City · Minnesota
Dawson, Minnesota
Dawson, city, in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota. Dawson had 1,444 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.8% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,466 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,513 (±136). GEOID 2714968.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,444
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,466 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,513 ±136
Median household income
$68,929
±$10,378 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $89,062
Median home value
$137,500
±$18,845 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $329,300
Median gross rent
$586
±$38 (90% margin)
Minnesota: $1,280
Where is Dawson and what county is it in?
Dawson is a city in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota. It covers 1.4 square miles of land, 1,019 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Dawson, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,444 people lived in Dawson on July 1, 2025, down 0.8% since 2020, while Minnesota grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 1,466 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,513 (±136).
| Measure | Dawson | Lac qui Parle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,513 ±136 | 6,682 | no clear change |
| Households | 662 ±70 | 2,924 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.15 ±0.15 | 2.23 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 724 ±69 | 3,469 | no clear change |
Dawson's population since 2000
From 1,539 in 2000 to 1,444 in 2025: down 6.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Dawson as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Dawson?
The median resident of Dawson is 44.5 years old; 19.4% are under 18 and 26.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 85.2%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 7.9%. 6.3% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Dawson | Lac qui Parle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.5 ±4.5 | 47.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 19.4% ±2.8 pts | 21.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 26.8% ±3.6 pts | 27.6% | – |
| Male | 52.3% ±3.0 pts | 51.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.9% ±2.8 pts | 3.4% | +4.3 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 85.2% ±3.7 pts | 92.6% | −7.9 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.8 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.8% ±0.9 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.5% ±1.8 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 6.3% ±2.2 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 6.9% ±3.7 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.1% ±2.6 pts | 8.6% | – |
| With a disability | 18.0% ±3.9 pts | 15.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.7% ±2.1 pts | 3.8% | +4.8 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.2% ±3.2 pts | 95.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 20.1% ±4.0 pts | 23.3% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.5% ±1.8 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.0% ±2.9 pts | 91.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.5% ±2.1 pts | 1.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Dawson earn?
Half of Dawson's 662 households earn less than $68,929 a year (±$10,378), against $74,432 in Lac qui Parle County and $89,062 in Minnesota. In 2015-2019 it was $59,996 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 7.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Dawson | Lac qui Parle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,929 ±$10,378 | $74,432 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $83,647 ±$11,571 | $100,325 | – |
| Per capita income | $38,540 ±$4,461 | $44,004 | +$6,928 |
| People below the poverty line | 7.6% ±2.9 pts | 8.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±7.4 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.0% ±4.4 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 89.4% ±5.2 pts | 90.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.7% ±5.5 pts | 85.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Dawson?
Owners occupy 75.8% of Dawson's occupied homes and renters 24.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $137,500 by its owner (±$18,845). The median renter pays $586 a month including utilities, and 38.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Dawson | Lac qui Parle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $137,500 ±$18,845 | $157,600 | +$46,921 |
| Median gross rent | $586 ±$38 | $728 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 38.7% ±16.4 pts | 33.5% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,291 ±$115 | $1,335 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 75.8% ±6.2 pts | 82.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 24.2% ±6.2 pts | 17.5% | – |
| Housing units | 724 ±69 | 3,469 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.3% ±9.2 pts | 16.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 76.7% ±6.0 pts | 85.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.7% ±0.8 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.6% ±0.7 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.3% ±2.3 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 39.4% ±7.2 pts | 42.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.2% ±2.9 pts | 3.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Dawson building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Dawson in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 3.6 across Minnesota.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Dawson work and get to work?
77.5% of Dawson's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 12.6 minutes.
| Measure | Dawson | Lac qui Parle County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 64.8% ±4.6 pts | 60.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% ±2.2 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 77.5% ±6.4 pts | 72.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.2% ±3.4 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 8.9% ±3.5 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 4.7% ±4.0 pts | 13.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 12.6 min ±1.7 | 16.9 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Dawson?
No census tract lies mostly in Dawson; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1803Lac qui Parle County | 2,869 | $78,804 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Dawson) · Census block assignment files
How does Dawson compare with other places in Minnesota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Dawson is the 8,868th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 302nd-most populous of 855 in Minnesota.
Dawson ranks 428th of 558 places in Minnesota with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 302nd | 855 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 409th | 556 |
| Residents per square mile | 210th | 562 |
| Median household income | 428th | 558 |
| Per capita income | 375th | 562 |
| Median home value | 523rd | 559 |
| Median gross rent | 455th | 465 |
| Poverty rate | 233rd | 461 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 451st | 559 |
| Median age | 164th | 561 |
| Owner-occupied share | 364th | 561 |
| Travel time to work | 546th | 562 |
Dawson's figures with every place in Minnesota (CSV)
Every place in Minnesota, sortable · Compare Dawson with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Dawson?
13 of the 57 figures for Dawson on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Dawson are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Dawson.