Population 94 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Dawson
Household size in Dawson
| Period | Dawson | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.65 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.56 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.34 | 2.74 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.82 | 2.68 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.83 | +0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Dawson are small: just 1.82 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.65, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.2 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.9 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.0 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.5 | 40.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.3 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 46.5, Dawson is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.9% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.7% | 12.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.8% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.5% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −10.4 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Dawson: 15.5% of all 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 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.9% | 31.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 33.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.9% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +23.0 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Dawson than nationally: 38.9% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. About two-thirds of owners (67.5%) have paid off their mortgages, well 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 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.3% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.5% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Dawson than nationally: 11.5%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1967 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1966 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1953 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | −13 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Dawson is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1953, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $608 | $1,249 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $406 | $1,363 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $713 | $1,576 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $697 | $1,869 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$88 | +$620 | +$606 |
The median renter in Dawson pays $697 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. 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 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 36.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.0% | 37.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.1% | 40.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.0% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Dawson have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.0%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.8% | 88.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.4% | 89.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.2% | 90.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 79.0% | 90.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | +2.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in five adults in Dawson never finished high school, well above the national share: only 79.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 | Maryland | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 8.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.0% | 5.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
The survey found almost no one in Dawson out of work and looking, against 5.4% of the labor force nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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 | 1.82 | 46.5 | 15.5% | 38.9% | 11.5% | 1953 | $697 | 16.0% | 79.0% | 0.0% |
| Rawlings | 2.21 | 44.7 | 15.5% | 23.9% | 14.2% | 1964 | $690 | 16.3% | 86.1% | 0.0% |
| Keyser | 2.29 | 42.6 | 9.5% | 27.3% | 15.7% | 1971 | $734 | 23.7% | 92.9% | 6.6% |
| Reynolds | 2.60 | 39.8 | 17.3% | 16.2% | 18.3% | 1954 | $687 | 14.5% | 94.2% | 0.5% |
| Barton | 2.67 | 41.0 | 13.3% | 18.8% | 14.6% | 1951 | $841 | 7.8% | 94.1% | 6.1% |
| Dogwood Flats | 2.67 | 41.4 | 12.5% | 19.1% | 14.4% | 1951 | $869 | 7.2% | 93.9% | 7.0% |
| Westernport | 2.41 | 43.7 | 17.2% | 26.6% | 19.4% | 1956 | $634 | 14.2% | 90.8% | 0.9% |
| Bier | 2.57 | 45.8 | 8.1% | 0.0% | 17.4% | 1973 | $771 | 20.1% | 91.2% | 0.0% |
| Limestone | 2.53 | 47.0 | 9.9% | 3.9% | 9.0% | 1984 | $800 | 19.9% | 96.9% | 2.2% |
| Piedmont | 2.63 | 42.1 | 9.6% | 28.8% | 26.1% | 1960 | $493 | 12.1% | 89.4% | 10.3% |
| Nikep | 2.62 | 42.7 | 11.5% | 17.7% | 15.9% | 1954 | $890 | 9.0% | 92.9% | 7.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: North Kent, CT · Ocean View, HI · Oak Point, NY · Nugent, MS · Norwood, VA · Norway Ridge, WI · Nortonville, ND · North Wardell, MO · North Pitcher, NY · Oraville, 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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