Who is the Palo Alto County County Attorney?

Anne Quail (Republican) is the County Attorney of Palo Alto County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Palo Alto County County Auditor?

Carmen Moser (Republican) is the County Auditor of Palo Alto County, Iowa.

Who is the Palo Alto County County Recorder?

Sue Ruppert (Republican) is the County Recorder of Palo Alto County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Palo Alto County Sheriff?

John D. King (Republican) is the Sheriff of Palo Alto County, Iowa.

Who is the Palo Alto County County Treasurer?

Robin Jamison (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Palo Alto County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who are the Palo Alto County commissioners?

Keith Wirtz (County Supervisor, District 1); Craig Merrill (County Supervisor, District 2); Roger Faulstick (County Supervisor, District 3); Ronald Graettinger (County Supervisor, District 4); Linus J. Solberg (County Supervisor, District 5).

What is the population of Palo Alto County?

About 8,863 people, with a median age of 41.9; the median household income is $72,781 and 11.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Palo Alto County?

2.4% in September 2026 (preliminary): 122 people unemployed in a labor force of 5,022, against 2.5% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Palo Alto County?

18 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal, 4 school district and 4 special district governments.

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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Palo Alto County: 10 seats on 6 elected bodies. 6 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Supervisors

Palo Alto 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	Keith Wirtz Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Supervisor, District 2	Craig Merrill Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Supervisor, District 3	Roger Faulstick Democratic source
County Supervisor, District 4	Ronald Graettinger Republican source
County Supervisor, District 5	Linus J. Solberg Democratic source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Attorney	Anne Quail Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Auditor	Carmen Moser Republican source
County Recorder	Sue Ruppert Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff	John D. King Republican source
County Treasurer	Robin Jamison Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Palo Alto County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 18 local governments in Palo Alto 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	9	0
School districts (school boards)	4	0
Special districts (elected boards)	4	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 Palo Alto County

8,863people

41.9median ageU.S.: 38.9

$72,781 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

11.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%

19%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$123,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700

2.2%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

2.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

7.4%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

4.8%U.S.: 8.4%

42.4%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

14.2%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3.5% · White 91.3% · Black 1.6% · Asian 0.6% · 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 Palo Alto County

2.4%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.5%. Iowa: 3.2%.

122people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

4,900people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

5,022in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	2.4%	122	4,900	5,022
August 2026	2.6%	130	4,811	4,941
July 2026	2.6%	128	4,871	4,999
June 2026	2.5%	126	4,983	5,109
May 2026	2.1%	107	4,915	5,022
April 2026	2.0%	99	4,922	5,021
March 2026	2.8%	138	4,854	4,992
February 2026	2.9%	144	4,748	4,892
January 2026	3.2%	156	4,725	4,881
December 2025	2.9%	145	4,887	5,032
November 2025	2.7%	132	4,840	4,972
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	2.5%	123	4,884	5,007
August 2025	2.7%	134	4,770	4,904
July 2025	2.9%	147	4,970	5,117
June 2025	2.5%	129	5,046	5,175
May 2025	2.6%	130	4,942	5,072
April 2025	2.3%	117	5,024	5,141
March 2025	2.8%	143	4,919	5,062
February 2025	3.1%	150	4,732	4,882
January 2025	3.0%	152	4,845	4,997
December 2024	2.4%	119	4,876	4,995
November 2024	2.6%	126	4,739	4,865
October 2024	2.6%	129	4,880	5,009

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	2.7%	137	4,896	5,033
2024	2.5%	126	4,847	4,973
2023	2.4%	116	4,810	4,926
2022	2.5%	122	4,800	4,922
2021	2.9%	142	4,811	4,953
2020	4.2%	212	4,780	4,992
2019	2.0%	107	5,235	5,342
2018	2.1%	113	5,291	5,404
2017	2.5%	134	5,303	5,437
2016	2.9%	159	5,392	5,551

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 Palo Alto County

34.4 per 100,0002025. Iowa: 233.9.

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

0murders2025, 3 violent crimes in all.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2025	3	34.4	48	550.5
2024	13	147.2	52	588.9
2023	15	173.3	45	519.8
2022	23	259.6	38	428.9
2021	18	203.7	66	746.8
2020	15	170.1	69	782.5
2019	25	283.2	85	962.8
2018	16	177.1	69	763.6
2017	26	289.6	106	1,180.5
2016	21	231.6	71	783.0

By police agency (2)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Palo Alto County Sheriff's Office	2025	2	32	5,104
Emmetsburg Police Department	2025	1	16	3,616

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

1.61 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 8,720 people.

14sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

10civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (2), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Palo Alto County Sheriff's Office	8	9	5,104
Emmetsburg Police Department	6	1	3,616

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	14	1.61	10	2
2024	14	1.59	10	2
2023	14	1.62	10	2
2022	14	1.58	10	2
2021	14	1.58	10	2
2020	14	1.59	10	2
2019	14	1.59	10	2
2018	14	1.55	10	2
2017	15	1.67	10	2
2016	14	1.54	10	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 Palo Alto County County Attorney?: Anne Quail (Republican) is the County Attorney of Palo Alto County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Palo Alto County County Auditor?: Carmen Moser (Republican) is the County Auditor of Palo Alto County, Iowa.
Who is the Palo Alto County County Recorder?: Sue Ruppert (Republican) is the County Recorder of Palo Alto County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Palo Alto County Sheriff?: John D. King (Republican) is the Sheriff of Palo Alto County, Iowa.
Who is the Palo Alto County County Treasurer?: Robin Jamison (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Palo Alto County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Palo Alto County commissioners?: Keith Wirtz (County Supervisor, District 1); Craig Merrill (County Supervisor, District 2); Roger Faulstick (County Supervisor, District 3); Ronald Graettinger (County Supervisor, District 4); Linus J. Solberg (County Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of Palo Alto County?: About 8,863 people, with a median age of 41.9; the median household income is $72,781 and 11.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Palo Alto County?: 2.4% in September 2026 (preliminary): 122 people unemployed in a labor force of 5,022, against 2.5% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Palo Alto County?: 18 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal, 4 school district and 4 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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