Who is the O'Brien County County Attorney?

Katie F. Morgan (Republican) is the County Attorney of O'Brien County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the O'Brien County County Auditor?

Rhea Schmalen (Republican) is the County Auditor of O'Brien County, Iowa.

Who is the O'Brien County County Recorder?

Susan Smith (Republican) is the County Recorder of O'Brien County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the O'Brien County Sheriff?

Bruce Devereaux (Republican) is the Sheriff of O'Brien County, Iowa.

Who is the O'Brien County County Treasurer?

Marcella Missy Hattermann (Republican) is the County Treasurer of O'Brien County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who are the O'Brien County commissioners?

Jim Thomas (County Supervisor, District 1); Barbara Rohwer (County Supervisor, District 2); Nancy McDowell (County Supervisor, District 3); Dennis Vanden Hull (County Supervisor, District 4); Dan Friedrichsen (County Supervisor, District 5).

What is the population of O'Brien County?

About 14,126 people, with a median age of 39.5; the median household income is $68,356 and 13.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in O'Brien County?

2.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 173 people unemployed in a labor force of 7,865, against 2.2% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in O'Brien County?

15 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 8 municipal, 4 school district and 2 special district governments.

O'Brien County, IA elected officials: county supervisors, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in O'Brien County: 10 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

O'Brien 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	Jim Thomas Republican source
County Supervisor, District 2	Barbara Rohwer Republican source
County Supervisor, District 3	Nancy McDowell Republican source
County Supervisor, District 4	Dennis Vanden Hull Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Supervisor, District 5	Dan Friedrichsen Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Attorney	Katie F. Morgan Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Auditor	Rhea Schmalen Republican source
County Recorder	Susan Smith Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff	Bruce Devereaux Republican source
County Treasurer	Marcella Missy Hattermann Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments O'Brien County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 15 local governments in O'Brien 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	8	0
School districts (school boards)	4	0
Special districts (elected boards)	2	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 O'Brien County

14,126people

39.5median ageU.S.: 38.9

$68,356 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

13.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%

22%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$173,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700

1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

4.4%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

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

3%U.S.: 8.4%

31.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

21.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 7.6% · White 87% · Black 1.7% · Asian 0.7% · Other or more than one race 3.1% (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 O'Brien County

2.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.2%. Iowa: 3.2%.

173people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

7,692people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

7,865in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	2.2%	173	7,692	7,865
August 2026	2.4%	188	7,595	7,783
July 2026	2.3%	186	7,763	7,949
June 2026	2.2%	180	7,831	8,011
May 2026	1.9%	154	7,780	7,934
April 2026	1.8%	140	7,774	7,914
March 2026	2.5%	195	7,701	7,896
February 2026	2.6%	201	7,574	7,775
January 2026	2.8%	217	7,525	7,742
December 2025	2.4%	188	7,688	7,876
November 2025	2.4%	185	7,656	7,841
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	2.2%	172	7,692	7,864
August 2025	2.8%	216	7,595	7,811
July 2025	2.9%	232	7,817	8,049
June 2025	2.7%	219	7,796	8,015
May 2025	2.6%	202	7,684	7,886
April 2025	2.5%	197	7,774	7,971
March 2025	2.9%	229	7,646	7,875
February 2025	3.0%	230	7,459	7,689
January 2025	3.2%	248	7,536	7,784
December 2024	2.5%	191	7,544	7,735
November 2024	2.7%	206	7,477	7,683
October 2024	2.6%	207	7,621	7,828

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	2.7%	211	7,668	7,879
2024	2.4%	187	7,552	7,739
2023	2.6%	201	7,486	7,687
2022	2.4%	184	7,438	7,622
2021	3.0%	229	7,342	7,571
2020	3.6%	270	7,287	7,557
2019	2.3%	179	7,633	7,812
2018	2.2%	167	7,493	7,660
2017	2.6%	196	7,380	7,576
2016	3.0%	235	7,678	7,913

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 O'Brien County

241.7 per 100,0002025. Iowa: 233.9.

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

0murders2025, 35 violent crimes in all.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2025	35	241.7	57	393.7
2024	31	216.0	70	487.7
2023	34	238.2	77	539.4
2022	38	268.8	98	693.2
2021	29	209.4	116	837.5
2020	61	440.9	158	1,142.1
2019	41	295.5	116	836.0
2017	45	318.9	169	1,197.7
2016	26	185.0	107	761.4

By police agency (2)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
O'Brien County Sheriff's Office	2025	17	38	8,874
Sheldon Police Department	2025	18	19	5,605

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 14,479 people.

16sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

20civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (2), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
O'Brien County Sheriff's Office	9	18	8,874
Sheldon Police Department	7	2	5,605

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	16	1.11	20	2
2024	16	1.11	20	2
2023	17	1.19	20	2
2022	17	1.20	20	2
2021	16	1.16	18	2
2020	15	1.08	19	2
2019	15	1.08	19	2
2018	16	1.15	18	2
2017	16	1.13	18	2
2016	16	1.14	19	2

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 O'Brien County County Attorney?: Katie F. Morgan (Republican) is the County Attorney of O'Brien County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the O'Brien County County Auditor?: Rhea Schmalen (Republican) is the County Auditor of O'Brien County, Iowa.
Who is the O'Brien County County Recorder?: Susan Smith (Republican) is the County Recorder of O'Brien County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the O'Brien County Sheriff?: Bruce Devereaux (Republican) is the Sheriff of O'Brien County, Iowa.
Who is the O'Brien County County Treasurer?: Marcella Missy Hattermann (Republican) is the County Treasurer of O'Brien County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the O'Brien County commissioners?: Jim Thomas (County Supervisor, District 1); Barbara Rohwer (County Supervisor, District 2); Nancy McDowell (County Supervisor, District 3); Dennis Vanden Hull (County Supervisor, District 4); Dan Friedrichsen (County Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of O'Brien County?: About 14,126 people, with a median age of 39.5; the median household income is $68,356 and 13.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in O'Brien County?: 2.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 173 people unemployed in a labor force of 7,865, against 2.2% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in O'Brien County?: 15 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 8 municipal, 4 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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