Cowley County, KS elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Cowley County: 8 seats on 6 elected bodies. 1 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Cowley County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, District 1Wayne Wilt Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 2Jim Maxwell source
County Commissioner, District 3Alan Groom source

Official website

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
County AttorneyLarry Schwartz source
County ClerkKaren Madison source
Register of DeedsToni A. Long source
SheriffDave Falletti source
County TreasurerMaci DeCoudres source

How many local governments Cowley County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 64 local governments in Cowley 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 townships (8 municipal, 25 township)330
School districts (school boards)60
Special districts (elected boards)240

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 Cowley County

34,411people
39.2median ageU.S.: 38.9
$57,878 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
14.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%
24.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$120,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
4.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
8.1%U.S.: 8.4%
50.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
21%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 12.2% · White 76.9% · Black 2.4% · Asian 1.5% · Other or more than one race 7.1% (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 Cowley County

4.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.0%. Kansas: 3.8%.
618people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
14,319people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
14,937in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Cowley County 0.0%1.8%3.6%5.4%7.1% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.1%61814,31914,937
August 20264.8%72014,20014,920
July 20265.0%74514,18114,926
June 20264.8%72814,35815,086
May 20264.0%60514,55415,159
April 20263.4%51814,77115,289
March 20263.8%59215,11115,703
February 20264.4%67614,76215,438
January 20264.4%66714,56115,228
December 20253.5%54114,85215,393
November 20253.6%55214,88115,433
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.0%61714,83315,450
August 20254.7%71714,57615,293
July 20255.2%79814,48815,286
June 20254.7%72614,82415,550
May 20254.2%64914,74715,396
April 20253.9%62015,21815,838
March 20254.2%65515,12715,782
February 20254.3%67614,97615,652
January 20254.2%64814,94715,595
December 20244.0%60814,73815,346
November 20244.3%65314,70415,357
October 20244.2%64614,89515,541
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.2%65414,86115,515
20244.3%65014,62415,274
20233.4%52214,98715,509
20223.2%50715,22315,730
20213.8%60715,35715,964
20206.8%1,09115,05416,145
20193.5%54315,15815,701
20183.5%56415,58716,151
20173.9%64315,64816,291
20164.6%75215,53816,290

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. Kansas's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.8% 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 Cowley County

374.0 per 100,0002019. Kansas: 405.5.
2,918.5 per 100,0002019. Kansas: 2,276.5.
1murders2019, 132 violent crimes in all.

2019 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

By police agency (5)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Arkansas City Police Department20255126911,711
Winfield Police Department20253736411,655
Cowley County Sheriff's Office202520419,572
Udall Police Department2022410655
Burden Police Department202400507

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 Kansas · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.26 per 1,000 residents2025, 5 agencies serving 34,079 people.
77sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
35civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (5), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Cowley County Sheriff's Office24269,572
Winfield Police Department23511,655
Arkansas City Police Department23411,711
Burden Police Department50505
Udall Police Department20636
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025772.26355
2024722.09285
2023782.26315

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 Cowley County County Attorney?
Larry Schwartz is the County Attorney of Cowley County, Kansas.
Who is the Cowley County County Clerk?
Karen Madison is the County Clerk of Cowley County, Kansas.
Who is the Cowley County Register of Deeds?
Toni A. Long is the Register of Deeds of Cowley County, Kansas.
Who is the Cowley County Sheriff?
Dave Falletti is the Sheriff of Cowley County, Kansas.
Who is the Cowley County County Treasurer?
Maci DeCoudres is the County Treasurer of Cowley County, Kansas.
Who are the Cowley County commissioners?
Wayne Wilt (District 1); Jim Maxwell (District 2); Alan Groom (District 3).
What is the population of Cowley County?
About 34,411 people, with a median age of 39.2; the median household income is $57,878 and 14.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Cowley County?
4.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 618 people unemployed in a labor force of 14,937, against 4.0% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Cowley County?
64 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 8 municipal, 25 township, 6 school district and 24 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from each county's own website, the Secretary of State's list of county election officers (the county clerks) and its 2024 official vote totals (district attorneys); officials appointed since a page was updated 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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