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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Hancock County: 8 seats on 6 elected bodies. 5 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Supervisors

Hancock County Board of Supervisors

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Supervisor, At-LargeFlorence Sis Greiman Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Supervisor, At-LargeGary Rayhons Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Supervisor, At-LargeOsmund Bud Jermeland Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AttorneyRachel Martinez Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County AuditorMichelle K. Eisenman Republican source
County RecorderTracy L. Marshall Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffRobert Gerdes Jr. Republican source
County TreasurerDeborah D. Engstler Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Hancock County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 13 local governments in Hancock 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 townships80
School districts (school boards)20
Special districts (elected boards)20

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 Hancock County

10,671people
44.6median ageU.S.: 38.9
$70,601 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
12.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
20.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$141,400median home valueU.S.: $332,700
1.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5.8%U.S.: 8.4%
39.6%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
18.4%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 6% · White 90.1% · Black 0.4% · Asian 0.9% · Other or more than one race 2.5% (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 Hancock County

2.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.9%. Iowa: 3.2%.
141people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
5,313people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
5,454in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Hancock County 0.0%1.2%2.4%3.5%4.7% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)2.6%1415,3135,454
August 20262.8%1555,3385,493
July 20264.7%2695,4345,703
June 20262.6%1455,4635,608
May 20262.8%1535,3265,479
April 20262.5%1365,3905,526
March 20263.1%1725,3345,506
February 20263.0%1635,2775,440
January 20263.3%1825,2655,447
December 20252.9%1615,3715,532
November 20252.8%1545,3635,517
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20252.9%1585,3825,540
August 20253.1%1745,4215,595
July 20253.7%2115,5675,778
June 20253.3%1895,5575,746
May 20252.9%1625,4405,602
April 20252.7%1525,5275,679
March 20253.4%1945,4435,637
February 20253.4%1885,3815,569
January 20253.3%1875,4325,619
December 20242.5%1415,4595,600
November 20242.7%1495,4215,570
October 20242.6%1485,5625,710
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.1%1755,4445,619
20242.4%1355,5285,663
20232.7%1545,5045,658
20222.3%1355,6145,749
20213.5%2005,5615,761
20204.5%2585,5235,781
20192.3%1415,8826,023
20182.3%1425,9326,074
20172.5%1586,0476,205
20162.7%1736,3146,487

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 Hancock County

51.7 per 100,0002025. Iowa: 233.9.
270.1 per 100,0002025. Iowa: 1,171.7.
0murders2025, 9 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2025951.747270.1
202018104.348278.1
201915104.943300.7
20181268.640228.8
20171797.259337.3
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Hancock County Sheriff's Office202553210,168
Forest City Police Department20254154,182

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

1.11 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 14,350 people.
16sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
9civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Hancock County Sheriff's Office8810,168
Forest City Police Department814,182
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025161.1192
2023161.1092
2020161.1232
2018161.1112
2017161.1112
2016241.6503

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 Hancock County County Attorney?
Rachel Martinez (Republican) is the County Attorney of Hancock County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hancock County County Auditor?
Michelle K. Eisenman (Republican) is the County Auditor of Hancock County, Iowa.
Who is the Hancock County County Recorder?
Tracy L. Marshall (Republican) is the County Recorder of Hancock County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hancock County Sheriff?
Robert Gerdes Jr. (Republican) is the Sheriff of Hancock County, Iowa.
Who is the Hancock County County Treasurer?
Deborah D. Engstler (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Hancock County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Hancock County commissioners?
Florence Sis Greiman (County Supervisor, At-Large); Gary Rayhons (County Supervisor, At-Large); Osmund Bud Jermeland (County Supervisor, At-Large).
What is the population of Hancock County?
About 10,671 people, with a median age of 44.6; the median household income is $70,601 and 12.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Hancock County?
2.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 141 people unemployed in a labor force of 5,454, against 2.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Hancock County?
13 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 8 municipal, 2 school district and 2 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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