Who is the Otero County Assessor?

Ken Hood (Republican) is the Assessor of Otero County, Colorado. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Otero County Clerk and Recorder?

Lynda "Lyn" Scott (Republican) is the Clerk and Recorder of Otero County, Colorado. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Otero County Coroner?

Robert Fowler (Republican) is the Coroner of Otero County, Colorado. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Otero County Sheriff?

Shawn Mobley (Republican) is the Sheriff of Otero County, Colorado. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Otero County Surveyor?

The office of Otero County Surveyor is vacant. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Otero County Treasurer?

Sharon Jones (Republican) is the Treasurer of Otero County, Colorado. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who are the Otero County commissioners?

Rob Oquist (District 1); Tim Knabenshue (District 2); Jim Baldwin (District 3).

What is the population of Otero County?

About 18,321 people, with a median age of 41.8; the median household income is $54,037 and 22.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Otero County?

6.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 424 people unemployed in a labor force of 6,764, against 5.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Otero County?

30 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 6 municipal, 6 school district and 17 special district governments.

Otero County, CO elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Otero County: 9 seats on 7 elected bodies. 7 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Otero County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Commissioner, District 1	Rob Oquist Republican source
County Commissioner, District 2	Tim Knabenshue Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 3	Jim Baldwin Republican source

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
Assessor	Ken Hood Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Clerk and Recorder	Lynda "Lyn" Scott Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Coroner	Robert Fowler Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff	Shawn Mobley Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Surveyor	Vacant source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Treasurer	Sharon Jones Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Otero County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 30 local governments in Otero 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	6	0
School districts (school boards)	6	0
Special districts (elected boards)	17	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 Otero County

18,321people

41.8median ageU.S.: 38.9

$54,037 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

22.1%below the U.S.: 12.5%

18.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$168,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700

6.7%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

4.8%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

6.6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

6.6%U.S.: 8.4%

46.3%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

32.2%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 42% · White 52.4% · Black 1.1% · Asian 0.7% · Other or more than one race 3.8% (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 Otero County

6.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.4%. Colorado: 4.4%.

424people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

6,340people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

6,764in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	6.3%	424	6,340	6,764
August 2026	6.3%	432	6,396	6,828
July 2026	6.0%	398	6,291	6,689
June 2026	5.8%	391	6,396	6,787
May 2026	5.1%	353	6,583	6,936
April 2026	4.6%	320	6,644	6,964
March 2026	5.0%	347	6,648	6,995
February 2026	5.9%	410	6,537	6,947
January 2026	6.1%	419	6,414	6,833
December 2025	5.2%	360	6,553	6,913
November 2025	5.3%	367	6,494	6,861
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	5.4%	374	6,591	6,965
August 2025	5.6%	388	6,602	6,990
July 2025	5.9%	410	6,545	6,955
June 2025	5.5%	392	6,734	7,126
May 2025	5.0%	363	6,867	7,230
April 2025	4.9%	361	6,953	7,314
March 2025	5.3%	389	7,008	7,397
February 2025	5.7%	414	6,874	7,288
January 2025	5.6%	399	6,756	7,155
December 2024	5.5%	391	6,781	7,172
November 2024	5.9%	415	6,651	7,066
October 2024	5.4%	390	6,897	7,287

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	5.4%	383	6,725	7,108
2024	5.3%	382	6,830	7,212
2023	4.5%	325	6,946	7,271
2022	4.5%	328	7,001	7,329
2021	7.1%	530	6,969	7,499
2020	6.1%	472	7,264	7,736
2019	4.2%	328	7,531	7,859
2018	5.0%	392	7,473	7,865
2017	4.1%	318	7,443	7,761
2016	4.8%	365	7,275	7,640

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. Colorado's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.1% 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.

Police in Otero County

Police staffing

1.82 per 1,000 residents2024, 5 agencies serving 18,108 people.

33sworn officers2024, full-time, as of October 31.

14civilian staff2024, full-time.

2024 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (5), 2024

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Otero County Sheriff's Office	9	10	5,840
La Junta Police Department	15	1	6,942
Rocky Ford Police Department	7	2	3,803
Fowler Police Department	1	1	1,196
Manzanola Police Department	1	0	327

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2024	33	1.82	14	5
2023	32	1.76	29	5
2021	34	1.90	25	5
2020	34	1.88	25	5
2019	47	2.57	12	5
2018	50	2.74	9	5
2017	43	2.37	10	5
2016	43	2.36	10	5

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 Otero County Assessor?: Ken Hood (Republican) is the Assessor of Otero County, Colorado. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Otero County Clerk and Recorder?: Lynda "Lyn" Scott (Republican) is the Clerk and Recorder of Otero County, Colorado. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Otero County Coroner?: Robert Fowler (Republican) is the Coroner of Otero County, Colorado. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Otero County Sheriff?: Shawn Mobley (Republican) is the Sheriff of Otero County, Colorado. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Otero County Surveyor?: The office of Otero County Surveyor is vacant. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Otero County Treasurer?: Sharon Jones (Republican) is the Treasurer of Otero County, Colorado. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Otero County commissioners?: Rob Oquist (District 1); Tim Knabenshue (District 2); Jim Baldwin (District 3).
What is the population of Otero County?: About 18,321 people, with a median age of 41.8; the median household income is $54,037 and 22.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Otero County?: 6.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 424 people unemployed in a labor force of 6,764, against 5.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Otero County?: 30 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 6 municipal, 6 school district and 17 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Colorado Secretary of State's 2023-2024 Biennial Abstract directory of county officers, with districts and parties from the Secretary of State's certified 2022 and 2024 general election results; officials appointed since it was published 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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