Who is the Benton County County Attorney?

Ray Lough (Republican) is the County Attorney of Benton County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Benton County County Auditor?

Hayley Rippel (Republican) is the County Auditor of Benton County, Iowa.

Who is the Benton County County Recorder?

Lexa S. Speidel (Republican) is the County Recorder of Benton County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Benton County Sheriff?

David Benjamin Upah (Republican) is the Sheriff of Benton County, Iowa.

Who is the Benton County County Treasurer?

Melinda Schoettmer (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Benton County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who are the Benton County commissioners?

Ronald J. Tippett (County Supervisor, District 1); Tracy Seeman (County Supervisor, District 2); Bruce E. Volz (County Supervisor, District 3).

What is the population of Benton County?

About 25,724 people, with a median age of 43.1; the median household income is $86,962 and 7.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Benton County?

2.9% in September 2026 (preliminary): 388 people unemployed in a labor force of 13,350, against 2.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Benton County?

27 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 14 municipal, 3 school district and 9 special district governments.

Benton County, IA elected officials: county supervisors, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Benton County: 8 seats on 6 elected bodies. 4 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Supervisors

Benton County Board of Supervisors

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Supervisor, District 1	Ronald J. Tippett Republican source
County Supervisor, District 2	Tracy Seeman Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Supervisor, District 3	Bruce E. Volz Republican source

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Attorney	Ray Lough Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Auditor	Hayley Rippel Republican source
County Recorder	Lexa S. Speidel Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff	David Benjamin Upah Republican source
County Treasurer	Melinda Schoettmer Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Benton County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 27 local governments in Benton 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	14	0
School districts (school boards)	3	0
Special districts (elected boards)	9	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 Benton County

25,724people

43.1median ageU.S.: 38.9

$86,962 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

7.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%

25.6%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$208,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700

2%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

0.8%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

8.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

3%U.S.: 8.4%

35.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

15.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2% · White 94.4% · Black 0.4% · Asian 0.2% · 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 Benton County

2.9%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.7%. Iowa: 3.2%.

388people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

12,962people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

13,350in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	2.9%	388	12,962	13,350
August 2026	3.4%	449	12,937	13,386
July 2026	3.1%	420	13,127	13,547
June 2026	2.9%	395	13,167	13,562
May 2026	2.6%	347	13,159	13,506
April 2026	2.3%	318	13,258	13,576
March 2026	3.1%	416	13,106	13,522
February 2026	4.1%	555	13,042	13,597
January 2026	3.6%	490	13,021	13,511
December 2025	3.2%	436	13,165	13,601
November 2025	3.1%	418	13,269	13,687
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	2.7%	371	13,256	13,627
August 2025	4.5%	610	13,096	13,706
July 2025	3.2%	443	13,354	13,797
June 2025	3.1%	420	13,348	13,768
May 2025	3.0%	410	13,258	13,668
April 2025	2.8%	382	13,390	13,772
March 2025	3.5%	484	13,255	13,739
February 2025	3.7%	514	13,209	13,723
January 2025	4.1%	564	13,184	13,748
December 2024	3.1%	412	13,086	13,498
November 2024	3.1%	418	13,209	13,627
October 2024	3.1%	431	13,312	13,743

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	3.3%	459	13,253	13,712
2024	3.1%	420	13,130	13,550
2023	3.1%	429	13,380	13,809
2022	2.9%	406	13,517	13,923
2021	3.8%	522	13,190	13,712
2020	4.7%	629	12,832	13,461
2019	2.7%	387	13,959	14,346
2018	2.6%	367	13,765	14,132
2017	3.1%	432	13,684	14,116
2016	3.4%	486	13,859	14,345

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. Iowa's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.2% 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 Benton County

127.8 per 100,0002025. Iowa: 233.9.

292.1 per 100,0002025. Iowa: 1,171.7.

0murders2025, 35 violent crimes in all.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2025	35	127.8	80	292.1
2024	36	137.9	129	494.1
2023	50	193.7	148	573.4
2022	48	185.6	109	421.4
2021	34	133.4	162	635.7

By police agency (3)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Benton County Sheriff's Office	2025	16	40	18,424
Vinton Police Department	2025	10	13	4,971
Belle Plaine Police Department	2025	9	27	2,337

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 Iowa · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.20 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 25,732 people.

31sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

30civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (3), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Benton County Sheriff's Office	16	29	18,424
Vinton Police Department	10	1	4,971
Belle Plaine Police Department	5	0	2,337

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	31	1.20	30	3
2024	29	1.11	30	4
2023	30	1.16	26	4
2022	28	1.08	24	3
2021	28	1.10	27	3
2019	27	1.06	22	3
2016	25	0.98	20	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 Benton County County Attorney?: Ray Lough (Republican) is the County Attorney of Benton County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Benton County County Auditor?: Hayley Rippel (Republican) is the County Auditor of Benton County, Iowa.
Who is the Benton County County Recorder?: Lexa S. Speidel (Republican) is the County Recorder of Benton County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Benton County Sheriff?: David Benjamin Upah (Republican) is the Sheriff of Benton County, Iowa.
Who is the Benton County County Treasurer?: Melinda Schoettmer (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Benton County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Benton County commissioners?: Ronald J. Tippett (County Supervisor, District 1); Tracy Seeman (County Supervisor, District 2); Bruce E. Volz (County Supervisor, District 3).
What is the population of Benton County?: About 25,724 people, with a median age of 43.1; the median household income is $86,962 and 7.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Benton County?: 2.9% in September 2026 (preliminary): 388 people unemployed in a labor force of 13,350, against 2.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Benton County?: 27 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 14 municipal, 3 school district and 9 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from county election offices' elected-officials pages where they publish one, and elsewhere from the Iowa Secretary of State's certified 2022 and 2024 general election results (each seat's last election); officials appointed since then 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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