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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Mahaska County: 7 seats on 5 elected bodies. 5 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Supervisors

Mahaska County Board of Supervisors

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Supervisor, At-LargeChuck Webb Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Supervisor, At-LargeMark Groenendyk Republican source
County Supervisor, At-LargeSteven Wanders Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AttorneyAndrew Jay Ritland Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County RecorderJody Van Patten Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffRussell J. Van Renterghem Republican source
County TreasurerShauna Hol Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Mahaska County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 15 local governments in Mahaska 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 townships90
School districts (school boards)20
Special districts (elected boards)30

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 Mahaska County

22,021people
39median ageU.S.: 38.9
$70,940 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
12.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
24.1%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$157,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.2%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.8%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.7%U.S.: 8.4%
32.8%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
18.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.5% · White 91.6% · Black 1.1% · Asian 1% · 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 Mahaska County

2.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.3%. Iowa: 3.2%.
321people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
12,291people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
12,612in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Mahaska County 0.0%1.2%2.5%3.7%4.9% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)2.5%32112,29112,612
August 20262.8%35212,00412,356
July 20262.9%35712,09712,454
June 20262.7%33612,23212,568
May 20262.3%28712,41112,698
April 20262.0%26012,56412,824
March 20262.5%31912,50712,826
February 20262.7%34912,35512,704
January 20262.9%36012,03112,391
December 20252.6%32912,41812,747
November 20252.6%33912,49412,833
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20252.3%29612,32412,620
August 20252.8%34812,00312,351
July 20253.3%42112,16012,581
June 20253.2%39812,14612,544
May 20252.8%35212,32212,674
April 20252.5%32112,56712,888
March 20253.0%38412,45812,842
February 20253.0%37712,28012,657
January 20253.2%39612,04612,442
December 20242.4%30012,13512,435
November 20242.5%31012,19812,508
October 20242.5%31812,42212,740
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)2.8%36012,29312,653
20242.5%30612,03712,343
20232.5%31111,98812,299
20222.5%31212,04312,355
20213.4%40911,65812,067
20204.7%56411,36311,927
20192.5%30011,87812,178
20182.5%30511,68811,993
20173.2%38211,54711,929
20163.7%44911,73512,184

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 Mahaska County

142.5 per 100,0002025. Iowa: 233.9.
530.6 per 100,0002025. Iowa: 1,171.7.
0murders2025, 47 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202547142.5175530.6
202435106.4226686.8
202350152.7242739.3
202278239.5244749.3
202149144.0262770.0
202078232.53431,022.5
201982254.94121,280.5
201783256.55151,591.7
By police agency (4)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Oskaloosa Police Department20253411411,583
Pella Police Department202595011,092
Mahaska County Sheriff's Office20254119,060
New Sharon Police Department2024111,243

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

1.39 per 1,000 residents2025, 4 agencies serving 32,982 people.
46sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
27civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (4), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Pella Police Department19911,092
Mahaska County Sheriff's Office11169,060
Oskaloosa Police Department14211,583
New Sharon Police Department201,247
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025461.39274
2024421.28224
2023441.34244
2021431.31243
2020421.30243
2017441.36244
2016441.35224

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 Mahaska County County Attorney?
Andrew Jay Ritland (Republican) is the County Attorney of Mahaska County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Mahaska County County Recorder?
Jody Van Patten (Republican) is the County Recorder of Mahaska County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Mahaska County Sheriff?
Russell J. Van Renterghem (Republican) is the Sheriff of Mahaska County, Iowa.
Who is the Mahaska County County Treasurer?
Shauna Hol (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Mahaska County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Mahaska County commissioners?
Chuck Webb (County Supervisor, At-Large); Mark Groenendyk (County Supervisor, At-Large); Steven Wanders (County Supervisor, At-Large).
What is the population of Mahaska County?
About 22,021 people, with a median age of 39; the median household income is $70,940 and 12.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Mahaska County?
2.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 321 people unemployed in a labor force of 12,612, against 2.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Mahaska County?
15 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal, 2 school district and 3 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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