Dawson County, NE

County

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2023 Population

24,020

0.0707% 1-year decline

US Senator

Deb Fischer

Republican Party

US Senator

Pete Ricketts

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

35.8

0.279% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

12.3%

13.3% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$65,383

3.08% 1-year decline

2023 Median Property Value

$157,800

15.3% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

12,226

1.29% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Dawson County, NE had a population of 24k people with a median age of 35.8 and a median household income of $65,383. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Dawson County, NE declined from 24,037 to 24,020, a −0.0707% decrease and its median household income declined from $67,462 to $65,383, a −3.08% decrease.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Dawson County, NE are White (Non-Hispanic) (53.9%), Other (Hispanic) (17.7%), Two+ (Hispanic) (9.41%), White (Hispanic) (8.08%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (6.27%).

None of the households in Dawson County, NE reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

88.5% of the residents in Dawson County, NE are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Dawson County, NE was $157,800, and the homeownership rate was 64.7%.

Most people in Dawson County, NE drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 17.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Dawson County, NE was 2 cars per household.

Dawson County, NE borders Buffalo County, NE, Custer County, NE, Frontier County, NE, Gosper County, NE, Lincoln County, NE, and Phelps County, NE.

United States Nebraska Lexington, NE

Population & Diversity

Dawson County, NE is home to a population of 24k people, from which 88.5% are citizens. As of 2023, 22.4% of Dawson County, NE residents were born outside of the country (5.38k people).

In 2023, there were 3.04 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (13k people) in Dawson County, NE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.26k Other (Hispanic) and 2.26k Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

88.5%

2023 Citizenship

89.2%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 88.5% of Dawson County, NE residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Dawson County, NE was 89.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Dawson County, NE compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Dawson County, NE

White (Non-Hispanic)
13k ± 77
Other (Hispanic)
4.26k ± 680
Two+ (Hispanic)
2.26k ± 622

36.3%

Hispanic Population

8.72k people

36.3% of the people in Dawson County, NE are hispanic (8.72k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Dawson County, NE as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Nebraska.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
46,527 ± 5,232 people
Guatemala
10,472 ± 2,506 people
India
6,505 ± 1,977 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Nebraska was Mexico, the natal country of 46,527 Nebraska residents, followed by Guatemala with 10,472 and India with 6,505.

Foreign-Born Population

22.4%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

5.38k people

21.3%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

5.11k people

As of 2023, 22.4% of Dawson County, NE residents (5.38k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Dawson County, NE was 21.3%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Dawson County, NE compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
459 ± 102
Gulf War (2001-)
169 ± 80
Gulf War (1990s)
83 ± 51

Dawson County, NE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.72 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Dawson County, NE employs 12.2k people. The largest industries in Dawson County, NE are Manufacturing (2,863 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,398 people), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (1,325 people), and the highest paying industries are Transportation & Warehousing ($72,917), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($69,792), and Utilities ($60,703).

Males in Nebraska have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $55,834. The income inequality in Nebraska (measured using the Gini index) is 0.444, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

12.2k

2023 Value

± 788

−1.29%

1 Year decline

± 8.93%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Dawson County, NE declined at a rate of −1.29%, from 12.4k employees to 12.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Dawson County, NE, are Production Occupations (1,866 people), Management Occupations (1,352 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,068 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Dawson County, NE.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Nebraska (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

12.2k

2023 Value

± 788

−1.29%

1 Year decline

± 8.93%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Dawson County, NE declined at a rate of −1.29%, from 12.4k employees to 12.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Dawson County, NE, are Manufacturing (2,863 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,398 people), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (1,325 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Dawson County, NE, though some of these residents may live in Dawson County, NE and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,660

Median earning men ± $2,951

$34,955

Median earning women ± $3,653

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($77,000), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,750), and Wholesale Trade ($56,786).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Construction ($62,222), Information ($61,094), and Public Administration ($55,063).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Y-Axis

2.25%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.03M people employed in Nebraska. This represents a 2.25% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 8.87%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Nebraska.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

66
Other Services (except Public Administration)
51
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
42
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$208k
Manufacturing
$58.5k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$36.7k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Dawson County, NE went to Donald J. Trump with 71.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (27.2%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.71%).

Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts are the senators currently representing the state of Nebraska. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Nebraska is currently represented by 3 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (71.1%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (27.2%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.71%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Dawson County, NE for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Nebraska

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Deb Fischer

Senator from Nebraska

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Pete Ricketts

Senator from Nebraska

Assumed office on January 12, 2023
Appointed to the seat on January 12, 2023 following the resignation of Ben Sasse.

Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts are the senators currently representing Nebraska.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Nebraska over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Nebraska

Nebraska is currently represented by 3 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Nebraska have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Measure

In 2022, 1.09% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.952% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (381k), Some college (364k), and Bachelors Degree (309k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Dawson County, NE was $157,800 in 2023, which is 0.52 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $136,900 to $157,800, a 15.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Dawson County, NE is 64.7%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Dawson County, NE have an average commute time of 17.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Dawson County, NE is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Dawson County, NE is $65,383. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Dawson County, NE was Census Tract 9680 with a value of $91,500, followed by Census Tract 9682 and Census Tract 9681, with respective values of $85,114 and $83,333.

In 2023, 12.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Dawson County, NE. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.42%.

Housing

Property

$157,800

Median Property Value 2023

±$8,368

$5,808

Median Property Taxes

±$468

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Dawson County, NE the largest share of households pay taxes in the $2k - $3k range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Dawson County, NE compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

64.7%

Homeownership

2023

64.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 64.7% of the housing units in Dawson County, NE were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 67.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Dawson County, NE compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9680
Census Tract 9682
Census Tract 9681

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Dawson County, NE was Census Tract 9680 with a value of $91,500, followed by Census Tract 9682 and Census Tract 9681, with respective values of $85,114 and $83,333.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Dawson County, NE colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$65,383

Median Household Income

± $3,075

8.98k

Number of Households

± 618

In 2023, the median household income of the 8.98k households in Dawson County, NE declined from $65,383 from the previous year's value of $67,462.

The following chart displays the households in Dawson County, NE distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Dawson County, NE is from Nebraska.

0.444

2022 Wage GINI in Nebraska

0.444

2021 Wage GINI in Nebraska

In 2022, the income inequality in Nebraska was 0.444 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0995% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Nebraska was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Nebraska in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Nebraska across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (78%)
Carpooled (15.5%)
Other (1.94%)

In 2023, 78% of workers in Dawson County, NE drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (15.5%) and those who used some unspecified means to get work (1.94%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

17.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Dawson County, NE have a shorter commute time (17.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.57% of the workforce in Dawson County, NE have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Dawson County, NE compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Dawson County, NE distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Dawson County, NE have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 12.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Dawson County, NE. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 1.42%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

12.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Dawson County, NE (2.94k out of 23.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 6 - 11, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 75+.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Dawson County, NE is Hispanic, followed by White and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 12.7% of the children was living in poverty in Dawson County, NE. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 6.9%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

88.5% of the population of Dawson County, NE has health coverage, with 45.5% on employee plans, 14.3% on Medicaid, 11.3% on Medicare, 15.9% on non-group plans, and 1.45% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Dawson County, NE see 1808 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.386% decrease from the previous year (1815 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1707 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 664 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.8% were men and 49.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,808 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Dawson County, NE

Primary care physicians in Dawson County, NE see an average of 1,808 patients per year. This represents a 0.386% decrease from the previous year (1,815 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Dawson County, NE in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 29.7% under 18 years, 19% between 18 and 34 years, 35.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.8% were men and 49.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

11.5%

Uninsured

45.5%

Employer Coverage

14.3%

Medicaid

11.3%

Medicare

15.9%

Non-Group

1.45%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Dawson County, NE grew by 2.48% from 11.3% to 11.5%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Dawson County, NE changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 69.9 in Dawson County, NE.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Dawson County, NE.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 39.6% in Dawson County, NE.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Dawson County, NE.