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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Wapello 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

Wapello County Board of Supervisors

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Supervisor, At-LargeDarren Batterson Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Supervisor, At-LargeCarrie Teninty Republican source
County Supervisor, At-LargeBryan Ziegler Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

Official website

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AttorneySteviee Grove Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County AuditorDanielle Weller source
County RecorderLisa Kent Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffDonald L. Phillips Democratic source
County TreasurerLaurie L. Fountain Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Wapello County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 18 local governments in Wapello 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 townships70
School districts (school boards)40
Special districts (elected boards)60

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 Wapello County

35,362people
39.2median ageU.S.: 38.9
$64,766 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
15.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
19.6%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$125,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.3%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
9.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.4%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
7.3%U.S.: 8.4%
47.6%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
18%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 13.4% · White 75.6% · Black 3% · Asian 1.6% · Other or more than one race 6.3% (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 Wapello County

4.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.8%. Iowa: 3.2%.
688people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
16,087people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
16,775in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Wapello County 0.0%1.6%3.2%4.7%6.3% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.1%68816,08716,775
August 20264.6%77816,09216,870
July 20264.3%72816,30417,032
June 20264.0%68916,33917,028
May 20263.5%59716,25916,856
April 20263.1%51816,34616,864
March 20263.7%62716,33016,957
February 20263.9%66716,28316,950
January 20264.2%71916,19916,918
December 20254.0%69016,59017,280
November 20254.1%69716,41917,116
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.8%82316,46517,288
August 20255.4%94116,44817,389
July 20254.7%82116,64917,470
June 20254.2%73816,63117,369
May 20253.7%63416,42817,062
April 20253.5%60416,60817,212
March 20254.1%69516,35517,050
February 20254.3%73316,24616,979
January 20254.6%77916,27917,058
December 20244.7%80216,31717,119
November 20243.7%62616,23516,861
October 20243.7%61816,27616,894
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.3%74116,46517,206
20243.8%64016,31616,956
20233.5%58516,18716,772
20223.4%57216,25716,829
20214.6%78316,11816,901
20206.0%1,03316,28217,315
20193.6%65017,34617,996
20183.5%63317,25617,889
20174.6%81417,03617,850
20165.9%1,06817,14918,217

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 Wapello County

219.2 per 100,0002025. Iowa: 233.9.
1,781.3 per 100,0002025. Iowa: 1,171.7.
1murders2025, 78 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202578219.26341,781.3
2024121341.67672,165.1
2023105300.77792,231.3
2022212602.21,0042,852.1
2021234666.78702,478.7
2020263754.91,0633,051.2
2019174497.61,1633,325.6
2018171489.91,4294,094.1
2017177508.31,4834,258.4
2016126359.81,2213,486.2
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Ottumwa Police Department20257156325,696
Wapello County Sheriff's Office20257719,895

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

1.43 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 35,591 people.
51sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
51civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Wapello County Sheriff's Office14399,895
Ottumwa Police Department371225,696
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025511.43512
2024521.47412
2023531.52432
2022501.42432
2021541.54432
2020511.46452
2019541.54412
2018501.43412
2017461.32402
2016501.43412

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 Wapello County County Attorney?
Steviee Grove (Republican) is the County Attorney of Wapello County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Wapello County County Auditor?
Danielle Weller is the County Auditor of Wapello County, Iowa.
Who is the Wapello County County Recorder?
Lisa Kent (Democratic) is the County Recorder of Wapello County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Wapello County Sheriff?
Donald L. Phillips (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Wapello County, Iowa.
Who is the Wapello County County Treasurer?
Laurie L. Fountain (Democratic) is the County Treasurer of Wapello County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Wapello County commissioners?
Darren Batterson (County Supervisor, At-Large); Carrie Teninty (County Supervisor, At-Large); Bryan Ziegler (County Supervisor, At-Large).
What is the population of Wapello County?
About 35,362 people, with a median age of 39.2; the median household income is $64,766 and 15.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Wapello County?
4.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 688 people unemployed in a labor force of 16,775, against 4.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Wapello County?
18 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 7 municipal, 4 school district and 6 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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