Dawes County Demographics

A map of Dawes County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	6,985	6,943	85.8%	84.7%
Hispanic	411	328	5.0%	4.0%
Multiracial	387	362	4.8%	4.4%
Native American/Other	230	349	2.8%	4.3%
Asian	89	53	1.1%	0.6%
Black	38	164	0.5%	2.0%

Dawes County, Nebraska has an estimated population of 8,140, a less than 1% change from the 8,199 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 85.8% White, 5.0% Hispanic, 4.8% Multiracial, 2.8% Native American/Other, 1.1% Asian, and 0.5% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Dawes County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Dawes has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Nebraska overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Dawes County, that probability was 27.7% in 2020 and 25.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Dawes County is ranked the 36th most populous county in Nebraska, out of 93 counties. Dawes County was ranked the 36th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Dawes County's White Population

6,985 residents of Dawes County, or 85.8% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Dawes County is considerably higher than in Nebraska overall, where 75.3% of the population is White. Dawes County ranks 70th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawes County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Dawes County's population has increased from 84.7% to 85.8%.

Dawes County is more White than neighboring Box Butte County (78.6% White), Fall River County (83.9% White), Sheridan County (80.5% White), and Oglala Lakota County (7% White). Dawes County is less White than neighboring Sioux County (95.5% White).

Dawes County's Black Population

38 residents of Dawes County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Dawes County is slightly lower than in Nebraska overall, where 4.6% of the population is Black. Dawes County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawes County's Black population has declined by an estimated 76.8%. Black residents' share of Dawes County's population has decreased from 2.0% to 0.5%.

Dawes County is more Black than neighboring Box Butte County (0.1% Black), Fall River County (0% Black), Sioux County (0.1% Black), and Oglala Lakota County (0.1% Black). Dawes County is less Black than neighboring Sheridan County (0.6% Black).

Dawes County's Asian Population

89 residents of Dawes County, or 1.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Dawes County is comparable to the share in Nebraska overall, where 2.6% of the population is Asian. Dawes County ranks 17th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawes County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 67.9%. Asian residents' share of Dawes County's population has increased from 0.6% to 1.1%.

Dawes County is more Asian than neighboring Box Butte County (0.4% Asian), Sioux County (0.2% Asian), and Oglala Lakota County (0% Asian). Dawes County is less Asian than neighboring Fall River County (1.9% Asian), and Sheridan County (1.4% Asian).

Dawes County's Hispanic Population

411 residents of Dawes County, or 5.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Dawes County is lower than in Nebraska overall, where 12.7% of the population is Hispanic. Dawes County ranks 50th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawes County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 25.3%. Hispanic residents' share of Dawes County's population has increased from 4.0% to 5.0%.

Dawes County is more Hispanic than neighboring Fall River County (3.4% Hispanic), Sioux County (2.1% Hispanic), and Oglala Lakota County (1.9% Hispanic). Dawes County is less Hispanic than neighboring Box Butte County (12.6% Hispanic), and Sheridan County (5.4% Hispanic).

Dawes County's Native American/Other Population

230 residents of Dawes County, or 2.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Dawes County is comparable to the share in Nebraska overall, where 1% of the population is Native American/Other. Dawes County ranks 5th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawes County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 34.1%. Native American/Other residents' share of Dawes County's population has decreased from 4.3% to 2.8%.

Dawes County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Box Butte County (2.5% Native American/Other), and Sioux County (0.6% Native American/Other). Dawes County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Fall River County (6% Native American/Other), Sheridan County (8.9% Native American/Other), and Oglala Lakota County (90.8% Native American/Other).

Dawes County's Multiracial Population

387 residents of Dawes County, or 4.8% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Dawes County is comparable to the share in Nebraska overall, where 3.8% of the population is Multiracial. Dawes County ranks 4th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawes County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 6.9%. Multiracial residents' share of Dawes County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.8%.

Dawes County is more Multiracial than neighboring Fall River County (4.7% Multiracial), Sioux County (1.5% Multiracial), Sheridan County (3.3% Multiracial), and Oglala Lakota County (0.2% Multiracial). Dawes County is less Multiracial than neighboring Box Butte County (5.7% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.