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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Rice County: 7 seats on 5 elected bodies.

Board of County Commissioners

Rice County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it now
County Commissioner, District 1Derek McCloud source
County Commissioner, District 2Clay Thomas source
County Commissioner, District 3Terry David source

Official website

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
County ClerkRaechel Manley source
Register of DeedsDiana Hunt source
SheriffNicholas W. Sowers source
County TreasurerKristi Smith source

How many local governments Rice County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 44 local governments in Rice 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 (9 municipal, 20 township)290
School districts (school boards)40
Special districts (elected boards)100

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 Rice County

9,350people
38.6median ageU.S.: 38.9
$63,925 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
7.7%below the U.S.: 12.5%
25.9%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$104,600median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
4.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.4%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
7.9%U.S.: 8.4%
24%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
15.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 14% · White 77.6% · Black 1.8% · Asian 0% · Other or more than one race 6.6% (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 Rice County

3.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.3%. Kansas: 3.8%.
170people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
4,619people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
4,789in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Rice County 0.0%1.2%2.3%3.5%4.6% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.5%1704,6194,789
August 20264.2%1954,4714,666
July 20264.2%1964,5174,713
June 20264.0%1924,6344,826
May 20263.6%1704,5464,716
April 20263.0%1384,5274,665
March 20263.2%1514,6174,768
February 20263.9%1844,5544,738
January 20263.9%1804,4524,632
December 20253.0%1474,7884,935
November 20253.1%1504,7324,882
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.3%1604,6334,793
August 20254.2%1934,4334,626
July 20254.4%2054,4784,683
June 20254.0%1934,6814,874
May 20253.5%1664,6084,774
April 20253.2%1534,6414,794
March 20253.3%1554,6014,756
February 20253.6%1714,6364,807
January 20253.5%1654,6014,766
December 20243.1%1514,6934,844
November 20242.8%1364,6404,776
October 20243.3%1594,6464,805
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.5%1694,6214,790
20243.3%1574,5884,745
20232.9%1394,6164,755
20222.5%1284,9385,066
20212.8%1374,7784,915
20204.4%2114,5354,746
20192.9%1444,7494,893
20183.1%1524,7794,931
20173.4%1724,8535,025
20164.3%2124,7414,953

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.

Quick answers

Who is the Rice County County Clerk?
Raechel Manley is the County Clerk of Rice County, Kansas.
Who is the Rice County Register of Deeds?
Diana Hunt is the Register of Deeds of Rice County, Kansas.
Who is the Rice County Sheriff?
Nicholas W. Sowers is the Sheriff of Rice County, Kansas.
Who is the Rice County County Treasurer?
Kristi Smith is the County Treasurer of Rice County, Kansas.
Who are the Rice County commissioners?
Derek McCloud (District 1); Clay Thomas (District 2); Terry David (District 3).
What is the population of Rice County?
About 9,350 people, with a median age of 38.6; the median household income is $63,925 and 7.7% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Rice County?
3.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 170 people unemployed in a labor force of 4,789, against 3.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Rice County?
44 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal, 20 township, 4 school district and 10 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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