Who is the Hand County County Auditor?

Doug DeBoer is the County Auditor of Hand County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Hand County Coroner?

Jon Dunlap is the Coroner of Hand County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Hand County Register of Deeds?

Suzy Wernsmann is the Register of Deeds of Hand County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Hand County Sheriff?

Shane Croeni is the Sheriff of Hand County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Hand County State's Attorney?

Elton Anson is the State's Attorney of Hand County, South Dakota.

Who is the Hand County County Treasurer?

Kim Fanning is the County Treasurer of Hand County, South Dakota.

Who are the Hand County commissioners?

Jim Eschenbaum (County Commissioner); Daniel Jensen (County Commissioner); Greg Palmer (County Commissioner); Richard Strasburg (County Commissioner); Luke Wernsmann (County Commissioner).

What is the population of Hand County?

About 3,140 people, with a median age of 42.5; the median household income is $74,635 and 5.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Hand County?

1.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 29 people unemployed in a labor force of 1,817, against 1.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Hand County?

42 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 35 township, 1 school district and 2 special district governments.

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

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

Hand County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Commissioner	Jim Eschenbaum source
County Commissioner	Daniel Jensen source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner	Greg Palmer source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner	Richard Strasburg source
County Commissioner	Luke Wernsmann source

County officers

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Auditor	Doug DeBoer source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Coroner	Jon Dunlap source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Register of Deeds	Suzy Wernsmann source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff	Shane Croeni source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
State's Attorney	Elton Anson source
County Treasurer	Kim Fanning source

How many local governments Hand County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 42 local governments in Hand 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 (3 municipal, 35 township)	38	0
School districts (school boards)	1	0
Special districts (elected boards)	2	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 Hand County

3,140people

42.5median ageU.S.: 38.9

$74,635 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

5.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%

28.4%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$159,300median home valueU.S.: $332,700

0.8%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

0.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

4.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

5%U.S.: 8.4%

21.7%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

23.1%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.1% · White 92.2% · Black 0.5% · Asian 0.1% · Other or more than one race 5.2% (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 Hand County

1.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 1.4%. South Dakota: 1.7%.

29people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

1,788people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

1,817in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	1.6%	29	1,788	1,817
August 2026	2.6%	46	1,714	1,760
July 2026	2.0%	36	1,728	1,764
June 2026	1.9%	35	1,788	1,823
May 2026	1.6%	28	1,774	1,802
April 2026	1.2%	22	1,783	1,805
March 2026	1.5%	28	1,891	1,919
February 2026	2.5%	45	1,773	1,818
January 2026	2.1%	37	1,760	1,797
December 2025	2.1%	39	1,833	1,872
November 2025	1.7%	31	1,845	1,876
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	1.4%	26	1,806	1,832
August 2025	2.0%	35	1,752	1,787
July 2025	1.5%	26	1,720	1,746
June 2025	1.7%	32	1,812	1,844
May 2025	1.7%	32	1,798	1,830
April 2025	1.6%	30	1,846	1,876
March 2025	1.2%	24	1,961	1,985
February 2025	1.9%	36	1,838	1,874
January 2025	1.5%	27	1,786	1,813
December 2024	1.5%	26	1,736	1,762
November 2024	1.7%	30	1,775	1,805
October 2024	1.2%	23	1,881	1,904

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	1.7%	31	1,818	1,849
2024	1.4%	26	1,817	1,843
2023	1.4%	26	1,796	1,822
2022	1.7%	30	1,763	1,793
2021	2.0%	35	1,709	1,744
2020	2.4%	43	1,722	1,765
2019	2.3%	41	1,738	1,779
2018	2.1%	38	1,790	1,828
2017	2.2%	41	1,807	1,848
2016	2.1%	40	1,824	1,864

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 Hand County

124.3 per 100,0002019. South Dakota: 397.1.

186.5 per 100,0002019. South Dakota: 1,768.2.

0murders2019, 4 violent crimes in all.

2019 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

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2019	4	124.3	6	186.5
2018	2	61.1	11	336.3
2016	2	60.2	18	541.4

By police agency (2)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Hand County Sheriff's Office	2022	2	2	1,778
Miller Police Department	2020	0	5	1,318

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

3.24 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 3,087 people.

10sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

0civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (2), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Hand County Sheriff's Office	6	0	1,789
Miller Police Department	4	0	1,298

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	10	3.24	0	2
2024	8	2.60	0	2
2023	8	2.56	0	2
2022	7	2.27	1	2
2021	6	1.95	1	2
2020	7	2.21	1	2
2019	7	2.18	1	2
2018	6	1.83	2	2
2017	5	1.52	1	2
2016	6	1.80	1	2

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 Hand County County Auditor?: Doug DeBoer is the County Auditor of Hand County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hand County Coroner?: Jon Dunlap is the Coroner of Hand County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hand County Register of Deeds?: Suzy Wernsmann is the Register of Deeds of Hand County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hand County Sheriff?: Shane Croeni is the Sheriff of Hand County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Hand County State's Attorney?: Elton Anson is the State's Attorney of Hand County, South Dakota.
Who is the Hand County County Treasurer?: Kim Fanning is the County Treasurer of Hand County, South Dakota.
Who are the Hand County commissioners?: Jim Eschenbaum (County Commissioner); Daniel Jensen (County Commissioner); Greg Palmer (County Commissioner); Richard Strasburg (County Commissioner); Luke Wernsmann (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Hand County?: About 3,140 people, with a median age of 42.5; the median household income is $74,635 and 5.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Hand County?: 1.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 29 people unemployed in a labor force of 1,817, against 1.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Hand County?: 42 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 35 township, 1 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.

Hand County's 2026 ballot and results · Every South Dakota county · South Dakota's members of Congress

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