Who is the Mower County County Attorney?

Kristen Nelsen is the County Attorney of Mower County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Mower County County Auditor?

Scott Felten is the County Auditor of Mower County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Mower County County Recorder?

Sara Madison is the County Recorder of Mower County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Mower County Sheriff?

Steven Sandvik is the Sheriff of Mower County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who are the Mower County commissioners?

John Mueller (District 1); Polly Glynn (District 2); Jerry Reinartz (District 3); Dan Sparks (District 4); Mike Ankeny (District 5).

What is the population of Mower County?

About 40,343 people, with a median age of 39.2; the median household income is $73,074 and 10.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Mower County?

4.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 857 people unemployed in a labor force of 20,759, against 3.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Mower County?

48 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 14 municipal, 20 township, 5 school district and 8 special district governments.

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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Mower County: 9 seats on 5 elected bodies. 7 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Board of Commissioners

Mower 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	John Mueller source
County Commissioner, District 2	Polly Glynn source
County Commissioner, District 3	Jerry Reinartz source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 4	Dan Sparks source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 5	Mike Ankeny source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

Official website

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Attorney	Kristen Nelsen source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Auditor	Scott Felten source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Recorder	Sara Madison source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff	Steven Sandvik source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Mower County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 48 local governments in Mower 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)	5	0
Special districts (elected boards)	8	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 Mower County

40,343people

39.2median ageU.S.: 38.9

$73,074 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

10.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%

23.9%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$185,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700

3.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

12.2%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

6.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

7.1%U.S.: 8.4%

43.7%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

22.8%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 13.6% · White 72.5% · Black 3.4% · Asian 6.2% · Other or more than one race 4.2% (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 Mower County

4.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.1%. Minnesota: 4.4%.

857people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

19,902people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

20,759in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	4.1%	857	19,902	20,759
August 2026	4.4%	906	19,672	20,578
July 2026	4.7%	964	19,638	20,602
June 2026	4.8%	1,010	19,845	20,855
May 2026	3.7%	773	19,862	20,635
April 2026	3.5%	732	20,051	20,783
March 2026	4.6%	950	19,780	20,730
February 2026	4.9%	1,020	19,802	20,822
January 2026	4.8%	1,000	19,722	20,722
December 2025	4.1%	844	19,904	20,748
November 2025	3.6%	757	20,067	20,824
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	3.1%	654	20,391	21,045
August 2025	3.8%	792	20,283	21,075
July 2025	3.9%	816	19,973	20,789
June 2025	4.0%	841	20,173	21,014
May 2025	3.5%	715	20,009	20,724
April 2025	3.2%	672	20,315	20,987
March 2025	3.9%	813	20,131	20,944
February 2025	3.8%	800	20,082	20,882
January 2025	3.7%	765	20,106	20,871
December 2024	2.6%	542	20,020	20,562
November 2024	2.3%	481	20,099	20,580
October 2024	2.2%	464	20,242	20,706

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	3.7%	770	20,130	20,900
2024	2.8%	581	20,084	20,665
2023	2.7%	543	19,778	20,321
2022	2.4%	471	19,298	19,769
2021	3.5%	685	19,089	19,774
2020	5.2%	1,057	19,194	20,251
2019	3.2%	624	19,159	19,783
2018	2.9%	566	19,121	19,687
2017	2.9%	579	19,325	19,904
2016	3.3%	651	19,222	19,873

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 Mower County

156.1 per 100,0002025. Minnesota: 223.5.

1,186.1 per 100,0002025. Minnesota: 1,411.5.

1murders2025, 67 violent crimes in all.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2025	67	156.1	509	1,186.1
2024	55	130.9	504	1,199.4
2023	77	183.5	521	1,241.6
2022	84	200.1	637	1,517.1
2021	106	251.8	685	1,627.4
2020	79	189.2	451	1,080.0
2019	63	157.4	554	1,383.8
2018	76	192.0	620	1,566.4
2017	61	155.2	722	1,837.0
2016	77	197.2	681	1,743.7

By police agency (2)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Austin Police Department	2025	50	448	26,812
Mower County Sheriff's Office	2025	17	61	14,413

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

1.41 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 41,225 people.

58sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

53civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (2), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Mower County Sheriff's Office	26	49	14,413
Austin Police Department	32	4	26,812

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	58	1.41	53	2
2024	57	1.41	63	2
2023	60	1.49	61	2
2022	65	1.61	52	2
2021	60	1.49	56	2
2020	61	1.52	57	2
2019	60	1.50	54	2
2018	56	1.41	50	2
2017	56	1.42	51	2
2016	55	1.41	51	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 Mower County County Attorney?: Kristen Nelsen is the County Attorney of Mower County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Mower County County Auditor?: Scott Felten is the County Auditor of Mower County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Mower County County Recorder?: Sara Madison is the County Recorder of Mower County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Mower County Sheriff?: Steven Sandvik is the Sheriff of Mower County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Mower County commissioners?: John Mueller (District 1); Polly Glynn (District 2); Jerry Reinartz (District 3); Dan Sparks (District 4); Mike Ankeny (District 5).
What is the population of Mower County?: About 40,343 people, with a median age of 39.2; the median household income is $73,074 and 10.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Mower County?: 4.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 857 people unemployed in a labor force of 20,759, against 3.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Mower County?: 48 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 14 municipal, 20 township, 5 school district and 8 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.

Mower County's 2026 ballot and results · Every Minnesota county · Minnesota's members of Congress

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