Who is the Dawes County County Assessor?

Roberta Coleman is the County Assessor of Dawes County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Dawes County County Attorney?

Vance Haug is the County Attorney of Dawes County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Dawes County County Clerk?

Cheryl Feist is the County Clerk of Dawes County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Dawes County Clerk of the District Court?

Celeste Cattin is the Clerk of the District Court of Dawes County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Dawes County Public Defender?

Becca Chasek is the Public Defender of Dawes County, Nebraska.

Who is the Dawes County Sheriff?

Jeff Johns is the Sheriff of Dawes County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Dawes County County Treasurer?

Sam Wellnitz is the County Treasurer of Dawes County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who are the Dawes County commissioners?

Jake Stewart (County Commissioner); Valentin Rivera (County Commissioner); Walt Juhlin (County Commissioner).

What is the population of Dawes County?

About 8,140 people, with a median age of 35.8; the median household income is $56,280 and 13.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Dawes County?

2.4% in September 2026 (preliminary): 98 people unemployed in a labor force of 4,050, against 2.5% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Dawes County?

15 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 2 school district and 9 special district governments.

Dawes County, NE elected officials: county commissioners or supervisors, sheriff, school board and cities

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

County Board of Commissioners or Supervisors

Dawes County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Commissioner	Jake Stewart source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner	Valentin Rivera source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner	Walt Juhlin source

Official website

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Assessor	Roberta Coleman source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Attorney	Vance Haug source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Clerk	Cheryl Feist source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Clerk of the District Court	Celeste Cattin source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Public Defender	Becca Chasek source
Sheriff	Jeff Johns source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Treasurer	Sam Wellnitz source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Dawes County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 15 local governments in Dawes 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	3	0
School districts (school boards)	2	0
Special districts (elected boards)	9	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 Dawes County

8,140people

35.8median ageU.S.: 38.9

$56,280 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

13.1%below the U.S.: 12.5%

36.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$150,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700

1.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

1%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

5.5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

9.6%U.S.: 8.4%

51.4%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

17.8%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 5% · White 85.8% · Black 0.5% · Asian 1.1% · Other or more than one race 7.6% (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 Dawes County

2.4%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.5%. Nebraska: 2.5%.

98people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

3,952people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

4,050in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	2.4%	98	3,952	4,050
August 2026	2.9%	115	3,851	3,966
July 2026	3.5%	138	3,837	3,975
June 2026	3.7%	150	3,905	4,055
May 2026	2.9%	116	3,927	4,043
April 2026	2.5%	100	3,978	4,078
March 2026	2.5%	102	3,972	4,074
February 2026	3.1%	131	4,035	4,166
January 2026	2.9%	115	3,900	4,015
December 2025	3.0%	124	4,070	4,194
November 2025	3.3%	139	4,065	4,204
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	2.5%	105	4,053	4,158
August 2025	3.0%	121	3,945	4,066
July 2025	3.5%	144	3,989	4,133
June 2025	3.5%	149	4,067	4,216
May 2025	2.8%	122	4,171	4,293
April 2025	2.6%	112	4,115	4,227
March 2025	2.3%	97	4,122	4,219
February 2025	3.0%	126	4,039	4,165
January 2025	2.9%	116	3,953	4,069
December 2024	2.5%	106	4,156	4,262
November 2024	2.8%	118	4,163	4,281
October 2024	2.7%	115	4,176	4,291

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	2.9%	123	4,054	4,177
2024	2.6%	111	4,143	4,254
2023	2.4%	100	4,154	4,254
2022	2.2%	96	4,189	4,285
2021	2.3%	96	4,145	4,241
2020	3.2%	135	4,094	4,229
2019	3.2%	139	4,145	4,284
2018	3.1%	132	4,176	4,308
2017	3.1%	136	4,280	4,416
2016	3.4%	151	4,324	4,475

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. Nebraska's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 2.9% 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 Dawes County

250.8 per 100,0002025. Nebraska: 218.4.

890.5 per 100,0002025. Nebraska: 1,378.6.

0murders2025, 20 violent crimes in all.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2025	20	250.8	71	890.5
2024	11	133.9	99	1,205.0
2023	16	192.3	149	1,791.1
2022	29	355.7	93	1,140.7
2021	10	119.8	53	635.1
2020	13	153.2	104	1,225.5
2019	11	127.6	106	1,229.1
2018	10	113.3	98	1,109.9
2017	10	111.8	145	1,621.2
2016	13	144.2	136	1,508.3

By police agency (2)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Chadron Police Department	2025	20	71	5,074
Dawes County Sheriff's Office	2023	2	2	3,071

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 Nebraska · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.13 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 7,973 people.

17sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

15civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (2), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Chadron Police Department	11	6	5,074
Dawes County Sheriff's Office	6	9	2,899

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	17	2.13	15	2
2024	18	2.19	17	2
2023	18	2.16	17	2
2022	18	2.21	17	2
2021	20	2.40	17	2
2020	18	2.12	17	2
2019	20	2.32	17	2
2018	20	2.27	14	2
2016	22	2.44	13	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 Dawes County County Assessor?: Roberta Coleman is the County Assessor of Dawes County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dawes County County Attorney?: Vance Haug is the County Attorney of Dawes County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dawes County County Clerk?: Cheryl Feist is the County Clerk of Dawes County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dawes County Clerk of the District Court?: Celeste Cattin is the Clerk of the District Court of Dawes County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dawes County Public Defender?: Becca Chasek is the Public Defender of Dawes County, Nebraska.
Who is the Dawes County Sheriff?: Jeff Johns is the Sheriff of Dawes County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dawes County County Treasurer?: Sam Wellnitz is the County Treasurer of Dawes County, Nebraska. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Dawes County commissioners?: Jake Stewart (County Commissioner); Valentin Rivera (County Commissioner); Walt Juhlin (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Dawes County?: About 8,140 people, with a median age of 35.8; the median household income is $56,280 and 13.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Dawes County?: 2.4% in September 2026 (preliminary): 98 people unemployed in a labor force of 4,050, against 2.5% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Dawes County?: 15 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 2 school district and 9 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 7, 2026, from each county's annual audit filed with the Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts (its list of county officials at June 30, 2025) or, where the audit has none, the county's own website (read November 2026), with the Secretary of State's, Department of Revenue's and Judicial Branch's contact directories for a clerk, assessor or clerk of the district court a county page doesn't name; officials appointed or replaced 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.

Dawes County's 2026 ballot and results · Every Nebraska county · Nebraska's members of Congress

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

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