Population 384 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Dawson
Household size in Dawson
| Period | Dawson | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.57 | 2.51 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.52 | 2.56 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.57 | 2.55 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.53 | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Dawson run a little small, averaging 2.53 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. That is in line with the rest of the Des Moines area.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Dawson
| Period | Dawson | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.4 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.3 | 36.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.4 | 37.2 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.9 | 37.6 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.5 | +1.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Dawson skews older than the country: its median age is 42.9, against 40.1 nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Dawson
| Period | Dawson | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 10.2% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.1% | 11.1% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.0% | 11.2% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Dawson: 7.0% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Dawson
Renters in Dawson
| Period | Dawson | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.2% | 27.3% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.0% | 29.3% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.3% | 30.3% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 17.2% | 30.5% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | +3.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Dawson is largely a place of homeowners: only 17.2% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than four in ten owners (44.9%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Dawson
| Period | Dawson | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Dawson as nationally: 8.8%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the wider Des Moines area (7.0%).
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Dawson
| Period | Dawson | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1940 | 1976 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1950 | 1977 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1954 | 1979 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1960 | 1983 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +20 | +7 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Dawson is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1960, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1940 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Dawson
| Period | Dawson | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $763 | $808 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $646 | $899 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $771 | $986 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,259 | $1,210 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$496 | +$402 | +$351 | +$606 |
Rent in Dawson runs $1,259 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. The Des Moines area as a whole looks much the same. The typical renter here spends 20.2% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Dawson
Bachelor's degrees in Dawson
| Period | Dawson | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.5% | 33.6% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.1% | 35.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.4% | 37.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.2% | 40.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +6.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Dawson than nationally: 27.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Dawson
| Period | Dawson | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.9% | 91.9% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.9% | 92.8% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.0% | 92.7% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.2% | 92.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Dawson: 95.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Dawson
| Period | Dawson | Des Moines area | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.0% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 1.9% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.0% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Dawson than nationally: unemployment was 6.3%, against 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Dawson compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson | 2.53 | 42.9 | 7.0% | 17.2% | 8.8% | 1960 | $1,259 | 27.2% | 95.2% | 6.3% |
| Jamaica | 2.10 | 55.9 | 3.8% | 13.9% | 28.4% | 1974 | $716 | 31.0% | 96.2% | 2.7% |
| Perry | 2.48 | 39.9 | 8.4% | 33.2% | 9.6% | 1955 | $944 | 17.6% | 86.1% | 3.9% |
| Rippey | 2.40 | 40.1 | 10.7% | 25.1% | 11.0% | 1949 | $834 | 19.5% | 94.6% | 4.3% |
| Yale | 2.34 | 46.9 | 4.6% | 11.7% | 27.3% | 1975 | $1,253 | 32.5% | 97.6% | 0.7% |
| Herndon | 2.25 | 49.8 | 6.5% | 25.5% | 19.8% | 1968 | $712 | 26.3% | 94.9% | 0.7% |
| Gardiner | 2.41 | 46.8 | 7.2% | 14.4% | 8.1% | 1962 | $1,033 | 26.2% | 96.8% | 2.3% |
| Minburn | 2.43 | 46.3 | 6.8% | 17.3% | 10.1% | 1962 | $1,044 | 26.9% | 96.8% | 2.3% |
| Bouton | 2.37 | 47.8 | 6.9% | 17.7% | 10.8% | 1963 | $907 | 26.2% | 97.6% | 0.1% |
| Linden | 2.53 | 43.7 | 6.2% | 15.5% | 10.9% | 1963 | $1,304 | 28.7% | 95.5% | 5.8% |
| Panora | 2.37 | 44.9 | 11.0% | 17.3% | 27.6% | 1975 | $1,028 | 26.6% | 97.2% | 3.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Spring Lake, IN · St. Lawrence, TX · St. Charles, SC · St. Benedict, KS · St. Ann, MS · St. Albans, MO · Springville, WI · Spring Prairie, WI · Spring Lake, WI · Stavanger, IL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Dawson. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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