Who is the Nobles County County Attorney?

Braden Hoefert is the County Attorney of Nobles County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Nobles County County Auditor?

Joyce Jacobs is the County Auditor of Nobles County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Nobles County County Recorder?

Thelma Yager is the County Recorder of Nobles County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Nobles County Sheriff?

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

Who are the Nobles County commissioners?

Justin Ahlers (District 1); Gene Metz (District 2); Bob Paplow (District 3); Robert S. Demuth (District 4); Chris Dybevick (District 5).

What is the population of Nobles County?

About 22,041 people, with a median age of 35.7; the median household income is $66,101 and 14% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Nobles County?

4.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 466 people unemployed in a labor force of 10,957, against 2.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Nobles County?

44 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 11 municipal, 20 township, 4 school district and 8 special district governments.

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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Nobles County: 9 seats on 5 elected bodies. 6 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Board of Commissioners

Nobles 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	Justin Ahlers source
County Commissioner, District 2	Gene Metz source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 3	Bob Paplow source
County Commissioner, District 4	Robert S. Demuth source
County Commissioner, District 5	Chris Dybevick source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

Official website

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Attorney	Braden Hoefert source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Auditor	Joyce Jacobs source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Recorder	Thelma Yager source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff	Ryan Kruger source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Nobles County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 44 local governments in Nobles 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 (11 municipal, 20 township)	31	0
School districts (school boards)	4	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 Nobles County

22,041people

35.7median ageU.S.: 38.9

$66,101 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

14%below the U.S.: 12.5%

17.9%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$197,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700

3.2%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

21.3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

5.1%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

12.5%U.S.: 8.4%

42%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

24.4%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 34.5% · White 52.2% · Black 4.6% · Asian 4.2% · Other or more than one race 4.4% (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 Nobles County

4.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.9%. Minnesota: 4.4%.

466people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

10,491people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

10,957in 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%	466	10,491	10,957
August 2026	4.8%	523	10,309	10,832
July 2026	5.4%	591	10,374	10,965
June 2026	4.9%	539	10,356	10,895
May 2026	3.4%	366	10,432	10,798
April 2026	3.0%	327	10,634	10,961
March 2026	3.7%	395	10,364	10,759
February 2026	4.1%	449	10,413	10,862
January 2026	4.3%	469	10,358	10,827
December 2025	3.4%	369	10,479	10,848
November 2025	3.1%	336	10,639	10,975
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	2.9%	328	10,905	11,233
August 2025	4.3%	475	10,634	11,109
July 2025	5.0%	557	10,532	11,089
June 2025	4.5%	506	10,662	11,168
May 2025	3.0%	333	10,752	11,085
April 2025	2.6%	296	10,893	11,189
March 2025	3.3%	360	10,663	11,023
February 2025	3.3%	363	10,713	11,076
January 2025	3.1%	340	10,627	10,967
December 2024	2.1%	228	10,613	10,841
November 2024	2.0%	224	10,731	10,955
October 2024	2.2%	244	10,782	11,026

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	3.5%	388	10,682	11,070
2024	2.8%	299	10,547	10,846
2023	2.7%	295	10,681	10,976
2022	2.0%	224	10,807	11,031
2021	3.1%	343	10,886	11,229
2020	4.2%	496	11,185	11,681
2019	3.0%	343	10,935	11,278
2018	2.7%	304	10,991	11,295
2017	3.1%	357	10,997	11,354
2016	3.8%	432	11,043	11,475

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 Nobles County

186.6 per 100,0002025. Minnesota: 223.5.

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

0murders2025, 41 violent crimes in all.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2025	41	186.6	122	555.3
2024	49	225.4	139	639.4
2023	61	278.8	166	758.7
2022	54	247.3	141	645.8
2021	55	256.4	136	634.1
2019	39	177.7	170	774.7
2018	46	209.1	137	622.7
2017	25	113.6	240	1,090.7
2016	25	114.6	220	1,008.3

By police agency (3)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Worthington Police Department	2025	37	106	13,721
Nobles County Sheriff's Office	2025	4	13	7,049
Adrian Police Department	2025	0	3	1,199

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

1.68 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 21,969 people.

37sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

35civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (3), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Nobles County Sheriff's Office	13	23	7,049
Worthington Police Department	22	12	13,721
Adrian Police Department	2	0	1,199

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	37	1.68	35	3
2024	40	1.84	33	3
2023	37	1.69	33	3
2022	39	1.79	30	3
2019	39	1.78	33	3
2018	36	1.64	30	3
2016	35	1.60	33	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 Nobles County County Attorney?: Braden Hoefert is the County Attorney of Nobles County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Nobles County County Auditor?: Joyce Jacobs is the County Auditor of Nobles County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Nobles County County Recorder?: Thelma Yager is the County Recorder of Nobles County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Nobles County Sheriff?: Ryan Kruger is the Sheriff of Nobles County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Nobles County commissioners?: Justin Ahlers (District 1); Gene Metz (District 2); Bob Paplow (District 3); Robert S. Demuth (District 4); Chris Dybevick (District 5).
What is the population of Nobles County?: About 22,041 people, with a median age of 35.7; the median household income is $66,101 and 14% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Nobles County?: 4.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 466 people unemployed in a labor force of 10,957, against 2.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Nobles County?: 44 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 11 municipal, 20 township, 4 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.

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

See your members of Congress and every race and measure on your ballot in Nobles County, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races

See something wrong on this page? Report a problem · Corrections