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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Wasco 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

Wasco County Board of Commissioners

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerPhil Brady sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerScott Hege sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerJeff Justesen source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
AssessorJill Filla Amery source
County ClerkChrissy Zaugg source
District AttorneyKara Davis source
SheriffLane Magill source
County TreasurerElijah Preston source

How many local governments Wasco County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 37 local governments in Wasco 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 townships60
School districts (school boards)50
Special districts (elected boards)250

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 Wasco County

26,552people
41median ageU.S.: 38.9
$64,175 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
11.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
22.4%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$367,400median home valueU.S.: $332,700
7.7%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
9.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
8.5%U.S.: 8.4%
46.2%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
26.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 20.6% · White 70.8% · Black 0.4% · Asian 0.7% · Other or more than one race 7.4% (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 Wasco County

4.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.2%. Oregon: 4.3%.
544people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
12,225people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
12,769in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Wasco County 0.0%1.9%3.8%5.7%7.7% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.3%54412,22512,769
August 20265.3%68212,27912,961
July 20264.1%70716,55417,261
June 20264.4%68214,88315,565
May 20264.9%61712,08612,703
April 20264.8%60912,05212,661
March 20265.5%68711,88212,569
February 20266.2%77811,70612,484
January 20266.5%80011,50012,300
December 20255.4%67411,84112,515
November 20255.3%67412,08912,763
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20255.2%68112,36513,046
August 20255.5%70312,16212,865
July 20254.1%72216,71617,438
June 20254.3%68115,15315,834
May 20255.0%63312,07512,708
April 20254.6%58112,09612,677
March 20255.7%71011,77512,485
February 20255.8%71911,75312,472
January 20256.2%76211,57412,336
December 20245.0%62211,85412,476
November 20244.5%57112,02112,592
October 20244.3%53812,11512,653
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.1%68512,69113,376
20244.4%57412,51813,092
20234.2%54212,40312,945
20224.2%55412,56813,122
20215.3%70612,61113,317
20207.3%95512,21613,171
20194.2%54312,50013,043
20184.3%55112,34512,896
20174.2%56012,75313,313
20164.9%64312,55913,202

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 Wasco County

242.0 per 100,0002025. Oregon: 311.2.
1,977.9 per 100,0002025. Oregon: 2,118.0.
0murders2025, 64 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202564242.05231,977.9
202475283.14941,864.5
202390339.76082,294.8
202294351.17192,685.7
202161232.17272,766.4
202078292.07692,879.2
201955206.96272,358.5
201861228.75942,227.3
201647180.25822,231.5
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
The Dalles Police Department20254142415,860
Wasco County Sheriff's Office2025239910,582

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

1.59 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 26,442 people.
42sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
15civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
The Dalles Police Department26315,860
Wasco County Sheriff's Office161210,582
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025421.59152
2024431.62192
2023401.51192
2022401.49162
2021371.41182
2020391.46172
2019391.47182
2018381.43172
2017401.52162
2016391.50152

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 Wasco County Assessor?
Jill Filla Amery is the Assessor of Wasco County, Oregon.
Who is the Wasco County County Clerk?
Chrissy Zaugg is the County Clerk of Wasco County, Oregon.
Who is the Wasco County District Attorney?
Kara Davis is the District Attorney of Wasco County, Oregon.
Who is the Wasco County Sheriff?
Lane Magill is the Sheriff of Wasco County, Oregon.
Who is the Wasco County County Treasurer?
Elijah Preston is the County Treasurer of Wasco County, Oregon.
Who are the Wasco County commissioners?
Phil Brady (County Commissioner); Scott Hege (County Commissioner); Jeff Justesen (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Wasco County?
About 26,552 people, with a median age of 41; the median household income is $64,175 and 11.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Wasco County?
4.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 544 people unemployed in a labor force of 12,769, against 5.2% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Wasco County?
37 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 6 municipal, 5 school district and 25 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.

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

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

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