Baker County, OR elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Baker County: 10 seats on 8 elected bodies. 4 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Commissioners

Baker County Board of Commissioners

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerShane Alderson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerMichelle Kaseberg source
County CommissionerChristina Witham sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
AssessorKerry Savage source
County ClerkStefanie Kirby sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
District AttorneyGreg M. Baxter source
Justice of the PeaceBrent Kerns source
SheriffTravis Ash source
County SurveyorTom Hanley source
County TreasurerAlice Durflinger sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Baker County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 45 local governments in Baker 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)40
Special districts (elected boards)330

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 Baker County

16,840people
47median ageU.S.: 38.9
$60,936 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
14.9%below the U.S.: 12.5%
26.1%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$285,600median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
11.1%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.2%U.S.: 8.4%
42.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
26.9%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 5.3% · White 87.8% · Black 1.3% · Asian 0.4% · Other or more than one race 5.2% (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 Baker County

4.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.5%. Oregon: 4.3%.
300people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
6,716people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
7,016in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Baker County 0.0%2.0%4.0%6.1%8.1% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.3%3006,7167,016
August 20265.0%3516,6326,983
July 20265.6%3836,5066,889
June 20265.2%3636,5856,948
May 20264.8%3316,5336,864
April 20264.8%3276,4976,824
March 20265.5%3756,4776,852
February 20266.4%4396,4696,908
January 20267.0%4766,3666,842
December 20255.7%3966,5436,939
November 20255.2%3646,6036,967
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20255.5%3856,5786,963
August 20255.4%3756,5506,925
July 20255.8%4006,4426,842
June 20255.2%3556,4436,798
May 20254.9%3326,4566,788
April 20254.8%3246,4416,765
March 20256.1%4136,3466,759
February 20256.0%4126,4056,817
January 20256.2%4216,3256,746
December 20245.1%3476,4576,804
November 20244.5%3036,4916,794
October 20244.0%2716,5556,826
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.5%3806,4676,847
20244.8%3276,4296,756
20234.8%3236,3816,704
20224.9%3426,5746,916
20215.5%3876,5886,975
20207.7%5286,2906,818
20194.9%3276,3096,636
20185.7%3736,2086,581
20175.8%3786,0916,469
20166.7%4326,0006,432

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. Oregon's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 5.0% 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 Baker County

137.5 per 100,0002025. Oregon: 311.2.
1,482.4 per 100,0002025. Oregon: 2,118.0.
1murders2025, 23 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202523137.52481,482.4
202423134.22121,236.7
20231164.61961,151.2
202233194.63021,780.5
202122136.23712,296.6
202036224.44732,947.8
201935219.93872,431.1
201822137.03652,273.7
201725155.63312,059.7
20161062.24182,599.2
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Baker City Police Department20251415410,135
Baker County Sheriff's Office20259946,595

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 Oregon · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.33 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 16,730 people.
39sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
6civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Baker County Sheriff's Office2436,595
Baker City Police Department15310,135
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025392.3362
2024402.3352
2022482.83152
2021432.66112
2020462.87102
2019462.89142
2018513.1842
2017523.2422
2016452.8052

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 Baker County Assessor?
Kerry Savage is the Assessor of Baker County, Oregon.
Who is the Baker County County Clerk?
Stefanie Kirby is the County Clerk of Baker County, Oregon. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Baker County District Attorney?
Greg M. Baxter is the District Attorney of Baker County, Oregon.
Who is the Baker County Justice of the Peace?
Brent Kerns is the Justice of the Peace of Baker County, Oregon.
Who is the Baker County Sheriff?
Travis Ash is the Sheriff of Baker County, Oregon.
Who is the Baker County County Surveyor?
Tom Hanley is the County Surveyor of Baker County, Oregon.
Who is the Baker County County Treasurer?
Alice Durflinger is the County Treasurer of Baker County, Oregon. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Baker County commissioners?
Shane Alderson (County Commissioner); Michelle Kaseberg (County Commissioner); Christina Witham (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Baker County?
About 16,840 people, with a median age of 47; the median household income is $60,936 and 14.9% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Baker County?
4.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 300 people unemployed in a labor force of 7,016, against 5.5% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Baker County?
45 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 7 municipal, 4 school district and 33 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Oregon Blue Book published by the Secretary of State; 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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