Population 1,590 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Dawson
Household size in Dawson
| Period | Dawson | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.55 | 2.37 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 2.35 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.45 | 2.29 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.38 | 2.30 | 2.46 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.17 | −0.07 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Dawson is a place of small households, averaging 2.38 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Still, the typical household here is bigger than in the Pittsburgh area overall, where it has 2.30 people. Household size has dropped from 2.55 in 2006–10, 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 | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.0 | 42.5 | 40.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.3 | 43.0 | 41.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.3 | 43.7 | 41.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.4 | 43.9 | 42.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.4 | +1.4 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 46.4, 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 | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 8.9% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 8.8% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.4% | 8.4% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 8.8% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −0.0 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 8.2% of households in Dawson, well below the national share of 11.6%. The picture is much the same across the Pittsburgh area.
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 | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 28.5% | 29.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.2% | 29.9% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.2% | 30.3% | 31.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.4% | 29.3% | 30.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 15.4% of households in Dawson rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than half of owners (54.5%) 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 | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 10.7% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 10.4% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.4% | 10.5% | 10.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 10.0% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −0.7 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Dawson is close to the national rate: 8.2% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in the wider Pittsburgh area (10.0%).
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 | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1959 | 1960 | 1963 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1958 | 1961 | 1964 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1957 | 1962 | 1965 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1963 | 1964 | 1967 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Dawson is a place of older homes: half were built before 1963, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The picture is much the same across the Pittsburgh area.
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 | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $591 | $720 | $829 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $579 | $801 | $923 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $702 | $922 | $1,039 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $840 | $1,162 | $1,323 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$249 | +$442 | +$494 | +$606 |
Rent in Dawson runs $840 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 21.6% 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 | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 29.5% | 27.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 31.7% | 28.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.1% | 35.2% | 31.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.4% | 39.0% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | +9.5 pts | +8.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Dawson: 15.4% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 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 | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.5% | 90.8% | 87.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.3% | 92.3% | 88.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.1% | 93.8% | 90.3% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.7% | 95.0% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.2 pts | +4.2 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Dawson have finished high school (91.7%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Locally, though, the rate is lower than in the Pittsburgh area overall (95.0%).
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 | Pittsburgh area | Pennsylvania | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 6.9% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 7.5% | 8.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 4.9% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 5.0% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −1.9 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Dawson: 7.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% 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 | 2.38 | 46.4 | 8.2% | 15.4% | 8.2% | 1963 | $840 | 15.4% | 91.7% | 7.1% |
| Dickerson Run | 2.22 | 45.2 | 8.2% | 13.3% | 11.9% | 1943 | $912 | 10.3% | 90.2% | 7.7% |
| Hutchinson | 2.46 | 48.8 | 9.5% | 9.0% | 7.2% | 1962 | $991 | 20.8% | 94.8% | 4.2% |
| Vanderbilt | 2.31 | 45.5 | 8.2% | 19.7% | 10.0% | 1962 | $844 | 21.2% | 92.2% | 6.0% |
| Perryopolis | 2.26 | 47.1 | 11.4% | 19.7% | 8.8% | 1962 | $805 | 24.7% | 94.5% | 6.5% |
| Star Junction | 2.32 | 49.6 | 7.6% | 19.8% | 6.2% | 1966 | $847 | 22.6% | 95.8% | 10.8% |
| Scottdale | 2.19 | 47.6 | 10.6% | 30.2% | 9.1% | 1959 | $692 | 18.6% | 92.5% | 5.3% |
| Everson | 2.43 | 40.1 | 20.6% | 25.4% | 14.7% | 1955 | $867 | 9.9% | 88.1% | 4.7% |
| Leisenring | 2.41 | 35.7 | 10.5% | 39.2% | 5.6% | 1959 | $862 | 20.4% | 88.2% | 0.0% |
| Reagantown | 2.06 | 53.4 | 2.9% | 9.9% | 8.3% | 1976 | $951 | 25.3% | 89.2% | 3.0% |
| Connellsville | 2.16 | 44.9 | 10.5% | 32.3% | 9.1% | 1959 | $804 | 16.8% | 90.4% | 6.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Center Point, LA · Viola, AR · Unionville, MI · Freedom, NH · Watson, IL · Fowler, CO · Epsom, IN · Trufant, MI · Trego, WI · Timberlane, 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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