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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Hamlin County: 11 seats on 7 elected bodies. 6 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Hamlin County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerRiley Buck source
County CommissionerScott Popham source
County CommissionerRandall Rudebusch sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerLarry Saathoff sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerBurton Tulson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AuditorDixie Opdahl sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
CoronerDonna Thompson source
Register of DeedsAmber Raasch sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffChad Schlotterbeck sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
State's AttorneyJohn Delzer source
County TreasurerJessica Delzer source

How many local governments Hamlin County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 30 local governments in Hamlin 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 (6 municipal, 13 township)190
School districts (school boards)30
Special districts (elected boards)70

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 Hamlin County

6,373people
31.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$87,101 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
6.9%below the U.S.: 12.5%
24.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$208,600median home valueU.S.: $332,700
0.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
3.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
7.7%U.S.: 8.4%
20.6%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
22.4%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 5.9% · White 91.2% · Black 0.1% · Asian 0.3% · Other or more than one race 2.5% (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 Hamlin County

1.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 1.3%. South Dakota: 1.7%.
45people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
3,625people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
3,670in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Hamlin County 0.0%0.9%1.9%2.8%3.8% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)1.2%453,6253,670
August 20261.5%553,6383,693
July 20261.6%603,6573,717
June 20261.6%603,6633,723
May 20261.5%573,6683,725
April 20261.6%603,6433,703
March 20262.4%883,6563,744
February 20262.8%1033,5523,655
January 20262.2%823,5723,654
December 20252.2%833,6483,731
November 20251.7%633,6863,749
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20251.3%503,7093,759
August 20251.5%573,7093,766
July 20251.3%493,7193,768
June 20251.6%593,7093,768
May 20251.7%623,6073,669
April 20251.9%693,5913,660
March 20251.9%693,6243,693
February 20252.3%823,5143,596
January 20252.0%723,5043,576
December 20241.9%693,5123,581
November 20241.6%563,5453,601
October 20241.0%373,6073,644
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)1.8%653,6383,703
20241.5%543,5493,603
20231.7%593,4273,486
20221.9%653,3133,378
20212.3%753,1953,270
20203.2%1023,0583,160
20192.9%913,0093,100
20183.1%922,9193,011
20173.6%1052,8142,919
20163.6%1052,8172,922

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 Hamlin County

76.5 per 100,0002017. South Dakota: 429.8.
140.2 per 100,0002017. South Dakota: 1,899.5.
0murders2017, 6 violent crimes in all.

2017 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2017676.511140.2
2016675.917215.2
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Hamlin County Sheriff's Office20252166,073
Lake Norden Police Department201800477

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

1.64 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 6,715 people.
11sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
0civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Hamlin County Sheriff's Office706,073
Lake Norden Police Department40642
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025111.6402
2024101.5402
202391.4002
202291.4102
202181.2802
201981.3102
201750.8311
201650.8311

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 Hamlin County County Auditor?
Dixie Opdahl is the County Auditor of Hamlin County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hamlin County Coroner?
Donna Thompson is the Coroner of Hamlin County, South Dakota.
Who is the Hamlin County Register of Deeds?
Amber Raasch is the Register of Deeds of Hamlin County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hamlin County Sheriff?
Chad Schlotterbeck is the Sheriff of Hamlin County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hamlin County State's Attorney?
John Delzer is the State's Attorney of Hamlin County, South Dakota.
Who is the Hamlin County County Treasurer?
Jessica Delzer is the County Treasurer of Hamlin County, South Dakota.
Who are the Hamlin County commissioners?
Riley Buck (County Commissioner); Scott Popham (County Commissioner); Randall Rudebusch (County Commissioner); Larry Saathoff (County Commissioner); Burton Tulson (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Hamlin County?
About 6,373 people, with a median age of 31.8; the median household income is $87,101 and 6.9% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Hamlin County?
1.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 45 people unemployed in a labor force of 3,670, against 1.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Hamlin County?
30 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 6 municipal, 13 township, 3 school district and 7 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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