Dawson County, Texas Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Dawson County is located in Texas with a total population of 12,311. It is the 152nd most populous county out of 254 in Texas. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Dawson County is 34.6 years. This is 3% lower than the state median of 35.5 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Dawson County is $55,789. This is 27% lower than the state median of $76,292. It is also 29% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 17.7%. This is 28% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 7.9%. This is 54% higher than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $90,800. Housing costs are 65% lower than the state median of $260,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.6x, Dawson County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 69.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 12% higher than the state average of 62.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Dawson County is Hispanic or Latino, making up 55.4% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 35.6%. The Asian population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 5.3%.

Education

14.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 56% lower than the state rate of 33.1%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 72.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Dawson County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), with comparisons drawn against Texas 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.