Who is the Freeborn County County Attorney?

David Walker is the County Attorney of Freeborn County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Freeborn County Sheriff?

Ryan Shea is the Sheriff of Freeborn County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who are the Freeborn County commissioners?

Bradley S. Edwin (District 1); Dawn Kaasa (District 2); Lukas Severson (District 3); Christopher Shoff (District 4); Nicole Eckstrom (District 5).

What is the population of Freeborn County?

About 30,623 people, with a median age of 44.3; the median household income is $71,023 and 10.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Freeborn County?

4.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 669 people unemployed in a labor force of 15,537, against 3.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Freeborn County?

45 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 14 municipal, 20 township, 3 school district and 7 special district governments.

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

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

Freeborn 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	Bradley S. Edwin source
County Commissioner, District 2	Dawn Kaasa source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 3	Lukas Severson source
County Commissioner, District 4	Christopher Shoff source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 5	Nicole Eckstrom source

Official website

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Attorney	David Walker source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff	Ryan Shea source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Freeborn County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 45 local governments in Freeborn 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 (14 municipal, 20 township)	34	0
School districts (school boards)	3	0
Special districts (elected boards)	7	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 Freeborn County

30,623people

44.3median ageU.S.: 38.9

$71,023 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

10.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%

18.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$171,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700

4.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

4.2%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

7.4%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

6.6%U.S.: 8.4%

44.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

22.9%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 10.8% · White 81.5% · Black 1.5% · Asian 3.5% · Other or more than one race 2.7% (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 Freeborn County

4.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.4%. Minnesota: 4.4%.

669people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

14,868people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

15,537in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	4.3%	669	14,868	15,537
August 2026	4.5%	692	14,533	15,225
July 2026	4.9%	772	14,836	15,608
June 2026	4.9%	776	14,974	15,750
May 2026	3.9%	600	14,978	15,578
April 2026	3.8%	589	15,038	15,627
March 2026	5.0%	771	14,761	15,532
February 2026	5.3%	833	14,788	15,621
January 2026	5.4%	837	14,740	15,577
December 2025	4.4%	691	14,966	15,657
November 2025	4.1%	640	15,092	15,732
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	3.4%	540	15,310	15,850
August 2025	3.7%	580	15,053	15,633
July 2025	4.3%	683	15,268	15,951
June 2025	4.3%	697	15,354	16,051
May 2025	3.5%	550	15,209	15,759
April 2025	3.5%	548	15,248	15,796
March 2025	4.2%	654	15,038	15,692
February 2025	4.0%	617	14,926	15,543
January 2025	3.9%	600	14,970	15,570
December 2024	2.7%	421	15,293	15,714
November 2024	2.4%	386	15,406	15,792
October 2024	2.3%	365	15,523	15,888

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	3.9%	618	15,130	15,748
2024	3.0%	470	15,386	15,856
2023	2.7%	424	15,116	15,540
2022	2.5%	380	15,079	15,459
2021	3.7%	576	14,795	15,371
2020	5.7%	921	15,106	16,027
2019	3.6%	565	15,338	15,903
2018	3.3%	525	15,245	15,770
2017	3.7%	584	15,337	15,921
2016	3.9%	621	15,412	16,033

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 Freeborn County

109.1 per 100,0002025. Minnesota: 223.5.

1,434.6 per 100,0002025. Minnesota: 1,411.5.

1murders2025, 33 violent crimes in all.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2025	33	109.1	434	1,434.6
2024	44	141.0	363	1,163.3
2023	55	175.8	476	1,521.2
2022	43	137.6	408	1,305.9
2021	41	132.3	665	2,145.6
2020	48	156.3	608	1,980.1
2019	49	158.4	591	1,910.6
2018	36	115.9	595	1,916.2
2017	28	90.1	535	1,721.9
2016	22	72.2	410	1,346.1

By police agency (3)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Albert Lea Police Department	2025	22	349	18,074
Freeborn County Sheriff's Office	2025	11	85	11,606
Alden Police Department	2025	0	0	573

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

1.80 per 1,000 residents2024, 2 agencies serving 30,629 people.

55sworn officers2024, full-time, as of October 31.

49civilian staff2024, full-time.

2024 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (2), 2024

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Freeborn County Sheriff's Office	26	46	12,435
Albert Lea Police Department	29	3	18,194

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2024	55	1.80	49	2
2023	51	1.66	53	2
2022	49	1.60	47	2
2021	51	1.68	49	2
2020	51	1.70	52	2
2019	54	1.78	56	2
2018	52	1.71	58	2
2017	51	1.68	57	2
2016	50	1.64	52	2

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 Freeborn County County Attorney?: David Walker is the County Attorney of Freeborn County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Freeborn County Sheriff?: Ryan Shea is the Sheriff of Freeborn County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Freeborn County commissioners?: Bradley S. Edwin (District 1); Dawn Kaasa (District 2); Lukas Severson (District 3); Christopher Shoff (District 4); Nicole Eckstrom (District 5).
What is the population of Freeborn County?: About 30,623 people, with a median age of 44.3; the median household income is $71,023 and 10.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Freeborn County?: 4.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 669 people unemployed in a labor force of 15,537, against 3.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Freeborn County?: 45 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 14 municipal, 20 township, 3 school district and 7 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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