Dawson County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Dawson County, Texas had an estimated 11,758 residents on July 1, 2024, down 5.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 12,457, across 900 square miles. County output reached $1.52 bn in 2024, 271 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $14.3 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Dawson County
How many people live in Dawson County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202412,134
- Households4,043
- Average household size3.00
- Median household income$54,360
- Median age34.8
- Median gross rent$777 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$103,400
- Home value to household income1.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher12.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree2.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,818
- Population under 182,945
- Share under 1824.3 percent
- Population 65 and over1,687
- Share 65 and over13.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 647,502
- Civilian labor force4,881
- Unemployment rate6.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over53.1 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties153rd of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2345th of 3,222
Dawson County is the 153rd largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 1.9 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.3 percent against 13.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Dawson County
Is Dawson County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202411,758
- Census 2020 base population12,457
- Population change since the 2020 census base-5.61 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-145
- Births, 2024150
- Deaths, 2024180
- Natural change, 2024-30
- Net domestic migration, 2024-137
- Net international migration, 202422
- Total net migration, 2024-115
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-670
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents3023rd of 3,144
The county has lost 5.61 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Dawson County
Where are people moving to Dawson County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving228
- People arriving, from those returns417
- Tax returns filed by households leaving267
- Net household movement-39
- Adjusted gross income arriving$7.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-4.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$31,645
- Average income of a leaving household$43,449
- Largest single originLubbock County (39 households)
- Largest single destinationLubbock County (70 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lubbock County | 39 | 64 | $1.3 m |
Households arriving report $11,804 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Lubbock County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Dawson County
What is the Dawson County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.52 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.19 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202427.7 percent
- GDP change over five years152.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Texas areas BEA publishes126th of 254
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1504th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$125,620
Output grew 27.7 percent in the latest year and 152.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Dawson County
Employment by industry in Dawson County
- Covered employment, annual average4,144
- Establishments reporting486
- Average annual pay$54,051
- Average weekly wage$1,039
- Retail trade, employment595
- Retail trade, average annual pay$47,108
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, employment448
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, average annual pay$86,508
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment379
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$43,408
- Finance and insurance, employment152
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$93,069
- Construction, employment118
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment116
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 595 | 50 | $47,108 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 448 | 26 | $86,508 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 379 | 136 | $43,408 |
| Finance and insurance | 152 | 25 | $93,069 |
| Construction | 118 | 21 | $61,542 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 116 | 26 | $69,764 |
| Manufacturing | 85 | 9 | $47,976 |
| Wholesale trade | 78 | 15 | $79,675 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 595 jobs, 14.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Dawson County
How many businesses are in Dawson County?
- Establishments, all industries271
- Employment at those establishments2,578
- Annual payroll$139.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Dawson County
Building permits in Dawson County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorized0
- Multifamily units authorized0
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Dawson County
SBA loans in Dawson County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$14.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,298,727
- Median 7(a) approval$496,000
- Largest single approval$4,300,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)83
- Jobs per approval7.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term300 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer63.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals18.2 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (5)
- Most active lenderPCB Bank (3)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$309,000
- Average 504 approval$309,000
- Median 504 approval$309,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval8.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved25.9
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$14.6 m
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Dawson County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Dawson County
Do SBA loans in Dawson County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 1 loan has reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Dawson County
How large is Dawson County?
- Land area900 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties143rd of 254
- Width, east to west30.2 mi
- Height, north to south30.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land13
- Establishments per square mile0.30
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Dawson County
Flood risk in Dawson County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Dawson County, unincorporated areasNot participating, community 481214
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- NFIP participation rate50.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Dawson County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Dawson County (community 481214), does not participate in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Dawson County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 50.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Dawson County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Dawson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202412,134
- Households4,043
- Average household size3.00
- Median household income$54,360
- Median age34.8
Common questions
Dawson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Dawson County, Texas?
The Census Bureau estimates 11,758 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 12,134, in 4,043 households, ranking 153rd of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Dawson County's population growing?
The population has fallen 5.61 percent since the 2020 census base of 12,457, to 11,758 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 150 births against 180 deaths, with net migration of -115. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Dawson County?
$54,360. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $103,400, which is 1.9 times income, and median gross rent is $777 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Dawson County?
271 establishments, employing 2,578 people with an annual payroll of $139.8 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Dawson County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 595 jobs, 14.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,144 jobs at an average annual pay of $54,051, or $1,039 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Dawson County?
11 7(a) approvals totaling $14.3 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $496,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $309,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Dawson County?
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Dawson County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Dawson County come from?
The largest single origin is Lubbock County, with 39 households. Arriving households report an average income of $31,645 against $43,449 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Dawson County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Dawson County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Dawson County
Cities and places in Dawson.
5 Census places lie wholly or partly in Dawson County. All 5 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamesa | city | 8,393 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| O'Donnell | city | 533 | None recorded | 20.2 percent here, 79.8 percent Lynn County |
| Ackerly | city | 384 | None recorded | 49.1 percent here, 50.9 percent Martin County |
| Welch | CDP | 205 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Los Ybanez | city | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby