Kay County, OK elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Kay County: 8 seats on 6 elected bodies.

Board of County Commissioners

Kay County Board of County Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it now
County Commissioner, District 1Shane Jones Republican source
County Commissioner, District 2Jason Shanks Republican source
County Commissioner, District 3Jeff Kreger Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
County AssessorJanell Leaming Republican source
County ClerkTammy Reese Republican source
Court ClerkMarilee Thornton Republican source
SheriffSteve Kelley Republican source
County TreasurerRhonda Stephens Republican source

How many local governments Kay County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 26 local governments in Kay 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 townships70
School districts (school boards)70
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 Kay County

43,625people
38.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$58,423 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
16%below the U.S.: 12.5%
19.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$124,700median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.8%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8.4%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
11.3%U.S.: 8.4%
39.5%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
24.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 9% · White 71.2% · Black 1.8% · Asian 0.5% · Other or more than one race 17.5% (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 Kay County

3.8%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.6%. Oklahoma: 3.9%.
757people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
18,935people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
19,692in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Kay County 0.0%1.7%3.4%5.0%6.7% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.8%75718,93519,692
August 20264.0%79118,88419,675
July 20264.5%89418,93719,831
June 20264.5%89719,07519,972
May 20264.5%88518,87619,761
April 20263.8%72318,53019,253
March 20263.5%68718,83319,520
February 20264.3%83518,73619,571
January 20264.5%87818,80019,678
December 20253.9%77318,94419,717
November 20254.1%82319,02419,847
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.6%73219,32820,060
August 20253.5%70419,39420,098
July 20253.6%71819,48620,204
June 20253.6%73419,40320,137
May 20253.2%64219,20419,846
April 20252.7%52619,02519,551
March 20253.1%61819,11819,736
February 20253.6%70118,68519,386
January 20253.5%69118,90219,593
December 20243.0%58318,67819,261
November 20243.2%62018,76619,386
October 20243.1%60018,79019,390
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.5%69719,13819,835
20243.4%65518,73819,393
20233.3%63918,77419,413
20223.3%64618,98619,632
20214.3%83318,63219,465
20206.4%1,22817,91919,147
20193.9%73818,40919,147
20184.2%83918,92419,763
20174.8%96919,04520,014
20165.8%1,13718,57319,710

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. Oklahoma's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.2% 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 Kay County

377.9 per 100,0002025. Oklahoma: 407.7.
1,571.3 per 100,0002025. Oklahoma: 1,813.5.
2murders2025, 165 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2025165377.96861,571.3
2024208471.78872,011.3
2023192435.51,0702,426.9
2022223503.01,0712,415.5
2021274635.01,1612,690.7
2020236541.31,4603,349.0
2019202457.71,1592,626.1
2018227510.11,2302,764.2
2017255568.81,2242,730.3
2016299573.41,3432,575.4
By police agency (5)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Ponca City Police Department202511640024,200
Kay County Sheriff's Office2025181067,904
Blackwell Police Department2025211346,003
Tonkawa Police Department20256322,980
Newkirk Police Department20254142,242

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 Oklahoma · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.28 per 1,000 residents2025, 5 agencies serving 43,329 people.
99sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
42civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (5), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Ponca City Police Department512124,200
Kay County Sheriff's Office2087,904
Blackwell Police Department1386,003
Tonkawa Police Department942,980
Newkirk Police Department612,242
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025992.28425
2024952.17335
2023972.22465
2022952.16415
2021932.17415
2020932.15405
2019942.15415
2018861.95385
2017942.11345
2016962.14415

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 Kay County County Assessor?
Janell Leaming (Republican) is the County Assessor of Kay County, Oklahoma.
Who is the Kay County County Clerk?
Tammy Reese (Republican) is the County Clerk of Kay County, Oklahoma.
Who is the Kay County Court Clerk?
Marilee Thornton (Republican) is the Court Clerk of Kay County, Oklahoma.
Who is the Kay County Sheriff?
Steve Kelley (Republican) is the Sheriff of Kay County, Oklahoma.
Who is the Kay County County Treasurer?
Rhonda Stephens (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Kay County, Oklahoma.
Who are the Kay County commissioners?
Shane Jones (District 1); Jason Shanks (District 2); Jeff Kreger (District 3).
What is the population of Kay County?
About 43,625 people, with a median age of 38.5; the median household income is $58,423 and 16% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Kay County?
3.8% in September 2026 (preliminary): 757 people unemployed in a labor force of 19,692, against 3.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Kay County?
26 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 7 municipal, 7 school district and 11 special district governments.

Officeholders as of March 26, 2025, from the Oklahoma State Election Board's Roster of State and County Officers; 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.

Every Oklahoma county · Oklahoma's members of Congress

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

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