Dawson County, Montana

MT · FIPS 30021 Republican

Located in Montana, Dawson County has a population of 8,827 residents and a median age of 43.0 years, making it the #2,579 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.7%. The median home value is $185,300, and the median household income is $71,334, which is 5% below the national median.

8,827
Population
#2,579 of 3,222
$71,334
Median Income
-5.1% #1,098 of 3,222
43.0 years
Median Age
+10.5% #1,214 of 3,222
8.7%
Poverty Rate
-30.9% #511 of 3,222

Demographics

Dawson County has a population of 8,827, making it the #2,579 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.0 years, which is 10.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.6%
Native Born
0.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Dawson County is $71,334, ranking #1,098 out of 3,222 counties — 5.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 8.7% and unemployment stands at 2.7%.

Income#1,098
$71,334
-5.1%
vs nation
66th percentile
Per Capita#1,124
$37,820
-8.3%
vs nation
65th percentile
Poverty#511
8.7%
-30.9%
vs nation
84th percentile
Unemployment#524
2.7%
-49.8%
vs nation
84th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Dawson County is $185,300 (-34.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $815/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.9%.

Home Value#1,571
$185,300
-34.3%
vs nation
51th percentile
Rent#1,996
$815
-29.9%
vs nation
38th percentile
Homeownership#2,025
71.9%
+11.6%
vs nation
37th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Dawson County, 21.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 35.4% below the national average, ranking #1,689 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
21.8% −35.4% vs nation
Rank #1,689 of 3,222
48th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Dawson County is 75.3 years. 16.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,536
75.3
+0.1%
vs nation
50th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#880
16.3%
-16.7%
vs nation
72th percentile
Diabetes#82
7.6%
-31.7%
vs nation
97th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#824
34.5%
-7.5%
vs nation
74th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#677
5.2
-8.4%
vs nation
79th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#432
3.7
-16.6%
vs nation
86th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,304
8.4%
-20.1%
vs nation
59th percentile
Physical Inactivity#702
22.4%
-15.1%
vs nation
78th percentile
Food Insecurity#342
10.2%
-29.2%
vs nation
89th percentile

Substance Use

17.3% of adults in Dawson County smoke , 35.7% are obese , and 24.3% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,412
17.3%
-3.7%
vs nation
55th percentile
Adult Obesity#854
35.7%
-5.8%
vs nation
73th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,908
24.3%
+22.2%
vs nation
8th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.6 per 100,000.

Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,301
17.6
-13.3%
vs nation
54th percentile

Families & Children

13.7% of children in Dawson County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 14.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#897
14.8
-32.0%
vs nation
70th percentile
Child Poverty#887
13.7%
-27.9%
vs nation
72th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Dawson County is 69.5%. The mean commute time is 20.9 min, which is 24.2% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
69.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
20.9 min −24.2% vs nation
Rank #2,717 of 3,222
16th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Dawson County voted Republican with a margin of 58.9%. The vote was 19.3% Dem / 78.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +58.9%
19.3% 78.2%
Dem 4,638 votes Rep
2020 REP +57.8%
19.9% 77.7%
Dem 4,837 votes Rep
2016 REP +58.5%
18.3% 76.8%
Dem 4,297 votes Rep
2012 REP +40.9%
27.6% 68.5%
Dem 4,417 votes Rep
2008 REP +23.6%
35.9% 59.5%
Dem 4,432 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Dawson County, Montana

Dawson County, Montana has a total population of 8,827, making it the 2,579th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Dawson County is 43.0 years, which is 10.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Dawson County is $71,334, which ranks #1,098 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 5.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.7%.

The median home value in Dawson County is $185,300, 34.3% below the national median. Renters in Dawson County pay a median gross rent of $815 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Dawson County, 21.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 35.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.9 min.

Dawson County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).

All data for Dawson County, Montana comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.