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

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

Ellsworth County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, District 1Dennis Rolfs sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 2Gregory Bender source
County Commissioner, District 3Shawn Thomas source

Official website

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
County AttorneyPaul J. Kasper II source
County ClerkShelly D. Vopat source
Register of DeedsSue Arensman source
SheriffKenny Bernard source
County TreasurerShelby Soukup source

How many local governments Ellsworth County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 31 local governments in Ellsworth 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 (5 municipal, 19 township)240
School districts (school boards)20
Special districts (elected boards)40

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 Ellsworth County

6,360people
43.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$65,560 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
10.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%
22.7%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$114,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
2.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
3.7%U.S.: 8.4%
50.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
22%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 6.1% · White 83.8% · Black 3.4% · Asian 0.5% · 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 Ellsworth County

3.0%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.0%. Kansas: 3.8%.
86people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
2,800people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
2,886in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Ellsworth County 0.0%1.0%2.0%3.0%4.0% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.0%862,8002,886
August 20263.5%1012,7972,898
July 20263.1%902,8312,921
June 20263.3%962,8502,946
May 20263.1%862,7122,798
April 20262.9%802,6822,762
March 20262.9%842,7872,871
February 20263.3%962,7942,890
January 20263.9%1102,7362,846
December 20253.1%902,7762,866
November 20252.9%822,7622,844
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.0%852,7482,833
August 20253.3%962,8242,920
July 20253.5%1052,8722,977
June 20253.4%1012,8642,965
May 20252.9%832,7632,846
April 20253.0%852,7612,846
March 20253.3%942,7722,866
February 20253.4%972,7882,885
January 20253.2%912,7682,859
December 20246.3%1752,6102,785
November 20243.7%1002,6102,710
October 20244.0%1102,6372,747
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.2%922,7912,883
20243.8%1032,6372,740
20232.5%672,6462,713
20222.3%652,7132,778
20212.3%662,7462,812
20203.0%852,7622,847
20192.7%782,8222,900
20182.7%752,7482,823
20173.0%862,7612,847
20163.7%1112,8562,967

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 Ellsworth County

198.5 per 100,0002020. Kansas: 425.0.
1,488.8 per 100,0002020. Kansas: 2,199.1.
0murders2020, 12 violent crimes in all.

2020 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
202012198.5901,488.8
201920325.5701,139.1
By police agency (5)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Ellsworth Police Department20252113,128
Ellsworth County Sheriff's Office20258181,531
Wilson Police Department202056718
Kanopolis Police Department201901457
Holyrood Police Department202000411

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.

Quick answers

Who is the Ellsworth County County Attorney?
Paul J. Kasper II is the County Attorney of Ellsworth County, Kansas.
Who is the Ellsworth County County Clerk?
Shelly D. Vopat is the County Clerk of Ellsworth County, Kansas.
Who is the Ellsworth County Register of Deeds?
Sue Arensman is the Register of Deeds of Ellsworth County, Kansas.
Who is the Ellsworth County Sheriff?
Kenny Bernard is the Sheriff of Ellsworth County, Kansas.
Who is the Ellsworth County County Treasurer?
Shelby Soukup is the County Treasurer of Ellsworth County, Kansas.
Who are the Ellsworth County commissioners?
Dennis Rolfs (District 1); Gregory Bender (District 2); Shawn Thomas (District 3).
What is the population of Ellsworth County?
About 6,360 people, with a median age of 43.5; the median household income is $65,560 and 10.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Ellsworth County?
3.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 86 people unemployed in a labor force of 2,886, against 3.0% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Ellsworth County?
31 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 19 township, 2 school district and 4 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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