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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Burleigh County: 9 seats on 5 elected bodies. 6 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Burleigh County Board of Commissioners

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerJerry Woodcox sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerSteve Schwab sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerWayne Munson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerBrian Bitner source
County CommissionerSteve Bakken source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Auditor/TreasurerMark Splonskowski source
County RecorderMissy Hanson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County SheriffKelly Leben sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
State's AttorneyJulie Lawyer sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Burleigh County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 60 local governments in Burleigh County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships (4 municipal, 39 township)430
School districts (school boards)70
Special districts (elected boards)90

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 Burleigh County

100,600people
38.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$86,851 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
7.9%below the U.S.: 12.5%
39.1%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$324,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700
2.3%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
3.3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.5%U.S.: 8.4%
39%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
22.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3.4% · White 84.9% · Black 1.9% · Asian 1% · Other or more than one race 8.8% (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 Burleigh County

1.7%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.0%. North Dakota: 1.8%.
890people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
52,631people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
53,521in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Burleigh County 0.0%1.1%2.2%3.3%4.4% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)1.7%89052,63153,521
August 20261.9%1,04053,00354,043
July 20261.9%1,01553,75654,771
June 20262.2%1,20853,53654,744
May 20261.7%93552,83053,765
April 20261.8%99352,69153,684
March 20262.5%1,37552,74054,115
February 20262.8%1,53352,50554,038
January 20263.0%1,63652,68454,320
December 20252.3%1,24552,59753,842
November 20252.0%1,10152,79553,896
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20252.0%1,06552,68053,745
August 20252.2%1,19152,85354,044
July 20252.5%1,39053,76655,156
June 20252.4%1,32453,70055,024
May 20252.0%1,09152,44253,533
April 20252.3%1,21452,51653,730
March 20252.8%1,49851,73253,230
February 20253.0%1,59151,42753,018
January 20252.9%1,53451,45052,984
December 20242.3%1,22051,06152,281
November 20241.9%1,01751,31952,336
October 20241.7%90551,33152,236
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)2.4%1,29552,54253,837
20242.2%1,17751,55152,728
20231.9%1,00951,08152,090
20222.0%1,03351,23352,266
20212.7%1,38550,65552,040
20204.2%2,14649,03351,179
20192.2%1,10949,80250,911
20182.4%1,21649,47550,691
20172.4%1,23150,05651,287
20162.5%1,28450,03651,320

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 Burleigh County

221.8 per 100,0002024. North Dakota: 256.7.
1,874.7 per 100,0002024. North Dakota: 1,698.0.
1murders2024, 226 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
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2024226221.81,9101,874.7
2023253252.52,4722,467.1
2022261259.92,6532,641.5
2021249255.12,7822,849.7
2020301312.72,6332,735.5
2019253264.12,1952,291.4
2018249259.32,2432,336.2
2017287303.82,6632,818.7
2016237254.32,7412,941.0
By police agency (3)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Bismarck Police Department20251871,47978,814
Burleigh County Sheriff's Office2024147121,857
Lincoln Police Department20243204,479

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

1.84 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 104,034 people.
191sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
36civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Bismarck Police Department1282878,814
Burleigh County Sheriff's Office56820,658
Lincoln Police Department704,562
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20251911.84363
20241921.88383
20231901.90403
20221891.88403
20211851.89393
20191821.901133
20181851.931223
20161711.83913

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 Burleigh County County Auditor/Treasurer?
Mark Splonskowski is the County Auditor/Treasurer of Burleigh County, North Dakota.
Who is the Burleigh County County Recorder?
Missy Hanson is the County Recorder of Burleigh County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Burleigh County County Sheriff?
Kelly Leben is the County Sheriff of Burleigh County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Burleigh County State's Attorney?
Julie Lawyer is the State's Attorney of Burleigh County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Burleigh County commissioners?
Jerry Woodcox (County Commissioner); Steve Schwab (County Commissioner); Wayne Munson (County Commissioner); Brian Bitner (County Commissioner); Steve Bakken (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Burleigh County?
About 100,600 people, with a median age of 38.5; the median household income is $86,851 and 7.9% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Burleigh County?
1.7% in September 2026 (preliminary): 890 people unemployed in a labor force of 53,521, against 2.0% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Burleigh County?
60 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal, 39 township, 7 school district and 9 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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