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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Philadelphia County: 19 seats on 3 elected bodies.

Cities and towns

How many local governments Philadelphia County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 9 local governments in Philadelphia County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
Cities, towns, villages and townships11
School districts (school boards)20
Special districts (elected boards)60

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 Philadelphia County

1,579,706people
35.3median ageU.S.: 38.9
$61,953 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
21.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%
35.4%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$243,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
8.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
15.2%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
3.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
7.1%U.S.: 8.4%
52.3%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
31.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 15.6% · White 33.2% · Black 38.3% · Asian 7.9% · Other or more than one race 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 Philadelphia County

4.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.6%. Pennsylvania: 3.2%.
34,350people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
767,684people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
802,034in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Philadelphia County 0.0%3.0%6.0%9.0%12.0% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.3%34,350767,684802,034
August 20265.2%41,807762,828804,635
July 20264.9%39,470762,370801,840
June 20264.9%39,212762,968802,180
May 20265.0%40,359762,938803,297
April 20264.7%37,861764,100801,961
March 20265.0%39,773758,839798,612
February 20265.5%43,950748,717792,667
January 20265.3%42,160749,683791,843
December 20254.6%36,282752,546788,828
November 20255.0%40,015755,743795,758
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20255.6%44,247746,635790,882
August 20256.4%50,219740,302790,521
July 20256.0%46,998742,550789,548
June 20255.6%43,676742,897786,573
May 20255.1%40,083743,956784,039
April 20254.7%36,894749,311786,205
March 20255.0%39,420750,242789,662
February 20255.2%41,295745,919787,214
January 20255.2%41,075743,496784,571
December 20244.5%34,754744,447779,201
November 20244.6%36,206747,054783,260
October 20244.7%36,798748,941785,739
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.3%41,837746,691788,528
20244.7%37,058749,611786,669
20234.3%33,817747,673781,490
20224.9%37,548733,231770,779
20217.9%60,534707,367767,901
202011.4%89,224692,852782,076
20195.1%39,767740,897780,664
20185.3%40,928728,071768,999
20175.9%45,080717,191762,271
20166.3%47,577713,467761,044

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 Philadelphia County

822.7 per 100,0002025. Pennsylvania: 226.8.
4,307.4 per 100,0002025. Pennsylvania: 1,323.8.
224murders2025, 12,854 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202512,854822.767,2984,307.4
202414,199916.570,7554,567.0
202315,382991.878,7215,076.0
202216,3911,053.567,6644,349.1
202115,830986.351,4973,208.6
202015,492976.447,6963,006.1
201913,934876.945,4792,862.1
201814,420908.749,1453,096.9
201714,930947.648,2683,063.5
201615,385979.449,3343,140.6
By police agency (1)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Philadelphia Police Department202512,85467,2981,562,379

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

3.24 per 1,000 residents2025, 1 agency serving 1,562,379 people.
5,065sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
817civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (1), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Philadelphia Police Department5,0658171,562,379
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20255,0653.248171
20245,1513.328171
20235,4443.518221
20225,8003.731,3841
20206,3594.017811
20196,5844.148281
20186,5774.147891
20176,5584.167891
20166,3134.021,6821

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 Philadelphia County?
About 1,579,706 people, with a median age of 35.3; the median household income is $61,953 and 21.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Philadelphia County?
4.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 34,350 people unemployed in a labor force of 802,034, against 5.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Philadelphia County?
9 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 municipal, 2 school district and 6 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Philadelphia County?
3: City of Philadelphia, City of Philadelphia, City of Philadelphia. 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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