Who is the Polk County Assessor?

Valerie Patoine is the Assessor of Polk County, Oregon.

Who is the Polk County County Clerk?

Kimberly Williams is the County Clerk of Polk County, Oregon.

Who is the Polk County District Attorney?

Aaron Felton is the District Attorney of Polk County, Oregon.

Who is the Polk County Sheriff?

Mark Garton is the Sheriff of Polk County, Oregon.

Who is the Polk County County Treasurer?

Steve Milligan is the County Treasurer of Polk County, Oregon.

Who are the Polk County commissioners?

Craig Pope (County Commission Chair); Jeremy Gordon (County Commissioner); Lyle R. Mordhorst (County Commissioner).

What is the population of Polk County?

About 89,662 people, with a median age of 37.8; the median household income is $85,118 and 12.7% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Polk County?

4.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 1,923 people unemployed in a labor force of 47,883, against 4.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Polk County?

23 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal, 4 school district and 14 special district governments.

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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Polk County: 8 seats on 6 elected bodies. 2 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Commissioners

Polk County Board of Commissioners

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Commission Chair	Craig Pope source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner	Jeremy Gordon source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner	Lyle R. Mordhorst source

County officers

Office	Who holds it now
Assessor	Valerie Patoine source
County Clerk	Kimberly Williams source
District Attorney	Aaron Felton source
Sheriff	Mark Garton source
County Treasurer	Steve Milligan source

How many local governments Polk County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 23 local governments in Polk 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	4	0
School districts (school boards)	4	0
Special districts (elected boards)	14	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 Polk County

89,662people

37.8median ageU.S.: 38.9

$85,118 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

12.7%below the U.S.: 12.5%

31.2%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$454,700median home valueU.S.: $332,700

5.7%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

6.3%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

9.1%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

4.9%U.S.: 8.4%

51.8%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

30.9%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 15.6% · White 73.9% · Black 0.6% · Asian 1.9% · Other or more than one race 8% (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 Polk County

4.0%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.9%. Oregon: 4.3%.

1,923people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

45,960people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

47,883in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	4.0%	1,923	45,960	47,883
August 2026	4.9%	2,340	45,315	47,655
July 2026	5.2%	2,428	44,453	46,881
June 2026	5.2%	2,447	44,599	47,046
May 2026	4.6%	2,142	44,430	46,572
April 2026	4.4%	2,007	44,048	46,055
March 2026	4.9%	2,258	44,062	46,320
February 2026	5.2%	2,432	44,026	46,458
January 2026	5.5%	2,526	43,590	46,116
December 2025	4.8%	2,233	44,563	46,796
November 2025	4.6%	2,156	45,031	47,187
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	4.9%	2,312	45,117	47,429
August 2025	5.2%	2,443	44,611	47,054
July 2025	5.4%	2,555	44,463	47,018
June 2025	5.1%	2,377	43,947	46,324
May 2025	4.6%	2,118	43,717	45,835
April 2025	4.2%	1,934	43,667	45,601
March 2025	4.9%	2,221	43,268	45,489
February 2025	5.0%	2,251	43,214	45,465
January 2025	5.2%	2,339	42,934	45,273
December 2024	4.5%	2,019	43,333	45,352
November 2024	4.1%	1,861	43,493	45,354
October 2024	4.0%	1,821	44,168	45,989

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	4.9%	2,267	44,048	46,315
2024	4.1%	1,869	43,298	45,167
2023	3.7%	1,662	42,783	44,445
2022	4.0%	1,730	42,015	43,745
2021	4.7%	2,026	41,009	43,035
2020	6.4%	2,647	38,742	41,389
2019	3.9%	1,593	38,974	40,567
2018	4.2%	1,663	38,327	39,990
2017	4.2%	1,664	38,086	39,750
2016	4.9%	1,896	36,819	38,715

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 Polk County

193.6 per 100,0002025. Oregon: 311.2.

1,092.3 per 100,0002025. Oregon: 2,118.0.

0murders2025, 117 violent crimes in all.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2025	117	193.6	660	1,092.3
2024	142	233.7	794	1,307.0
2023	139	232.2	882	1,473.6
2022	142	238.7	957	1,608.4
2021	136	229.2	1,008	1,699.0
2020	104	177.9	1,012	1,731.5
2019	141	239.1	965	1,636.4
2018	137	234.2	1,100	1,880.5
2017	160	281.3	887	1,559.6
2016	106	191.7	963	1,741.3

By police agency (4)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Polk County Sheriff's Office	2025	39	179	20,126
Dallas Police Department	2025	42	225	18,147
Monmouth Police Department	2025	18	126	11,782
Independence Police Department	2025	18	130	10,370

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

1.34 per 1,000 residents2025, 4 agencies serving 60,425 people.

81sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

51civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (4), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Polk County Sheriff's Office	27	42	20,126
Dallas Police Department	23	2	18,147
Independence Police Department	15	4	10,370
Monmouth Police Department	16	3	11,782

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	81	1.34	51	4
2024	78	1.28	49	4
2023	76	1.27	47	4
2022	71	1.19	52	4
2021	75	1.26	48	4
2020	68	1.16	19	4
2019	74	1.28	20	4
2018	74	1.29	21	4
2017	72	1.29	23	4
2016	69	1.27	47	4

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 Polk County Assessor?: Valerie Patoine is the Assessor of Polk County, Oregon.
Who is the Polk County County Clerk?: Kimberly Williams is the County Clerk of Polk County, Oregon.
Who is the Polk County District Attorney?: Aaron Felton is the District Attorney of Polk County, Oregon.
Who is the Polk County Sheriff?: Mark Garton is the Sheriff of Polk County, Oregon.
Who is the Polk County County Treasurer?: Steve Milligan is the County Treasurer of Polk County, Oregon.
Who are the Polk County commissioners?: Craig Pope (County Commission Chair); Jeremy Gordon (County Commissioner); Lyle R. Mordhorst (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Polk County?: About 89,662 people, with a median age of 37.8; the median household income is $85,118 and 12.7% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Polk County?: 4.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 1,923 people unemployed in a labor force of 47,883, against 4.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Polk County?: 23 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal, 4 school district and 14 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.

Polk County's 2026 ballot and results · Every Oregon county · Oregon's members of Congress

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