Dane County, WI elected officials: county supervisors, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Dane County: 7 seats on 7 elected bodies. 2 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County ClerkScott McDonell Democratic source
Clerk of Circuit CourtJeff Okazaki sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
District AttorneyIsmael R. Ozanne Democratic source
County ExecutiveMelissa Agard source
Register of DeedsKristi Chlebowski Democratic source
SheriffKalvin Barrett Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County TreasurerAdam Gallagher Democratic source

How many local governments Dane County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 99 local governments in Dane County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government10
Cities, towns, villages and townships (26 municipal, 33 township)590
School districts (school boards)170
Special districts (elected boards)220

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 Dane County

572,674people
35.7median ageU.S.: 38.9
$89,975 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
10.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
55.3%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$394,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
2.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
4.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
3.6%U.S.: 8.4%
47.8%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 7.8% · White 75.8% · Black 5.1% · Asian 6.1% · 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 Dane County

2.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.3%. Wisconsin: 2.9%.
8,725people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
338,385people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
347,110in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Dane County 0.0%1.3%2.6%3.9%5.3% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)2.5%8,725338,385347,110
August 20262.9%9,852334,490344,342
July 20262.9%9,915333,020342,935
June 20263.0%10,241331,990342,231
May 20262.5%8,461331,332339,793
April 20262.7%9,310333,303342,613
March 20263.0%10,282332,284342,566
February 20263.2%10,959330,631341,590
January 20262.8%9,548328,183337,731
December 20252.4%8,219334,541342,760
November 20252.4%8,338336,872345,210
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20252.3%7,920332,458340,378
August 20252.6%8,775331,146339,921
July 20252.7%9,135333,402342,537
June 20252.8%9,607332,910342,517
May 20252.6%8,830327,438336,268
April 20252.5%8,411332,968341,379
March 20252.6%8,983332,694341,677
February 20252.7%9,313332,564341,877
January 20252.5%8,362331,312339,674
December 20242.2%7,545335,596343,141
November 20242.2%7,605339,039346,644
October 20242.1%7,367338,798346,165
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)2.6%8,718332,573341,291
20242.4%8,103334,235342,338
20232.2%7,311330,027337,338
20222.1%7,018321,430328,448
20212.9%9,368316,536325,904
20205.0%15,939305,810321,749
20192.4%7,642315,543323,185
20182.3%7,236313,632320,868
20172.4%7,772313,164320,936
20162.8%8,970308,765317,735

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. Wisconsin's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.2% 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 Dane County

258.7 per 100,0002018. Wisconsin: 299.0.
1,895.5 per 100,0002018. Wisconsin: 1,571.1.
9murders2018, 1,441 violent crimes in all.

2018 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.

By police agency (22)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Madison Police Department20256165,406287,992
Dane County Sheriff's Office20254931879,497
Sun Prairie Police Department20255542840,109
Fitchburg Police Department20255231735,168
Middleton Police Department20252520022,703
Verona Police Department2024911116,443
Waunakee Police Department2024173215,227
Stoughton Police Department20251215213,128
Deforest Police Department202559212,650
Oregon Police Department202544912,065
Cottage Grove Police Department202411439,518
McFarland Police Department20254609,266
Monona Police Department202592278,604
Mount Horeb Police Department2025397,815
Town of Madison Police Department2021261636,713
Edgerton Police Department20252196,187
Cross Plains Police Department20222144,011
Marshall Village Police Department2025483,743
Belleville Police Department2025272,669
Shorewood Hills Police Department20252312,161
Maple Bluff Police Department202429141,289
Blue Mounds Police Department201708967

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 Wisconsin · the U.S.

Quick answers

Who is the Dane County County Clerk?
Scott McDonell (Democratic) is the County Clerk of Dane County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Dane County Clerk of Circuit Court?
Jeff Okazaki is the Clerk of Circuit Court of Dane County, Wisconsin. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dane County District Attorney?
Ismael R. Ozanne (Democratic) is the District Attorney of Dane County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Dane County County Executive?
Melissa Agard is the County Executive of Dane County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Dane County Register of Deeds?
Kristi Chlebowski (Democratic) is the Register of Deeds of Dane County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Dane County Sheriff?
Kalvin Barrett (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Dane County, Wisconsin. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dane County County Treasurer?
Adam Gallagher (Democratic) is the County Treasurer of Dane County, Wisconsin.
What is the population of Dane County?
About 572,674 people, with a median age of 35.7; the median household income is $89,975 and 10.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Dane County?
2.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 8,725 people unemployed in a labor force of 347,110, against 2.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Dane County?
99 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 26 municipal, 33 township, 17 school district and 22 special district governments.

Officeholders as of August 4, 2025, from the Wisconsin Blue Book 2025–2026 (Legislative Reference Bureau), as county clerks reported their officers in April 2025; officials elected or appointed since then may differ, and only each county board's chair is listed; 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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