Who is the Pope County County Attorney?

Neil Nelson is the County Attorney of Pope County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Pope County County Auditor?

Stephanie Rust is the County Auditor of Pope County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Pope County County Recorder?

Sarah Green is the County Recorder of Pope County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Pope County Sheriff?

Tim Riley is the Sheriff of Pope County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who are the Pope County commissioners?

Paul Gremmels (District 1); Gordon Wagner (District 2); Paul Gerde (District 3); Larry Lindor (District 4); Paul Wildman (District 5).

What is the population of Pope County?

About 11,418 people, with a median age of 45.3; the median household income is $76,220 and 9.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Pope County?

4.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 245 people unemployed in a labor force of 6,130, against 3.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Pope County?

37 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal, 20 township, 1 school district and 6 special district governments.

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

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

Pope 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	Paul Gremmels source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 2	Gordon Wagner source
County Commissioner, District 3	Paul Gerde source
County Commissioner, District 4	Larry Lindor source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 5	Paul Wildman source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

Official website

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Attorney	Neil Nelson source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Auditor	Stephanie Rust source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Recorder	Sarah Green source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff	Tim Riley source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Pope County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 37 local governments in Pope 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 (9 municipal, 20 township)	29	0
School districts (school boards)	1	0
Special districts (elected boards)	6	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 Pope County

11,418people

45.3median ageU.S.: 38.9

$76,220 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

9.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%

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

$255,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700

1.3%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

1.1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

7.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

3%U.S.: 8.4%

66.5%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

25.8%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.1% · White 93.7% · Black 0.6% · Asian 0.7% · Other or more than one race 3% (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 Pope County

4.0%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.1%. Minnesota: 4.4%.

245people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

5,885people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

6,130in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	4.0%	245	5,885	6,130
August 2026	4.5%	283	6,009	6,292
July 2026	4.2%	268	6,064	6,332
June 2026	4.1%	260	6,010	6,270
May 2026	3.8%	234	5,957	6,191
April 2026	3.9%	244	5,950	6,194
March 2026	5.5%	327	5,670	5,997
February 2026	5.7%	343	5,707	6,050
January 2026	6.0%	364	5,666	6,030
December 2025	4.8%	298	5,847	6,145
November 2025	4.1%	253	5,963	6,216
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	3.1%	198	6,092	6,290
August 2025	3.5%	227	6,219	6,446
July 2025	3.6%	233	6,182	6,415
June 2025	3.8%	237	6,064	6,301
May 2025	3.2%	201	5,991	6,192
April 2025	3.9%	240	5,968	6,208
March 2025	4.5%	268	5,748	6,016
February 2025	5.0%	303	5,722	6,025
January 2025	5.0%	302	5,729	6,031
December 2024	3.8%	237	5,978	6,215
November 2024	2.9%	185	6,106	6,291
October 2024	2.4%	150	6,174	6,324

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	4.0%	251	5,957	6,208
2024	3.3%	207	5,992	6,199
2023	2.9%	179	5,936	6,115
2022	2.4%	144	5,904	6,048
2021	3.3%	201	5,859	6,060
2020	4.8%	298	5,928	6,226
2019	3.4%	208	5,982	6,190
2018	2.8%	172	5,886	6,058
2017	3.2%	195	5,835	6,030
2016	3.8%	224	5,747	5,971

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 Pope County

51.9 per 100,0002025. Minnesota: 223.5.

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

0murders2025, 6 violent crimes in all.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2025	6	51.9	34	293.9
2024	5	43.4	48	416.8
2023	13	112.9	49	425.5
2022	10	86.8	59	512.3
2021	8	70.6	75	661.7
2020	10	89.0	84	747.4
2019	11	99.2	130	1,172.2
2018	5	45.6	109	994.6
2017	5	45.0	103	927.6
2016	5	45.3	59	534.2

By police agency (3)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Pope County Sheriff's Office	2025	2	27	7,478
Glenwood Police Department	2024	3	17	2,630
Starbuck Police Department	2023	5	4	1,435

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

1.82 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 11,568 people.

21sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

8civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (3), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Pope County Sheriff's Office	12	7	7,478
Glenwood Police Department	5	1	2,658
Starbuck Police Department	4	0	1,432

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	21	1.82	8	3
2024	22	1.91	9	3
2023	18	1.56	8	3
2022	20	1.74	8	3
2020	17	1.51	7	3
2019	17	1.53	7	3
2018	17	1.55	8	3
2017	17	1.53	8	3
2016	17	1.54	8	3

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 Pope County County Attorney?: Neil Nelson is the County Attorney of Pope County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Pope County County Auditor?: Stephanie Rust is the County Auditor of Pope County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Pope County County Recorder?: Sarah Green is the County Recorder of Pope County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Pope County Sheriff?: Tim Riley is the Sheriff of Pope County, Minnesota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Pope County commissioners?: Paul Gremmels (District 1); Gordon Wagner (District 2); Paul Gerde (District 3); Larry Lindor (District 4); Paul Wildman (District 5).
What is the population of Pope County?: About 11,418 people, with a median age of 45.3; the median household income is $76,220 and 9.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Pope County?: 4.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 245 people unemployed in a labor force of 6,130, against 3.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Pope County?: 37 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal, 20 township, 1 school district and 6 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.

Pope 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 Pope County, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races

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