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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Grant County: 11 seats on 7 elected bodies. 4 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Grant County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerMarty Buttke source
County CommissionerMike Mach source
County CommissionerDoug Stengel source
County CommissionerWilliam (Bill) Street source
County CommissionerWilliam Tostenson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AuditorKathy Folk sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
CoronerOrville Folk source
Register of DeedsRebecca Wellnitz sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffKevin Owen sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
State's AttorneyJackson Schwandt source
County TreasurerKarla DeVaal source

How many local governments Grant County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 31 local governments in Grant 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 (9 municipal, 17 township)260
School districts (school boards)20
Special districts (elected boards)20

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 Grant County

7,563people
44.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$75,028 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
11.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
25.3%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$171,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700
2.7%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
6.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
7.8%U.S.: 8.4%
28.7%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
20.1%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 7.4% · White 89.3% · Black 0.4% · Asian 0.8% · Other or more than one race 2.2% (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 Grant County

1.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.0%. South Dakota: 1.7%.
65people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
3,912people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
3,977in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Grant County 0.0%1.0%1.9%2.9%3.9% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)1.6%653,9123,977
August 20262.1%833,9284,011
July 20261.9%783,9434,021
June 20262.0%793,9614,040
May 20261.8%723,9183,990
April 20262.8%1113,8703,981
March 20264.2%1703,8684,038
February 20264.4%1743,7823,956
January 20264.5%1803,7953,975
December 20253.8%1553,9024,057
November 20252.4%973,9284,025
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20252.0%813,9774,058
August 20252.7%1114,0234,134
July 20252.4%994,0194,118
June 20252.4%1004,0794,179
May 20252.1%873,9944,081
April 20253.8%1533,9114,064
March 20254.5%1873,9274,114
February 20254.2%1703,8924,062
January 20254.6%1903,9034,093
December 20243.3%1353,9254,060
November 20242.0%813,9574,038
October 20242.0%814,0694,150
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.2%1303,9604,090
20242.5%1014,0134,114
20232.3%974,0404,137
20222.5%1023,9864,088
20213.0%1233,9724,095
20203.7%1543,9754,129
20193.0%1254,0384,163
20183.1%1304,0234,153
20173.4%1444,0314,175
20163.4%1434,0354,178

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.

Police in Grant County

Police staffing

1.96 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 7,644 people.
15sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
4civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Grant County Sheriff's Office744,096
Milbank Police Department803,548
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025151.9642
2024152.0062
2023101.3542
2022111.4642
2021121.7362
2020121.7162
2019121.7042
2018111.5672
2017111.5552
2016111.5542

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 Grant County County Auditor?
Kathy Folk is the County Auditor of Grant County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Grant County Coroner?
Orville Folk is the Coroner of Grant County, South Dakota.
Who is the Grant County Register of Deeds?
Rebecca Wellnitz is the Register of Deeds of Grant County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Grant County Sheriff?
Kevin Owen is the Sheriff of Grant County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Grant County State's Attorney?
Jackson Schwandt is the State's Attorney of Grant County, South Dakota.
Who is the Grant County County Treasurer?
Karla DeVaal is the County Treasurer of Grant County, South Dakota.
Who are the Grant County commissioners?
Marty Buttke (County Commissioner); Mike Mach (County Commissioner); Doug Stengel (County Commissioner); William (Bill) Street (County Commissioner); William Tostenson (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Grant County?
About 7,563 people, with a median age of 44.5; the median household income is $75,028 and 11.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Grant County?
1.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 65 people unemployed in a labor force of 3,977, against 2.0% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Grant County?
31 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal, 17 township, 2 school district and 2 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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