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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Sawyer County: 6 seats on 6 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 ClerkElizabeth Klein Republican source
Clerk of Circuit CourtMarge Kelsey Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
District AttorneyBruce R. Poquette Republican source
Register of DeedsRachel Thompson Republican source
SheriffDoug Mrotek Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County TreasurerBrian Lehner Republican source

How many local governments Sawyer County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 28 local governments in Sawyer 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 (5 municipal, 16 township)210
School districts (school boards)20
Special districts (elected boards)40

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 Sawyer County

18,476people
52.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$60,801 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
15.6%below the U.S.: 12.5%
27.4%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$236,200median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
6.5%U.S.: 8.4%
35%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
30.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.4% · White 76.9% · Black 0.6% · Asian 0.6% · Other or more than one race 19.5% (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 Sawyer County

3.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.7%. Wisconsin: 2.9%.
277people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
8,441people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
8,718in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Sawyer County 0.0%2.1%4.2%6.3%8.4% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.2%2778,4418,718
August 20263.6%3258,6338,958
July 20263.8%3428,6919,033
June 20263.7%3428,7849,126
May 20263.3%2868,3098,595
April 20264.9%4027,8288,230
March 20266.1%5037,7788,281
February 20266.0%5017,8058,306
January 20265.7%4707,7768,246
December 20254.2%3487,9578,305
November 20253.8%3198,0048,323
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20252.7%2308,2638,493
August 20253.1%2698,4778,746
July 20253.3%2898,5768,865
June 20253.3%2928,5878,879
May 20253.3%2828,1658,447
April 20254.5%3687,7688,136
March 20255.3%4367,7358,171
February 20255.5%4517,7738,224
January 20255.2%4277,7668,193
December 20243.7%3077,9128,219
November 20243.4%2847,9708,254
October 20242.8%2348,1858,419
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.0%3378,0978,434
20244.0%3348,1028,436
20234.1%3357,9348,269
20224.0%3257,8168,141
20215.2%4207,7298,149
20208.0%6497,4728,121
20194.6%3747,7808,154
20184.4%3527,7398,091
20174.7%3797,7238,102
20166.1%4917,5658,056

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 Sawyer County

221.0 per 100,0002025. Wisconsin: 240.3.
631.4 per 100,0002025. Wisconsin: 1,016.7.
1murders2025, 42 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202542221.0120631.4
202447249.5115610.4
202363334.31921,018.9
202256303.31951,056.2
202159350.12681,590.2
202050302.21881,136.4
201947285.5155941.6
201818109.71981,207.0
201719116.33051,866.7
201630183.92671,636.9
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Sawyer County Sheriff's Office2025328116,404
Hayward Police Department202419442,600

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.

Police staffing

1.84 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 19,004 people.
35sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
23civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Sawyer County Sheriff's Office272216,404
Hayward Police Department812,600
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025351.84232
2023341.80272
2022301.62182
2021352.08222
2019332.00282
2018422.5692
2017321.96232
2016332.02232

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 Sawyer County County Clerk?
Elizabeth Klein (Republican) is the County Clerk of Sawyer County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Sawyer County Clerk of Circuit Court?
Marge Kelsey (Republican) is the Clerk of Circuit Court of Sawyer County, Wisconsin. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Sawyer County District Attorney?
Bruce R. Poquette (Republican) is the District Attorney of Sawyer County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Sawyer County Register of Deeds?
Rachel Thompson (Republican) is the Register of Deeds of Sawyer County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Sawyer County Sheriff?
Doug Mrotek (Republican) is the Sheriff of Sawyer County, Wisconsin. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Sawyer County County Treasurer?
Brian Lehner (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Sawyer County, Wisconsin.
What is the population of Sawyer County?
About 18,476 people, with a median age of 52.8; the median household income is $60,801 and 15.6% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Sawyer County?
3.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 277 people unemployed in a labor force of 8,718, against 2.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Sawyer County?
28 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 5 municipal, 16 township, 2 school district and 4 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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