Deer Lodge County, MT elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Deer Lodge County: 8 seats on 3 elected bodies. 2 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Commission

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Chief ExecutiveBill T Everett source
County Commissioner, District 1Michael "Mike" Beausoleil source
County Commissioner, District 2Steve M. Gates source
County Commissioner, District 3Kevin A. Hart source
County Commissioner, District 4Paul Smith sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 5Edward G. Beaudette sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Chief of Law EnforcementBill Sather source
County AttorneyMorgan Smith source

How many local governments Deer Lodge County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 7 local governments in Deer Lodge County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government01
Cities, towns, villages and townships10
School districts (school boards)10
Special districts (elected boards)50

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 Deer Lodge County

9,597people
49.9median ageU.S.: 38.9
$57,527 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
16.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%
24.1%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$231,700median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.4%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
11.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5.6%U.S.: 8.4%
34.3%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
35%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3.5% · White 89.3% · Black 0.4% · Asian 0.2% · Other or more than one race 6.6% (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 Deer Lodge County

3.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.5%. Montana: 2.5%.
135people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
4,240people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
4,375in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Deer Lodge County 0.0%1.7%3.3%5.0%6.6% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.1%1354,2404,375
August 20263.6%1614,3294,490
July 20263.3%1524,3974,549
June 20263.9%1724,2504,422
May 20263.5%1564,3114,467
April 20263.4%1534,3294,482
March 20264.3%1914,2754,466
February 20264.6%2054,2634,468
January 20265.7%2564,2024,458
December 20255.1%2254,1824,407
November 20254.5%1994,2194,418
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.5%1554,2364,391
August 20253.9%1754,2654,440
July 20253.3%1474,3474,494
June 20253.7%1654,2654,430
May 20253.6%1594,2744,433
April 20253.7%1634,3004,463
March 20254.0%1784,2804,458
February 20254.3%1934,2694,462
January 20254.0%1784,2714,449
December 20243.5%1534,2634,416
November 20243.0%1344,3414,475
October 20242.9%1284,3214,449
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.0%1764,2644,440
20243.3%1504,3284,478
20233.2%1454,3474,492
20223.1%1354,1694,304
20214.1%1693,9584,127
20206.3%2593,8814,140
20194.0%1694,0084,177
20184.5%1884,0164,204
20174.5%1904,0074,197
20164.9%2124,1004,312

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. Montana's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.1% 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 Deer Lodge County

466.4 per 100,0002025. Montana: 419.1.
476.6 per 100,0002025. Montana: 1,448.5.
4murders2025, 46 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202546466.447476.6
202438393.358600.4
202331326.983875.3
202224250.81601,671.9
202125268.41892,029.4
202017185.91932,110.7
201913143.12743,016.0
201840439.42632,889.2
201750553.12182,411.5
201637406.03373,697.6
By police agency (1)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Sheriff's Office202546479,862

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 Montana · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.23 per 1,000 residents2025, 1 agency serving 9,862 people.
22sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
20civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (1), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Sheriff's Office22209,862
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025222.23201
2024222.28201
2023222.32191
2022212.1901
2021192.0401
2020212.3001
2019212.3101
2018222.4201
2017212.3201
2016192.0891

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 Deer Lodge County Chief of Law Enforcement?
Bill Sather is the Chief of Law Enforcement of Deer Lodge County, Montana.
Who is the Deer Lodge County County Attorney?
Morgan Smith is the County Attorney of Deer Lodge County, Montana.
Who are the Deer Lodge County commissioners?
Bill T Everett (Chief Executive); Michael "Mike" Beausoleil (District 1); Steve M. Gates (District 2); Kevin A. Hart (District 3); Paul Smith (District 4); Edward G. Beaudette (District 5).
What is the population of Deer Lodge County?
About 9,597 people, with a median age of 49.9; the median household income is $57,527 and 16.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Deer Lodge County?
3.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 135 people unemployed in a labor force of 4,375, against 3.5% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Deer Lodge County?
7 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 municipal, 1 school district and 5 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 7, 2026, from each county's own website (its elected-officials or department pages, read November 7, 2026), or a county's certified canvass; offices no county page names are left out; 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.

Every Montana county · Montana's members of Congress

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

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