Population 4,137 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Dawson Springs
Household size in Dawson Springs
| Period | Dawson Springs | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.54 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.40 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.29 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.48 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Dawson Springs run small, averaging 2.48 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. That is in line with the rest of Kentucky.
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 Springs
| Period | Dawson Springs | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.7 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.6 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.5 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.7 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.1 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.7, Dawson Springs is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 39.7 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Springs
| Period | Dawson Springs | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.9% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in six households in Dawson Springs (15.9%), well above the national share of 11.6%.
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 Springs
Renters in Dawson Springs
| Period | Dawson Springs | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.6% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.9% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.6% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.7% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in Dawson Springs rent their homes (26.7%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 51.8% have no mortgage at all, 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 Springs
| Period | Dawson Springs | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.5% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.6% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Dawson Springs: 21.6% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 Springs
| Period | Dawson Springs | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1969 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Dawson Springs is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1970, 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 Springs
| Period | Dawson Springs | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $425 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $505 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $538 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $777 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$351 | +$367 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Dawson Springs costs $777 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 32.0% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Springs
Bachelor's degrees in Dawson Springs
| Period | Dawson Springs | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.1% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Dawson Springs: 5.7% 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 Springs
| Period | Dawson Springs | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.8% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.4% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.4% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.8% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +13.1 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in eight adults in Dawson Springs never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 Springs
| Period | Dawson Springs | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.4% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.2 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Dawson Springs runs well above the national rate: 7.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, 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 Springs 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 Springs | 2.48 | 44.7 | 15.9% | 26.7% | 21.6% | 1970 | $777 | 5.7% | 86.8% | 7.4% |
| Claxton | 2.47 | 43.1 | 21.0% | 17.9% | 24.3% | 1972 | $635 | 9.2% | 92.0% | 4.9% |
| Charleston | 2.73 | 46.5 | 14.1% | 14.7% | 22.9% | 1975 | $1,039 | 2.7% | 92.8% | 1.9% |
| Olney | 2.64 | 45.6 | 7.4% | 29.8% | 23.0% | 1976 | $897 | 12.0% | 91.3% | 7.2% |
| St. Charles | 2.59 | 38.8 | 11.9% | 31.2% | 12.5% | 1970 | $753 | 5.0% | 84.8% | 5.1% |
| Richland | 2.21 | 44.0 | 10.3% | 28.7% | 5.6% | 1972 | $926 | 9.7% | 92.4% | 0.0% |
| Kirkwood Springs | 2.51 | 40.8 | 13.0% | 18.3% | 21.0% | 1974 | $973 | 4.3% | 84.3% | 1.1% |
| Pumpkin Center | 2.23 | 56.6 | 11.5% | 10.9% | 40.3% | 1995 | $683 | 19.2% | 94.3% | 0.0% |
| Scottsburg | 2.30 | 54.7 | 9.4% | 9.5% | 37.7% | 1992 | $653 | 20.9% | 94.6% | 0.0% |
| Needmore | 2.11 | 36.9 | 7.3% | 14.8% | 11.9% | 1986 | $754 | 8.5% | 90.3% | 6.5% |
| Hawkins | 2.30 | 50.4 | 5.1% | 26.2% | 22.5% | 1984 | $659 | 11.5% | 90.5% | 0.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Warm Mineral Springs, FL · Waldron, AR · Warsaw, NC · Washington, GA · Wheatland, WY · White Cloud, MI · Windsor Heights, IA · Windom, MN · Wahoo, NE · Watertown, MN
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 Springs. 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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