Who is the Dent County Assessor?

Alicia Brookshire (Republican) is the Assessor of Dent County, Missouri.

Who is the Dent County Circuit Clerk?

Kristi Morton Craig (Republican) is the Circuit Clerk of Dent County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Dent County Collector of Revenue?

Shannon Vankirk (Republican) is the Collector of Revenue of Dent County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Dent County Coroner?

Benjamin Pursifull (Republican) is the Coroner of Dent County, Missouri.

Who is the Dent County County Clerk?

Angie Curley (Republican) is the County Clerk of Dent County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Dent County County Surveyor?

Michelle Elwood (Republican) is the County Surveyor of Dent County, Missouri.

Who is the Dent County Prosecuting Attorney?

Andrew M. Curley (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Dent County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Dent County Public Administrator?

Sherida Cook (Republican) is the Public Administrator of Dent County, Missouri.

Who is the Dent County Recorder of Deeds?

Cindy Ard (Republican) is the Recorder of Deeds of Dent County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Dent County Sheriff?

Bob Wells (Republican) is the Sheriff of Dent County, Missouri.

Who is the Dent County Treasurer?

Denita Williams (Republican) is the Treasurer of Dent County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who are the Dent County commissioners?

Keith Green (Associate Commissioner, District 1); Jimmy Williams (Associate Commissioner, District 2); Gary Larson (Presiding Commissioner).

What is the population of Dent County?

About 14,539 people, with a median age of 43.5; the median household income is $56,312 and 12.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Dent County?

3.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 224 people unemployed in a labor force of 6,459, against 3.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Dent County?

14 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal, 5 school district and 7 special district governments.

Dent County, MO elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Dent County: 14 seats on 12 elected bodies. 6 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Commission

Dent County Commission

Office	Who holds it now
Associate Commissioner, District 1	Keith Green Republican source
Associate Commissioner, District 2	Jimmy Williams Republican source
Presiding Commissioner	Gary Larson Republican source

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
Assessor	Alicia Brookshire Republican source
Circuit Clerk	Kristi Morton Craig Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Collector of Revenue	Shannon Vankirk Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Coroner	Benjamin Pursifull Republican source
County Clerk	Angie Curley Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Surveyor	Michelle Elwood Republican source
Prosecuting Attorney	Andrew M. Curley Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Public Administrator	Sherida Cook Republican source
Recorder of Deeds	Cindy Ard Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff	Bob Wells Republican source
Treasurer	Denita Williams Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Dent County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 14 local governments in Dent 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	1	0
School districts (school boards)	5	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 Dent County

14,539people

43.5median ageU.S.: 38.9

$56,312 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

12.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%

16.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$167,500median home valueU.S.: $332,700

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

1.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

11.4%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

15.6%U.S.: 8.4%

41.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

17.4%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.2% · White 91.1% · Black 0.4% · Asian 0.9% · 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 Dent County

3.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.3%. Missouri: 3.3%.

224people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

6,235people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

6,459in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	3.5%	224	6,235	6,459
August 2026	4.1%	252	5,963	6,215
July 2026	4.0%	250	5,957	6,207
June 2026	3.9%	252	6,201	6,453
May 2026	3.3%	213	6,191	6,404
April 2026	3.3%	217	6,281	6,498
March 2026	4.4%	284	6,222	6,506
February 2026	4.2%	271	6,166	6,437
January 2026	4.5%	288	6,079	6,367
December 2025	3.3%	212	6,124	6,336
November 2025	3.4%	213	6,144	6,357
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	3.3%	214	6,178	6,392
August 2025	4.6%	287	5,915	6,202
July 2025	4.4%	275	5,953	6,228
June 2025	4.2%	279	6,295	6,574
May 2025	3.8%	249	6,219	6,468
April 2025	3.6%	237	6,296	6,533
March 2025	4.2%	278	6,289	6,567
February 2025	4.5%	296	6,234	6,530
January 2025	4.4%	287	6,223	6,510
December 2024	3.7%	241	6,228	6,469
November 2024	3.5%	223	6,193	6,416
October 2024	3.3%	219	6,329	6,548

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	4.0%	257	6,170	6,427
2024	3.8%	249	6,264	6,513
2023	3.2%	214	6,411	6,625
2022	2.9%	189	6,232	6,421
2021	3.7%	245	6,310	6,555
2020	4.5%	298	6,303	6,601
2019	3.2%	212	6,376	6,588
2018	3.1%	201	6,339	6,540
2017	3.9%	253	6,265	6,518
2016	5.0%	327	6,207	6,534

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. Missouri's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.6% 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 Dent County

140.0 per 100,0002025. Missouri: 417.8.

553.2 per 100,0002025. Missouri: 1,644.1.

0murders2025, 21 violent crimes in all.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2025	21	140.0	83	553.2
2018	9	57.5	231	1,475.5
2017	14	89.9	230	1,477.0
2016	17	106.6	237	1,486.3

By police agency (3)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Dent County Sheriff's Office	2025	9	36	9,958
Salem Police Department	2025	11	46	4,748
Bunker Police Department	2025	1	1	297

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 Missouri · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.92 per 1,000 residents2018, 3 agencies serving 15,656 people.

30sworn officers2018, full-time, as of October 31.

10civilian staff2018, full-time.

2018 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (3), 2018

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Dent County Sheriff's Office	16	5	10,358
Salem Police Department	13	5	4,910
Bunker Police Department	1	0	388

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2018	30	1.92	10	3
2016	24	1.54	12	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 Dent County Assessor?: Alicia Brookshire (Republican) is the Assessor of Dent County, Missouri.
Who is the Dent County Circuit Clerk?: Kristi Morton Craig (Republican) is the Circuit Clerk of Dent County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dent County Collector of Revenue?: Shannon Vankirk (Republican) is the Collector of Revenue of Dent County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dent County Coroner?: Benjamin Pursifull (Republican) is the Coroner of Dent County, Missouri.
Who is the Dent County County Clerk?: Angie Curley (Republican) is the County Clerk of Dent County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dent County County Surveyor?: Michelle Elwood (Republican) is the County Surveyor of Dent County, Missouri.
Who is the Dent County Prosecuting Attorney?: Andrew M. Curley (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Dent County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dent County Public Administrator?: Sherida Cook (Republican) is the Public Administrator of Dent County, Missouri.
Who is the Dent County Recorder of Deeds?: Cindy Ard (Republican) is the Recorder of Deeds of Dent County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dent County Sheriff?: Bob Wells (Republican) is the Sheriff of Dent County, Missouri.
Who is the Dent County Treasurer?: Denita Williams (Republican) is the Treasurer of Dent County, Missouri. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Dent County commissioners?: Keith Green (Associate Commissioner, District 1); Jimmy Williams (Associate Commissioner, District 2); Gary Larson (Presiding Commissioner).
What is the population of Dent County?: About 14,539 people, with a median age of 43.5; the median household income is $56,312 and 12.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Dent County?: 3.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 224 people unemployed in a labor force of 6,459, against 3.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Dent County?: 14 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal, 5 school district and 7 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Missouri Secretary of State's Official Manual (Blue Book) 2025–2026; 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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