Dawes County, Nebraska Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Dawes County is located in Nebraska with a total population of 8,212. It is the 36th most populous county out of 93 in Nebraska. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Dawes County is 35.2 years. This is 5% lower than the state median of 37.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Dawes County is $54,381. This is 27% lower than the state median of $74,985. It is also 31% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 12.6%. This is 22% higher than the state poverty rate of 10.3%. The unemployment rate is 1.5%. This is 49% lower than the state rate of 3.0%. The median home value is $146,500. Housing costs are 35% lower than the state median of $223,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.7x, Dawes County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 65.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 1% lower than the state average of 66.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

Dawes County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 86.5% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 4.8%. The Black or African American population (1.4%) is well below the state average of 4.6%. The Hispanic or Latino population (4.8%) is well below the state average of 12.3%. The Asian population (1.0%) is well below the state average of 2.5%.

Education

35.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Dawes County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 3% higher than the state rate of 34.1%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 95.7%. Notably, 16.9% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Dawes County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Nebraska and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.