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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Dickinson County: 1 seats on 1 elected bodies.

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
County ClerkJennifer Gaytan source

How many local governments Dickinson County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 77 local governments in Dickinson County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government10
Cities, towns, villages and townships (9 municipal, 24 township)330
School districts (school boards)50
Special districts (elected boards)380

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 Dickinson County

18,445people
42.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$68,417 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
8.1%below the U.S.: 12.5%
23.7%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$146,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
2.8%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
11.5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
8.9%U.S.: 8.4%
45.4%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
15.8%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 5.7% · White 88.4% · Black 0.1% · Asian 0.2% · Other or more than one race 5.5% (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 Dickinson County

3.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.6%. Kansas: 3.8%.
344people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
9,268people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
9,612in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Dickinson 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)3.6%3449,2689,612
August 20264.3%4119,1089,519
July 20263.9%3799,2299,608
June 20264.0%3879,2859,672
May 20263.6%3559,3749,729
April 20263.2%3119,4039,714
March 20263.9%3548,7949,148
February 20264.0%3849,3379,721
January 20264.1%3919,2109,601
December 20253.1%3079,4599,766
November 20253.4%3309,4339,763
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.6%3459,3479,692
August 20254.1%3919,0439,434
July 20254.3%4089,1659,573
June 20253.8%3629,0749,436
May 20253.6%3378,9299,266
April 20253.6%3349,0049,338
March 20254.0%3648,8079,171
February 20253.9%3638,9429,305
January 20253.6%3358,9599,294
December 20245.3%5089,0399,547
November 20243.2%3009,0559,355
October 20243.5%3369,1629,498
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.7%3529,1069,458
20243.8%3528,8999,251
20233.0%2648,5498,813
20222.8%2518,5598,810
20213.2%2888,8229,110
20204.7%4248,5088,932
20193.5%3148,7409,054
20183.4%3168,9529,268
20173.8%3559,0319,386
20164.4%4078,8169,223

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 Dickinson County

128.0 per 100,0002017. Kansas: 400.4.
1,564.3 per 100,0002017. Kansas: 2,727.4.
0murders2017, 27 violent crimes in all.

2017 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.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
201727128.03301,564.3
201631145.53191,497.3
By police agency (4)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Dickinson County Sheriff's Office202512548,651
Abilene Police Department202515516,514
Herington Police Department2025242,118
Chapman Police Department2017191,355

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

2.20 per 1,000 residents2025, 4 agencies serving 18,674 people.
41sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
8civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (4), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Dickinson County Sheriff's Office2048,651
Abilene Police Department1236,514
Herington Police Department612,118
Chapman Police Department301,391
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025412.2084
2022442.3794
2021412.25254
2020432.3594
2019432.3274
2016402.09174

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 Dickinson County County Clerk?
Jennifer Gaytan is the County Clerk of Dickinson County, Kansas.
What is the population of Dickinson County?
About 18,445 people, with a median age of 42.8; the median household income is $68,417 and 8.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Dickinson County?
3.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 344 people unemployed in a labor force of 9,612, against 3.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Dickinson County?
77 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal, 24 township, 5 school district and 38 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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