Who is the Benson County County Auditor/Treasurer?

Bonnie (Howard) Erickson is the County Auditor/Treasurer of Benson County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Benson County Clerk of District Court?

Emily R. Yri is the Clerk of District Court of Benson County, North Dakota.

Who is the Benson County County Recorder?

Rhoda Pfeifer is the County Recorder of Benson County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Benson County County Sheriff?

Ethan Rode is the County Sheriff of Benson County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Benson County State's Attorney?

James P. Wang is the State's Attorney of Benson County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who are the Benson County commissioners?

Ron Stadum (District 1); Dick Horner (District 2); Doris M. Griffin (District 3); David "Davey" Davidson (District 4).

What is the population of Benson County?

About 5,808 people, with a median age of 32.6; the median household income is $64,033 and 25.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Benson County?

2.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 45 people unemployed in a labor force of 2,124, against 2.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Benson County?

67 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal, 37 township, 6 school district and 14 special district governments.

Benson County, ND elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

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

Board of County Commissioners

Benson 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	Ron Stadum source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 2	Dick Horner source
County Commissioner, District 3	Doris M. Griffin source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 4	David "Davey" Davidson source

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Auditor/Treasurer	Bonnie (Howard) Erickson source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Clerk of District Court	Emily R. Yri source
County Recorder	Rhoda Pfeifer source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Sheriff	Ethan Rode source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
State's Attorney	James P. Wang source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Benson County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 67 local governments in Benson 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, 37 township)	46	0
School districts (school boards)	6	0
Special districts (elected boards)	14	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 Benson County

5,808people

32.6median ageU.S.: 38.9

$64,033 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

25.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%

21.9%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$90,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700

3.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

1.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

6.6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

10.4%U.S.: 8.4%

38.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

26.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.9% · White 42.7% · Black 0.6% · Asian 0.8% · Other or more than one race 53.9% (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 Benson County

2.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.7%. North Dakota: 1.8%.

45people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

2,079people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

2,124in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	2.1%	45	2,079	2,124
August 2026	2.5%	54	2,071	2,125
July 2026	2.8%	57	1,948	2,005
June 2026	3.4%	70	1,992	2,062
May 2026	2.5%	54	2,087	2,141
April 2026	3.1%	65	2,060	2,125
March 2026	3.9%	83	2,039	2,122
February 2026	4.4%	93	2,010	2,103
January 2026	4.8%	100	1,984	2,084
December 2025	2.6%	55	2,040	2,095
November 2025	2.8%	59	2,041	2,100
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	2.7%	57	2,066	2,123
August 2025	2.9%	62	2,102	2,164
July 2025	3.1%	61	1,938	1,999
June 2025	3.7%	75	1,966	2,041
May 2025	3.2%	67	2,012	2,079
April 2025	4.1%	85	1,985	2,070
March 2025	4.8%	98	1,958	2,056
February 2025	4.5%	93	1,957	2,050
January 2025	4.4%	89	1,945	2,034
December 2024	3.5%	70	1,955	2,025
November 2024	2.5%	50	1,962	2,012
October 2024	2.2%	46	2,010	2,056

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	3.5%	73	2,001	2,074
2024	3.3%	66	1,954	2,020
2023	3.0%	61	1,952	2,013
2022	3.0%	61	1,956	2,017
2021	4.3%	87	1,917	2,004
2020	6.9%	139	1,876	2,015
2019	4.0%	80	1,943	2,023
2018	3.7%	76	1,953	2,029
2017	3.8%	78	1,998	2,076
2016	4.2%	90	2,047	2,137

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. North Dakota's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 2.2% 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 Benson County

69.4 per 100,0002024. North Dakota: 256.7.

104.1 per 100,0002024. North Dakota: 1,698.0.

0murders2024, 4 violent crimes in all.

2024 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2024	4	69.4	6	104.1
2022	2	34.9	13	227.0
2021	6	88.8	7	103.6
2020	1	14.8	11	162.4
2019	1	14.5	14	202.8
2018	0	0.0	13	188.5
2017	3	45.5	22	333.9

By police agency (1)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Benson County Sheriff's Office	2024	4	6	5,762

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 North Dakota · the U.S.

Police staffing

0.52 per 1,000 residents2024, 1 agency serving 5,762 people.

3sworn officers2024, full-time, as of October 31.

2civilian staff2024, full-time.

2024 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (1), 2024

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Benson County Sheriff's Office	3	2	5,762

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2024	3	0.52	2	1
2023	3	0.52	0	1
2022	5	0.87	0	1
2021	4	0.59	0	1
2020	2	0.30	0	1
2019	4	0.58	0	1
2018	4	0.58	0	1
2017	4	0.61	0	1
2016	4	0.61	0	1

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 Benson County County Auditor/Treasurer?: Bonnie (Howard) Erickson is the County Auditor/Treasurer of Benson County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Benson County Clerk of District Court?: Emily R. Yri is the Clerk of District Court of Benson County, North Dakota.
Who is the Benson County County Recorder?: Rhoda Pfeifer is the County Recorder of Benson County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Benson County County Sheriff?: Ethan Rode is the County Sheriff of Benson County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Benson County State's Attorney?: James P. Wang is the State's Attorney of Benson County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Benson County commissioners?: Ron Stadum (District 1); Dick Horner (District 2); Doris M. Griffin (District 3); David "Davey" Davidson (District 4).
What is the population of Benson County?: About 5,808 people, with a median age of 32.6; the median household income is $64,033 and 25.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Benson County?: 2.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 45 people unemployed in a labor force of 2,124, against 2.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Benson County?: 67 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal, 37 township, 6 school district and 14 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Secretary of State's official results of each seat's last general election (2022 or 2024); officials appointed since then may differ; 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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