Population
193 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Nebraska
City profile · Nebraska · Census ACS 2023
Dawson, NE
Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Dawson - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
- 193
- Residents
- $58,317
- Median income
- $961
- Median rent (state)
Dawson - the verdict
Dawson ranks in the 33rd percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.
- 33rd
- percentile, household income
- 11th
- percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Dawson, NE
193 people live in Dawson, Nebraska - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Dawson households earn a median of $58,317 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. The median resident age is 53.2 years. About 11.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 55.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Living costs in Nebraska run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Nebraska at 90.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $961 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Nebraska's average monthly utility costs around $207 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 13.8 out of 100 (Very Low).
Median Household Income
$58,317 /yr
Poverty 0.0%
Cost of Living Index (state)
90.1 (US=100)
Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Nebraska average
How does Dawson compare to other US cities?
Where Dawson sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income 33% higher than other cities
Median rent 11% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Dawson against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Nebraska only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Nebraska-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Dawson near the bottom of Nebraska's cities
Among the 450 Nebraska cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Dawson ranks #184 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Dawson only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#284 of 439
35th percentile in Nebraska
Median Gross Rent
#184 of 450
0th percentile in Nebraska
Poverty Rate
#388 of 450
0th percentile in Nebraska
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#375 of 450
17th percentile in Nebraska
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Nebraska only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
33rd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Income distribution context
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 11.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 55.8%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
193
Median Income
$58,317
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
53.2
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
55.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
11.4%
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
69.8%
Carpool
25.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
4.7%
Based on 86 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for Nebraska - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$100
avg/month
Natural Gas
$65
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$207
estimated/month
Estimates reflect Nebraska state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Cost of living is a Nebraska state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Dawson sits in
Cost of Living Index
90.1
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$961/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
13.8 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in Nebraska
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Dawson's 193 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide
Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Dawson's $58,317 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Dawson compares to nearby Nebraska cities
Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NE OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Dawson, NE?
What is the population of Dawson, NE? +
The population of Dawson, NE stands at 193 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Dawson, NE? +
In Dawson, the typical household earns $58,317 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Dawson? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Dawson; the closest available measure is the Nebraska state average, a cost of living index of 90.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Nebraska vary by metro area.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Citation & verification links
Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCitiesEvery figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.