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

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

Yankton County Board of Commissioners

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerRyan Heine sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerWanda HoweyFox source
County CommissionerDon Kettering source
County CommissionerDan Klimisch sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerJohn Marquardt source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AuditorPatty Hojem sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
CoronerArica Nickles source
Register of DeedsBrian Hunhoff source
SheriffPreston Crissey sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
State's AttorneyTyler Larsen source
County TreasurerPatty Vavra source

How many local governments Yankton County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 28 local governments in Yankton 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, 9 township)150
School districts (school boards)30
Special districts (elected boards)90

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 Yankton County

23,414people
42.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$72,821 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
11.9%below the U.S.: 12.5%
31.4%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$225,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
1.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5.6%U.S.: 8.4%
33.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
22%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 5.9% · White 86.9% · Black 1.6% · Asian 0.3% · Other or more than one race 5.3% (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 Yankton County

1.7%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 1.8%. South Dakota: 1.7%.
202people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
11,778people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
11,980in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Yankton County 0.0%1.1%2.1%3.2%4.2% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)1.7%20211,77811,980
August 20262.0%23511,81612,051
July 20261.8%22211,95712,179
June 20261.9%23412,03212,266
May 20261.8%21911,98712,206
April 20261.5%17811,90412,082
March 20261.8%21011,76411,974
February 20262.2%26611,71511,981
January 20262.0%24311,67711,920
December 20252.1%25911,82112,080
November 20251.9%23111,83312,064
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20251.8%21712,01112,228
August 20252.0%24811,95612,204
July 20251.8%22412,16412,388
June 20252.0%25312,17912,432
May 20251.9%23112,25312,484
April 20251.7%21512,21812,433
March 20251.7%21012,06912,279
February 20252.0%24012,03212,272
January 20251.8%21611,99612,212
December 20241.5%18712,09712,284
November 20241.5%18312,02712,210
October 20241.3%16212,13412,296
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)1.9%23112,04812,279
20241.5%19012,13612,326
20231.6%19612,10412,300
20221.7%20311,90512,108
20212.3%27211,74112,013
20204.0%49311,68512,178
20192.4%29512,08212,377
20182.4%29211,96412,256
20172.6%31811,70512,023
20162.6%30811,70012,008

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 Yankton County

186.6 per 100,0002025. South Dakota: 307.5.
1,094.0 per 100,0002025. South Dakota: 1,312.3.
1murders2025, 44 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202544186.62581,094.0
202453226.03301,407.1
202364273.94281,831.5
202279336.04621,965.1
202165287.33441,520.4
202093407.05622,459.6
201993408.74281,880.8
201886377.14431,942.3
201768301.94051,797.9
201664281.94912,162.9
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Yankton Police Department20253022915,732
Yankton County Sheriff's Office202514297,851

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

1.95 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 23,583 people.
46sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
21civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Yankton County Sheriff's Office16207,851
Yankton Police Department30115,732
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025461.95212
2023381.63312
2022381.62242
2021411.81322
2020652.8432
2019421.85242
2018401.75252
2017381.69222
2016381.67232

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 Yankton County County Auditor?
Patty Hojem is the County Auditor of Yankton County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Yankton County Coroner?
Arica Nickles is the Coroner of Yankton County, South Dakota.
Who is the Yankton County Register of Deeds?
Brian Hunhoff is the Register of Deeds of Yankton County, South Dakota.
Who is the Yankton County Sheriff?
Preston Crissey is the Sheriff of Yankton County, South Dakota. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Yankton County State's Attorney?
Tyler Larsen is the State's Attorney of Yankton County, South Dakota.
Who is the Yankton County County Treasurer?
Patty Vavra is the County Treasurer of Yankton County, South Dakota.
Who are the Yankton County commissioners?
Ryan Heine (County Commissioner); Wanda HoweyFox (County Commissioner); Don Kettering (County Commissioner); Dan Klimisch (County Commissioner); John Marquardt (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Yankton County?
About 23,414 people, with a median age of 42.5; the median household income is $72,821 and 11.9% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Yankton County?
1.7% in September 2026 (preliminary): 202 people unemployed in a labor force of 11,980, against 1.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Yankton County?
28 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 6 municipal, 9 township, 3 school district and 9 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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