Who is the Vilas County County Clerk?

Kim Olkowski (Republican) is the County Clerk of Vilas County, Wisconsin.

Who is the Vilas County Clerk of Circuit Court?

Beth Soltow (Republican) is the Clerk of Circuit Court of Vilas County, Wisconsin. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Vilas County District Attorney?

Karl Hayes (Independent) is the District Attorney of Vilas County, Wisconsin.

Who is the Vilas County Register of Deeds?

Sherry Bierman (Republican) is the Register of Deeds of Vilas County, Wisconsin.

Who is the Vilas County Sheriff?

Joseph A. Fath (Republican) is the Sheriff of Vilas County, Wisconsin. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.

Who is the Vilas County County Surveyor?

Thomas Boettcher (Republican) is the County Surveyor of Vilas County, Wisconsin.

Who is the Vilas County County Treasurer?

Paulette Sarnicki (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Vilas County, Wisconsin.

What is the population of Vilas County?

About 23,647 people, with a median age of 55.7; the median household income is $68,431 and 11.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Vilas County?

3.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 331 people unemployed in a labor force of 11,047, against 2.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Vilas County?

32 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal, 14 township, 4 school district and 12 special district governments.

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

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

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
County Clerk	Kim Olkowski Republican source
Clerk of Circuit Court	Beth Soltow Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
District Attorney	Karl Hayes Independent source
Register of Deeds	Sherry Bierman Republican source
Sheriff	Joseph A. Fath Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Surveyor	Thomas Boettcher Republican source
County Treasurer	Paulette Sarnicki Republican source

How many local governments Vilas County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 32 local governments in Vilas County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of government	Census count (2022)	Listed on this page
County government	1	0
Cities, towns, villages and townships (1 municipal, 14 township)	15	0
School districts (school boards)	4	0
Special districts (elected boards)	12	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 Vilas County

23,647people

55.7median ageU.S.: 38.9

$68,431 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

11.1%below the U.S.: 12.5%

30.9%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$300,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700

4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

1.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

8.6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

5.6%U.S.: 8.4%

30%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

31.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 2.3% · White 84.8% · Black 0.3% · Asian 0.4% · Other or more than one race 12.2% (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 Vilas County

3.0%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.6%. Wisconsin: 2.9%.

331people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

10,716people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

11,047in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	3.0%	331	10,716	11,047
August 2026	3.5%	414	11,259	11,673
July 2026	3.6%	426	11,421	11,847
June 2026	3.4%	403	11,347	11,750
May 2026	3.2%	341	10,343	10,684
April 2026	5.7%	577	9,605	10,182
March 2026	5.8%	594	9,676	10,270
February 2026	5.9%	618	9,769	10,387
January 2026	5.3%	541	9,670	10,211
December 2025	3.9%	404	9,975	10,379
November 2025	3.4%	357	10,127	10,484
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	2.6%	285	10,481	10,766
August 2025	3.0%	344	11,029	11,373
July 2025	3.2%	376	11,362	11,738
June 2025	3.3%	384	11,176	11,560
May 2025	3.4%	363	10,194	10,557
April 2025	6.0%	603	9,531	10,134
March 2025	5.8%	592	9,616	10,208
February 2025	5.2%	535	9,803	10,338
January 2025	4.9%	501	9,753	10,254
December 2024	3.6%	377	9,954	10,331
November 2024	3.2%	337	10,047	10,384
October 2024	2.6%	271	10,119	10,390

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	4.0%	431	10,277	10,708
2024	3.8%	398	10,206	10,604
2023	3.8%	397	10,117	10,514
2022	3.9%	399	9,886	10,285
2021	4.8%	511	10,044	10,555
2020	7.4%	775	9,697	10,472
2019	4.1%	423	9,951	10,374
2018	4.0%	411	9,879	10,290
2017	4.4%	450	9,751	10,201
2016	5.6%	565	9,489	10,054

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 Vilas County

24.7 per 100,0002024. Wisconsin: 284.4.

410.9 per 100,0002024. Wisconsin: 1,171.8.

0murders2024, 6 violent crimes in all.

2024 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
2024	6	24.7	100	410.9
2023	3	12.4	85	351.5
2020	4	18.0	95	426.8
2019	7	31.9	148	673.5
2018	9	41.4	177	814.7
2017	3	14.0	216	1,007.6
2016	10	46.9	293	1,372.9

By police agency (2)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Vilas County Sheriff's Office	2025	4	70	22,455
Eagle River Police Department	2024	1	30	1,612

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

1.80 per 1,000 residents2022, 2 agencies serving 23,944 people.

43sworn officers2022, full-time, as of October 31.

32civilian staff2022, full-time.

2022 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (2), 2022

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Vilas County Sheriff's Office	37	31	22,249
Eagle River Police Department	6	1	1,695

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2022	43	1.80	32	2
2021	43	1.90	64	2
2020	42	1.89	36	2
2018	44	2.03	26	2
2017	42	1.96	39	2
2016	41	1.92	35	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 Vilas County County Clerk?: Kim Olkowski (Republican) is the County Clerk of Vilas County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Vilas County Clerk of Circuit Court?: Beth Soltow (Republican) is the Clerk of Circuit Court of Vilas County, Wisconsin. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Vilas County District Attorney?: Karl Hayes (Independent) is the District Attorney of Vilas County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Vilas County Register of Deeds?: Sherry Bierman (Republican) is the Register of Deeds of Vilas County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Vilas County Sheriff?: Joseph A. Fath (Republican) is the Sheriff of Vilas County, Wisconsin. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Vilas County County Surveyor?: Thomas Boettcher (Republican) is the County Surveyor of Vilas County, Wisconsin.
Who is the Vilas County County Treasurer?: Paulette Sarnicki (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Vilas County, Wisconsin.
What is the population of Vilas County?: About 23,647 people, with a median age of 55.7; the median household income is $68,431 and 11.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Vilas County?: 3.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 331 people unemployed in a labor force of 11,047, against 2.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Vilas County?: 32 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 1 municipal, 14 township, 4 school district and 12 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.

Vilas County's 2026 ballot and results · Every Wisconsin county · Wisconsin's members of Congress

See your members of Congress and every race and measure on your ballot in Vilas County, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races

See something wrong on this page? Report a problem · Corrections