Who is the Stillwater County County Attorney/Public Administrator?

Nancy L. Rohde (Republican) is the County Attorney/Public Administrator of Stillwater County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Stillwater County Clerk and Recorder/Surveyor?

Heidi L. Stadel (Republican) is the Clerk and Recorder/Surveyor of Stillwater County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Stillwater County Clerk of District Court?

Melissa Ranstrom (Republican) is the Clerk of District Court of Stillwater County, Montana.

Who is the Stillwater County Sheriff/Coroner?

Charles "Chip" Kem (Republican) is the Sheriff/Coroner of Stillwater County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Stillwater County Superintendent of Schools?

Mark Ranstrom (Republican) is the Superintendent of Schools of Stillwater County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Stillwater County Treasurer/Assessor?

Jerry L. Friend (Republican) is the Treasurer/Assessor of Stillwater County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who are the Stillwater County commissioners?

Steve Riveland (District 1); Roger Webb (District 2); Jeff Ruffatto (District 3).

What is the population of Stillwater County?

About 9,182 people, with a median age of 46.7; the median household income is $84,732 and 8.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Stillwater County?

2.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 109 people unemployed in a labor force of 4,661, against 3.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Stillwater County?

22 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal, 8 school district and 12 special district governments.

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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Stillwater County: 9 seats on 7 elected bodies. 6 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Stillwater County Board of Commissioners

Every member is elected countywide.

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Commissioner, District 1	Steve Riveland Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 2	Roger Webb Republican source
County Commissioner, District 3	Jeff Ruffatto Republican source

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Attorney/Public Administrator	Nancy L. Rohde Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Clerk and Recorder/Surveyor	Heidi L. Stadel Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Clerk of District Court	Melissa Ranstrom Republican source
Sheriff/Coroner	Charles "Chip" Kem Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Superintendent of Schools	Mark Ranstrom Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Treasurer/Assessor	Jerry L. Friend Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Stillwater County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 22 local governments in Stillwater 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)	8	0
Special districts (elected boards)	12	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 Stillwater County

9,182people

46.7median ageU.S.: 38.9

$84,732 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

8.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%

32.3%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$405,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700

3.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

1.3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

11.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

5.2%U.S.: 8.4%

28.6%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

29.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3.5% · White 92% · Black 0% · Asian 0.4% · Other or more than one race 4.1% (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 Stillwater County

2.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.1%. Montana: 2.5%.

109people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

4,552people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

4,661in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	2.3%	109	4,552	4,661
August 2026	2.7%	128	4,550	4,678
July 2026	2.7%	127	4,593	4,720
June 2026	3.3%	155	4,562	4,717
May 2026	2.7%	127	4,523	4,650
April 2026	2.8%	131	4,512	4,643
March 2026	3.5%	162	4,451	4,613
February 2026	3.6%	166	4,421	4,587
January 2026	3.8%	177	4,429	4,606
December 2025	3.3%	155	4,491	4,646
November 2025	3.1%	144	4,510	4,654
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	3.1%	146	4,532	4,678
August 2025	3.2%	152	4,587	4,739
July 2025	3.4%	163	4,615	4,778
June 2025	3.6%	173	4,615	4,788
May 2025	3.5%	166	4,567	4,733
April 2025	3.6%	172	4,592	4,764
March 2025	4.4%	210	4,554	4,764
February 2025	4.8%	224	4,479	4,703
January 2025	4.6%	219	4,505	4,724
December 2024	4.6%	219	4,511	4,730
November 2024	2.3%	107	4,537	4,644
October 2024	2.0%	93	4,579	4,672

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	3.7%	175	4,550	4,725
2024	2.8%	132	4,561	4,693
2023	2.5%	114	4,494	4,608
2022	2.5%	115	4,483	4,598
2021	3.4%	150	4,319	4,469
2020	5.8%	262	4,270	4,532
2019	3.6%	160	4,308	4,468
2018	3.7%	164	4,243	4,407
2017	4.1%	183	4,229	4,412
2016	4.3%	193	4,258	4,451

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 Stillwater County

409.7 per 100,0002025. Montana: 419.1.

766.9 per 100,0002025. Montana: 1,448.5.

0murders2025, 39 violent crimes in all.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2025	39	409.7	73	766.9
2024	24	262.6	75	820.7
2023	27	293.5	92	1,000.2
2022	33	363.5	66	727.0
2021	26	257.5	113	1,119.1
2020	29	298.2	92	946.1
2019	21	219.7	59	617.3
2018	21	221.4	103	1,085.9
2017	17	180.0	71	751.7
2016	26	271.7	65	679.3

By police agency (2)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Stillwater County Sheriff's Office	2025	32	41	7,527
Columbus Police Department	2025	7	32	1,992

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

2.10 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 9,519 people.

20sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

9civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (2), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Stillwater County Sheriff's Office	14	9	7,527
Columbus Police Department	6	0	1,992

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	20	2.10	9	2
2024	19	2.08	9	2
2023	20	2.17	11	2
2022	19	2.09	11	2
2021	18	1.78	10	2
2020	16	1.65	9	2
2019	16	1.67	9	2
2018	17	1.79	8	2
2017	14	1.48	9	2
2016	13	1.36	9	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 Stillwater County County Attorney/Public Administrator?: Nancy L. Rohde (Republican) is the County Attorney/Public Administrator of Stillwater County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Stillwater County Clerk and Recorder/Surveyor?: Heidi L. Stadel (Republican) is the Clerk and Recorder/Surveyor of Stillwater County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Stillwater County Clerk of District Court?: Melissa Ranstrom (Republican) is the Clerk of District Court of Stillwater County, Montana.
Who is the Stillwater County Sheriff/Coroner?: Charles "Chip" Kem (Republican) is the Sheriff/Coroner of Stillwater County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Stillwater County Superintendent of Schools?: Mark Ranstrom (Republican) is the Superintendent of Schools of Stillwater County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Stillwater County Treasurer/Assessor?: Jerry L. Friend (Republican) is the Treasurer/Assessor of Stillwater County, Montana. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Stillwater County commissioners?: Steve Riveland (District 1); Roger Webb (District 2); Jeff Ruffatto (District 3).
What is the population of Stillwater County?: About 9,182 people, with a median age of 46.7; the median household income is $84,732 and 8.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Stillwater County?: 2.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 109 people unemployed in a labor force of 4,661, against 3.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Stillwater County?: 22 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal, 8 school district and 12 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.

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