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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Deschutes County: 8 seats on 6 elected bodies. 5 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Commissioners

Deschutes County Board of Commissioners

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commission ChairAnthony DeBone sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerPhil Chang source
County CommissionerKent Vander Kamp source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
AssessorScot Langton sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County ClerkSteve Dennison sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
District AttorneySteve Gunnels sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Justice of the PeaceCharles Fadeley source
County TreasurerWilliam Kuhn sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Deschutes County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 60 local governments in Deschutes 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 townships40
School districts (school boards)50
Special districts (elected boards)500

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 Deschutes County

206,334people
42.9median ageU.S.: 38.9
$92,758 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
8.8%below the U.S.: 12.5%
45%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$650,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
4.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
6.2%U.S.: 8.4%
50.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
33.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 9.2% · White 83.5% · Black 0.3% · Asian 1% · Other or more than one race 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 Deschutes County

3.9%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.7%. Oregon: 4.3%.
4,373people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
107,583people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
111,956in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Deschutes County 0.0%2.0%4.1%6.1%8.2% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.9%4,373107,583111,956
August 20264.5%5,068107,382112,450
July 20264.7%5,312107,013112,325
June 20264.7%5,260106,975112,235
May 20264.4%4,902106,210111,112
April 20264.4%4,812105,333110,145
March 20265.1%5,656104,653110,309
February 20265.6%6,112103,785109,897
January 20265.7%6,285103,225109,510
December 20254.9%5,337104,497109,834
November 20254.7%5,227105,276110,503
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.7%5,253106,441111,694
August 20254.8%5,393106,944112,337
July 20254.9%5,518106,998112,516
June 20254.5%5,035107,219112,254
May 20254.4%4,917105,656110,573
April 20254.2%4,661105,158109,819
March 20255.2%5,743103,860109,603
February 20255.4%5,877103,114108,991
January 20255.5%5,989103,436109,425
December 20244.5%4,875104,578109,453
November 20244.1%4,492104,864109,356
October 20243.8%4,168105,662109,830
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.8%5,359105,327110,686
20244.2%4,611105,200109,811
20233.7%3,981102,690106,671
20223.9%4,095100,063104,158
20215.2%5,35297,934103,286
20207.8%7,76191,34299,103
20193.8%3,69592,56196,256
20184.1%3,84890,64994,497
20174.1%3,84488,95792,801
20164.8%4,27885,67489,952

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 Deschutes County

177.7 per 100,0002025. Oregon: 311.2.
1,272.7 per 100,0002025. Oregon: 2,118.0.
4murders2025, 381 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2025381177.72,7281,272.7
2024336157.22,8771,345.9
2023348165.73,0141,435.5
2022301143.43,0811,468.2
2021365178.13,2251,573.6
2020365181.03,6811,824.9
2019326164.13,7351,879.6
2018338173.93,8351,973.2
2017322170.93,6621,943.4
2016260142.43,8522,109.1
By police agency (4)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Bend Police Department20252081,432108,819
Deschutes County Sheriff's Office20258945864,843
Redmond Police Department20258081738,660
Sunriver Police Department20254212,028

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

1.58 per 1,000 residents2025, 4 agencies serving 214,350 people.
339sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
122civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (4), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Deschutes County Sheriff's Office1726464,843
Bend Police Department10742108,819
Redmond Police Department511438,660
Sunriver Police Department922,028
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20253391.581224
20243341.561144
20233341.591004
20223381.611014
20213371.641094
20203481.731114
20193261.661083
20183071.60933
20172971.60923
20162021.121873

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 Deschutes County Assessor?
Scot Langton is the Assessor of Deschutes County, Oregon. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Deschutes County County Clerk?
Steve Dennison is the County Clerk of Deschutes County, Oregon. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Deschutes County District Attorney?
Steve Gunnels is the District Attorney of Deschutes County, Oregon. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Deschutes County Justice of the Peace?
Charles Fadeley is the Justice of the Peace of Deschutes County, Oregon.
Who is the Deschutes County County Treasurer?
William Kuhn is the County Treasurer of Deschutes County, Oregon. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Deschutes County commissioners?
Anthony DeBone (County Commission Chair); Phil Chang (County Commissioner); Kent Vander Kamp (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Deschutes County?
About 206,334 people, with a median age of 42.9; the median household income is $92,758 and 8.8% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Deschutes County?
3.9% in September 2026 (preliminary): 4,373 people unemployed in a labor force of 111,956, against 4.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Deschutes County?
60 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal, 5 school district and 50 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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