Charles Mix County, SD elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Charles Mix County: 9 seats on 7 elected bodies. 3 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Charles Mix County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it now
County CommissionerColin Soukup source
County CommissionerKory Standy source
County CommissionerNick Stotz source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AuditorJason Gant sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
CoronerChad Peters source
Register of DeedsJulie Pavel sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffRandy Thaler sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
State's AttorneySteve Cotton source
County TreasurerMichelle Wentland source

How many local governments Charles Mix County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 47 local governments in Charles Mix 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 townships (7 municipal, 23 township)300
School districts (school boards)30
Special districts (elected boards)130

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 Charles Mix County

9,281people
36median ageU.S.: 38.9
$64,038 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
24%below the U.S.: 12.5%
25.7%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$170,600median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.8%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.8%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8.1%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
17.1%U.S.: 8.4%
33.1%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
29.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3% · White 63.7% · Black 0.2% · Asian 0.6% · Other or more than one race 32.6% (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 Charles Mix County

1.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 1.8%. South Dakota: 1.7%.
63people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
3,930people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
3,993in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Charles Mix County 0.0%1.4%2.8%4.3%5.7% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)1.6%633,9303,993
August 20261.6%664,0094,075
July 20262.2%904,0314,121
June 20262.2%924,0984,190
May 20261.9%763,9984,074
April 20261.9%773,9334,010
March 20262.2%913,9714,062
February 20262.8%1093,8433,952
January 20262.6%1033,8243,927
December 20252.6%1053,9004,005
November 20252.3%913,9083,999
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20251.8%743,9834,057
August 20252.1%884,0674,155
July 20252.4%994,0244,123
June 20252.2%944,0984,192
May 20252.1%843,9464,030
April 20252.1%833,8733,956
March 20251.6%664,0194,085
February 20252.2%873,9134,000
January 20251.5%623,9494,011
December 20241.9%773,9063,983
November 20241.9%753,8673,942
October 20241.5%603,9794,039
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)2.1%853,9714,056
20241.9%764,0214,097
20231.9%783,9974,075
20222.0%803,8963,976
20212.9%1143,8663,980
20205.4%2133,7553,968
20193.0%1173,8273,944
20182.8%1113,9114,022
20173.2%1293,9324,061
20163.1%1253,9414,066

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. South Dakota's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 2.0% 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 Charles Mix County

279.1 per 100,0002025. South Dakota: 307.5.
867.3 per 100,0002025. South Dakota: 1,312.3.
0murders2025, 28 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202528279.187867.3
202417173.21051,069.5
202022217.356553.0
201919187.839385.4
201820193.264618.1
By police agency (3)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Charles Mix County Sheriff's Office202514516,690
Wagner Police Department202514331,416
Platte Police Department2025031,238

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 South Dakota · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.82 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 9,344 people.
17sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
15civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Charles Mix County Sheriff's Office10156,690
Wagner Police Department501,416
Platte Police Department201,238
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025171.82153
2024161.75143
2023151.64113
2022161.77153
2021131.41143
2020161.72153
2019131.40153
2018131.37143
2017151.60143

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 Charles Mix County County Auditor?
Jason Gant is the County Auditor of Charles Mix County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Charles Mix County Coroner?
Chad Peters is the Coroner of Charles Mix County, South Dakota.
Who is the Charles Mix County Register of Deeds?
Julie Pavel is the Register of Deeds of Charles Mix County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Charles Mix County Sheriff?
Randy Thaler is the Sheriff of Charles Mix County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Charles Mix County State's Attorney?
Steve Cotton is the State's Attorney of Charles Mix County, South Dakota.
Who is the Charles Mix County County Treasurer?
Michelle Wentland is the County Treasurer of Charles Mix County, South Dakota.
Who are the Charles Mix County commissioners?
Colin Soukup (County Commissioner); Kory Standy (County Commissioner); Nick Stotz (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Charles Mix County?
About 9,281 people, with a median age of 36; the median household income is $64,038 and 24% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Charles Mix County?
1.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 63 people unemployed in a labor force of 3,993, against 1.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Charles Mix County?
47 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 7 municipal, 23 township, 3 school district and 13 special district governments.

Officeholders as of December 2, 2025, from the Secretary of State's South Dakota Legislative Manual (Blue Book); 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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