Who is the Chippewa County County Attorney?

Matthew Haugen is the County Attorney of Chippewa County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Chippewa County Sheriff?

Derek Olson is the Sheriff of Chippewa County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who are the Chippewa County commissioners?

Matt Gilbertson (District 1); Kurt Stranberg (District 2); David Nordaune (District 3); Bill Pauling (District 4); David Lieser (District 5).

What is the population of Chippewa County?

About 12,377 people, with a median age of 41.7; the median household income is $71,458 and 14.5% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Chippewa County?

4.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 254 people unemployed in a labor force of 6,004, against 3.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Chippewa County?

29 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 16 township, 2 school district and 5 special district governments.

Chippewa County, MN elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Chippewa County: 7 seats on 3 elected bodies. 4 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Board of Commissioners

Chippewa County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Commissioner, District 1	Matt Gilbertson source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 2	Kurt Stranberg source
County Commissioner, District 3	David Nordaune source
County Commissioner, District 4	Bill Pauling source
County Commissioner, District 5	David Lieser source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

Official website

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Attorney	Matthew Haugen source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff	Derek Olson source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Chippewa County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 29 local governments in Chippewa County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of government	Census count (2022)	Listed on this page
County government	1	1
Cities, towns, villages and townships (5 municipal, 16 township)	21	0
School districts (school boards)	2	0
Special districts (elected boards)	5	0

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 Chippewa County

12,377people

41.7median ageU.S.: 38.9

$71,458 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

14.5%below the U.S.: 12.5%

19.3%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$156,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700

4.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

6.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

8.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

7.3%U.S.: 8.4%

43.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

21.1%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 10.6% · White 82.1% · Black 0.5% · Asian 1.4% · Other or more than one race 5.4% (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 Chippewa County

4.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.6%. Minnesota: 4.4%.

254people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

5,750people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

6,004in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	4.2%	254	5,750	6,004
August 2026	5.3%	316	5,669	5,985
July 2026	5.3%	320	5,680	6,000
June 2026	5.3%	321	5,768	6,089
May 2026	4.2%	256	5,790	6,046
April 2026	4.7%	287	5,865	6,152
March 2026	5.5%	333	5,723	6,056
February 2026	5.8%	353	5,711	6,064
January 2026	5.9%	353	5,654	6,007
December 2025	5.0%	306	5,783	6,089
November 2025	3.7%	228	5,855	6,083
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	3.6%	228	6,034	6,262
August 2025	4.3%	266	5,922	6,188
July 2025	4.8%	296	5,839	6,135
June 2025	4.8%	292	5,819	6,111
May 2025	3.6%	220	5,873	6,093
April 2025	3.9%	240	5,919	6,159
March 2025	4.5%	278	5,948	6,226
February 2025	4.7%	289	5,899	6,188
January 2025	5.1%	314	5,893	6,207
December 2024	3.4%	208	5,960	6,168
November 2024	2.0%	126	6,084	6,210
October 2024	2.5%	158	6,125	6,283

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	4.4%	269	5,889	6,158
2024	3.2%	201	6,034	6,235
2023	2.9%	180	5,945	6,125
2022	2.4%	144	5,943	6,087
2021	3.4%	211	6,026	6,237
2020	5.5%	356	6,176	6,532
2019	4.2%	278	6,371	6,649
2018	3.5%	230	6,372	6,602
2017	4.2%	279	6,376	6,655
2016	4.8%	319	6,364	6,683

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. Minnesota's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.5% 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 Chippewa County

59.0 per 100,0002024. Minnesota: 259.5.

98.4 per 100,0002024. Minnesota: 1,614.9.

0murders2024, 9 violent crimes in all.

2024 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

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2024	9	59.0	15	98.4
2023	12	78.4	26	170.0
2022	5	32.7	29	189.8
2020	12	88.5	47	346.6
2019	16	116.6	79	575.6
2018	9	65.2	155	1,122.9
2017	24	170.9	186	1,324.8
2016	12	86.2	183	1,313.8

By police agency (3)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Chippewa County Sheriff's Office	2024	1	0	6,052
Montevideo Police Department	2025	0	0	5,270
Granite Falls Police Department	2024	8	15	2,670

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 Minnesota · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.07 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 14,012 people.

29sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

13civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (3), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Chippewa County Sheriff's Office	12	11	6,078
Montevideo Police Department	11	1	5,270
Granite Falls Police Department	6	1	2,664

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	29	2.07	13	3
2024	30	2.16	13	3
2023	28	2.01	14	3
2022	28	2.01	14	3
2021	28	2.06	14	4
2020	28	2.06	14	4
2019	29	2.11	12	4
2018	24	1.74	13	4
2017	25	1.78	12	4
2016	25	1.79	12	4

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 Chippewa County County Attorney?: Matthew Haugen is the County Attorney of Chippewa County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Chippewa County Sheriff?: Derek Olson is the Sheriff of Chippewa County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Chippewa County commissioners?: Matt Gilbertson (District 1); Kurt Stranberg (District 2); David Nordaune (District 3); Bill Pauling (District 4); David Lieser (District 5).
What is the population of Chippewa County?: About 12,377 people, with a median age of 41.7; the median household income is $71,458 and 14.5% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Chippewa County?: 4.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 254 people unemployed in a labor force of 6,004, against 3.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Chippewa County?: 29 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 16 township, 2 school district and 5 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 21, 2025, from the Minnesota Legislative Manual (Blue Book) published by the Secretary of State; 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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