April 20262.9%8,518286,503295,021
March 20263.1%9,077282,877291,954
February 20263.4%9,896279,539289,435
January 20263.1%9,162281,736290,898
December 20252.7%7,912282,566290,478
November 20253.0%8,743283,730292,473
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.5%10,035279,565289,600
August 20254.3%12,745281,052293,797
July 20254.0%11,662282,038293,700
June 20253.7%10,731280,743291,474
May 20253.2%9,292280,153289,445
April 20252.8%8,208280,813289,021
March 20253.2%9,342278,690288,032
February 20253.5%9,984275,615285,599
January 20253.4%9,822276,854286,676
December 20242.8%7,921279,685287,606
November 20242.8%8,145279,633287,778
October 20243.0%8,727282,370291,097
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.4%9,861280,165290,026
20243.0%8,838282,727291,565
20232.9%8,532283,659292,191
20223.4%9,726279,332289,058
20214.6%13,212272,696285,908
20207.3%20,786264,593285,379
20193.4%9,735278,193287,928
20183.5%9,911274,969284,880
20173.9%10,940269,814280,754
20164.1%11,507268,574280,081

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 Lancaster County

156.0 per 100,0002018. Pennsylvania: 305.4.
985.5 per 100,0002018. Pennsylvania: 1,489.2.
12murders2018, 959 violent crimes in all.

2018 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
2018959156.06,058985.5
20171,119183.47,1561,172.7
2016939155.07,3591,214.8
By police agency (25)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Lancaster Police Department202521779958,569
Manheim Township Police Department20253447244,560
Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department20251514742,131
Ephrata Police Department2025822734,047
East Lampeter Township Police Department20252533928,078
East Hempfield Township Police Department20252021127,487
Manor Township Police Department, Lancaster County202564622,117
West Hempfield Township Police Department2025911320,243
Northwest Lancaster County Regional Police Department202553220,067
Lancaster Township Police Department, Lancaster County20251415518,704
West Lampeter Township Police Department202557417,340
Susquehanna Regional Police Department202494015,104
East Cocalico Township Police Department202514314,927
West Earl Township Police Department202533812,518
Elizabethtown Police Department2025177012,077
Columbia Police Department20251913010,448
Lititz Police Department20254199,799
Millersville Police Department20250499,700
Mount Joy Police Department20242348,349
East Earl Township Police Department20251446,827
Pequea Township Police Department20252156,548
Manheim Police Department202515485,002
Strasburg Police Department20191153,005
Quarryville Police Department20241182,866
Christiana Police Department2025061,098

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

1.22 per 1,000 residents2025, 26 agencies serving 464,721 people.
569sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
78civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (26), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Lancaster Police Department1053358,569
Manheim Township Police Department631344,560
East Lampeter Township Police Department41228,078
East Hempfield Township Police Department35427,487
Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department34242,131
Ephrata Police Department32234,047
Manor Township Police Department, Lancaster County21222,117
Northwest Lancaster County Regional Police Department20220,067
Columbia Police Department18310,448
West Hempfield Township Police Department20120,243
Elizabethtown Police Department17212,077
Lititz Police Department1539,799
Manheim Police Department1715,002
Susquehanna Regional Police Department16115,095
West Lampeter Township Police Department15117,340
East Cocalico Township Police Department15114,927
Lancaster Township Police Department, Lancaster County16018,704
Mount Joy Police Department1218,376
Millersville Police Department1129,700
West Earl Township Police Department12112,518
NEW HOLLAND11112,993
East Earl Township Police Department706,827
Strasburg Police Department603,095
Quarryville Police Department402,875
Pequea Township Police Department406,548
Christiana Police Department201,098

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

What is the population of Lancaster County?
About 557,931 people, with a median age of 39.4; the median household income is $86,959 and 8.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Lancaster County?
2.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 7,517 people unemployed in a labor force of 297,770, against 3.5% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Lancaster County?
132 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 19 municipal, 41 township, 16 school district and 55 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Lancaster County?
132: Adamstown Borough, Adamstown Borough, Akron Borough, Akron Borough, Bart Township, Bart Township, Brecknock Township, Brecknock Township, Caernarvon Township, Caernarvon Township, Christiana Borough, Christiana Borough, City of Lancaster, City of Lancaster, City of Lancaster, Clay Township, Clay Township, Clay Township, Colerain Township, Colerain Township, Colerain Township, Columbia Borough, Columbia Borough, Columbia Borough, Conestoga Township, Conestoga Township, Conestoga Township, Conoy Township, Conoy Township, Denver Borough, Denver Borough, Drumore Township, Drumore Township, Drumore Township, Earl Township, Earl Township, East Cocalico Township, East Cocalico Township, East Cocalico Township, East Donegal Township, East Donegal Township, East Drumore Township, East Drumore Township, East Earl Township, East Earl Township, East Hempfield Township, East Hempfield Township, East Lampeter Township, East Lampeter Township, East Petersburg Borough, East Petersburg Borough, Eden Township, Eden Township, Eden Township, Elizabeth Township, Elizabeth Township, Elizabethtown Borough, Elizabethtown Borough, Ephrata Borough, Ephrata Borough, Ephrata Township, Ephrata Township, Fulton Township, Fulton Township, Lancaster Township, Lancaster Township, Leacock Township, Leacock Township, Lititz Borough, Lititz Borough, Little Britain Township, Little Britain Township, Manheim Borough, Manheim Borough, Manheim Township, Manheim Township, Manor Township, Manor Township, Marietta Borough, Marietta Borough, Martic Township, Martic Township, Millersville Borough, Millersville Borough, Millersville Borough, Mount Joy Borough, Mount Joy Borough, Mount Joy Township, Mount Joy Township, Mountville Borough, Mountville Borough, New Holland Borough, New Holland Borough, New Holland Borough, Paradise Township, Paradise Township, Penn Township, Pequea Township, Pequea Township, Providence Township, Providence Township, Quarryville Borough, Quarryville Borough, Rapho Township, Rapho Township, Rapho Township, Sadsbury Township, Salisbury Township, Salisbury Township, Salisbury Township, Strasburg Borough, Strasburg Borough, Strasburg Borough, Strasburg Township, Strasburg Township, Terre Hill Borough, Terre Hill Borough, Upper Leacock Township, Upper Leacock Township, Warwick Township, Warwick Township, Warwick Township, West Cocalico Township, West Cocalico Township, West Donegal Township, West Donegal Township, West Earl Township, West Hempfield Township, West Hempfield Township, West Lampeter Township, West Lampeter Township, West Lampeter Township. 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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