Dawson County, Texas

TX · FIPS 48115 Republican

Located in Texas, Dawson County has a population of 12,134 residents and a median age of 34.8 years, making it the #2,345 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.6%. The median home value is $103,400, and the median household income is $54,360, which is 28% below the national median.

12,134
Population
#2,345 of 3,222
$54,360
Median Income
-27.7% #2,512 of 3,222
34.8 years
Median Age
-10.5% #2,984 of 3,222
19.6%
Poverty Rate
+55.4% #2,634 of 3,222

Demographics

Dawson County has a population of 12,134, making it the #2,345 most populous county in the US. The median age is 34.8 years, which is 10.5% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

91.6%
Native Born
8.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Dawson County is $54,360, ranking #2,512 out of 3,222 counties — 27.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.6% and unemployment stands at 6.4%.

Income#2,512
$54,360
-27.7%
vs nation
22th percentile
Per Capita#2,830
$26,655
-35.4%
vs nation
12th percentile
Poverty#2,634
19.6%
+55.4%
vs nation
18th percentile
Unemployment#2,662
6.4%
+20.6%
vs nation
17th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Dawson County is $103,400 (-63.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $777/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.6%.

Home Value#2,944
$103,400
-63.3%
vs nation
8th percentile
Rent#2,295
$777
-33.2%
vs nation
29th percentile
Homeownership#2,221
70.6%
+9.7%
vs nation
31th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Dawson County, 12.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 62.2% below the national average, ranking #3,052 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
12.7% −62.2% vs nation
Rank #3,052 of 3,222
5th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Dawson County is 70.7 years. 30.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 22.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,768
70.7
-5.9%
vs nation
10th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#3,075
30.3%
+54.9%
vs nation
2th percentile
Diabetes#3,069
16.3%
+46.4%
vs nation
2th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,561
41.0%
+9.9%
vs nation
19th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,290
6.0
+6.0%
vs nation
27th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,926
5.5
+23.4%
vs nation
7th percentile
Uninsured Rate#3,073
22.1%
+111.1%
vs nation
2th percentile
Physical Inactivity#3,020
35.8%
+35.7%
vs nation
4th percentile
Food Insecurity#3,015
20.8%
+44.4%
vs nation
4th percentile

Substance Use

19.3% of adults in Dawson County smoke , 42.6% are obese , and 17.6% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,090
19.3%
+7.5%
vs nation
34th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,746
42.6%
+12.4%
vs nation
13th percentile
Excessive Drinking#729
17.6%
-11.4%
vs nation
77th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 19.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 23.6 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,523
19.8
+0.5%
vs nation
41th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,350
17.3
-3.2%
vs nation
45th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,971
23.6
+16.8%
vs nation
30th percentile

Families & Children

26.1% of children in Dawson County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 62.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,990
62.5
+186.1%
vs nation
0th percentile
Child Poverty#2,599
26.1%
+37.4%
vs nation
17th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Dawson County is 41.7%. The mean commute time is 27.2 min, which is 1.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
41.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
27.2 min −1.3% vs nation
Rank #1,428 of 3,222
56th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Dawson County voted Republican with a margin of 61.0%. The vote was 19% Dem / 80% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +61.0%
19% 80%
Dem 3,511 votes Rep
2020 REP +56.6%
21.3% 77.9%
Dem 3,789 votes Rep
2016 REP +50.6%
23.4% 74%
Dem 3,562 votes Rep
2012 REP +43.3%
27.9% 71.2%
Dem 3,640 votes Rep
2008 REP +42.8%
28.1% 70.9%
Dem 4,096 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Dawson County, Texas

Dawson County, Texas has a total population of 12,134, making it the 2,345th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Dawson County is 34.8 years, which is 10.5% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Dawson County is $54,360, which ranks #2,512 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 27.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.4%.

The median home value in Dawson County is $103,400, 63.3% below the national median. Renters in Dawson County pay a median gross rent of $777 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Dawson County, 12.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 62.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 77.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.2 min.

Dawson County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 55.8% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (35.2%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (6.5%).

All data for Dawson County, Texas 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.