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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Dickey County: 10 seats on 6 elected bodies. 8 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Dickey County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, District 1Kacey Holm sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 2Jerry Walsh source
County Commissioner, District 3Brandon Carlson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 4Marke Roberts source
County Commissioner, District 5John M Hokana sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AuditorWanda Sheppard sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County RecorderKelly K Schmidt sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County SheriffChris Estes sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
State's AttorneyKimberly J Radermacher sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County TreasurerWonada Lematta sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Dickey County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 52 local governments in Dickey 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 (6 municipal, 32 township)380
School districts (school boards)20
Special districts (elected boards)110

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 Dickey County

4,935people
39.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$68,654 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
11.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
28.9%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$162,400median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
3.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.2%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
7.7%U.S.: 8.4%
40.3%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
20.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 4.1% · White 89.8% · Black 0% · Asian 1.4% · Other or more than one race 4.6% (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 Dickey County

0.9%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 1.5%. North Dakota: 1.8%.
36people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
3,947people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
3,983in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Dickey County 0.0%0.8%1.6%2.4%3.2% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)0.9%363,9473,983
August 20261.0%393,9423,981
July 20261.1%423,8843,926
June 20261.3%513,9774,028
May 20261.1%393,5673,606
April 20261.1%393,4953,534
March 20261.5%523,4723,524
February 20261.6%553,3463,401
January 20261.8%623,3093,371
December 20251.3%453,3763,421
November 20251.4%473,3483,395
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20251.5%503,3603,410
August 20251.5%503,3203,370
July 20254.3%1483,2853,433
June 20251.7%553,2433,298
May 20251.5%493,1153,164
April 20251.6%503,0453,095
March 20251.9%562,9533,009
February 20251.9%552,8642,919
January 20252.0%582,8822,940
December 20241.4%422,8752,917
November 20241.5%442,8252,869
October 20241.3%382,9162,954
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)1.9%603,1633,223
20242.1%592,7002,759
20231.8%442,4612,505
20221.6%402,4452,485
20212.2%552,4792,534
20203.0%772,5302,607
20191.6%422,5992,641
20181.6%432,6882,731
20171.7%472,7572,804
20161.8%502,7752,825

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 Dickey County

60.9 per 100,0002023. North Dakota: 279.8.
203.0 per 100,0002023. North Dakota: 1,944.4.
0murders2023, 3 violent crimes in all.

2023 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
2023360.910203.0
202200.011225.1
2021121.512258.4
20205104.718376.9
2019362.622459.2
20189189.527568.4
2017481.524489.1
By police agency (3)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Dickey County Sheriff's Office2024012,103
Oakes Police Department2023101,758
Ellendale Police Department20231101,090

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

2.04 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 4,912 people.
10sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
1civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Dickey County Sheriff's Office312,001
Oakes Police Department401,776
Ellendale Police Department301,135
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025102.0413
202491.8213
202391.8313
202281.6413
202191.9413
202091.8813
201991.8813
201881.6813
201781.6313
201681.6213

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 Dickey County County Auditor?
Wanda Sheppard is the County Auditor of Dickey County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dickey County County Recorder?
Kelly K Schmidt is the County Recorder of Dickey County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dickey County County Sheriff?
Chris Estes is the County Sheriff of Dickey County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dickey County State's Attorney?
Kimberly J Radermacher is the State's Attorney of Dickey County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dickey County County Treasurer?
Wonada Lematta is the County Treasurer of Dickey County, North Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Dickey County commissioners?
Kacey Holm (District 1); Jerry Walsh (District 2); Brandon Carlson (District 3); Marke Roberts (District 4); John M Hokana (District 5).
What is the population of Dickey County?
About 4,935 people, with a median age of 39.5; the median household income is $68,654 and 11.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Dickey County?
0.9% in September 2026 (preliminary): 36 people unemployed in a labor force of 3,983, against 1.5% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Dickey County?
52 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 6 municipal, 32 township, 2 school district and 11 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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