Dawson County Demographics

A map of Dawson County's Population by Race

Dawson County, Nebraska has an estimated population of 24,202, a less than 1% change from the 24,111 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 52.8% White, 37.4% Hispanic, 6.4% Black, 2.0% Multiracial, 0.8% Asian, and 0.6% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Dawson County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Dawson has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably more 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 Dawson County, that probability was 55.4% in 2020 and 57.7% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Dawson County is ranked the 13th most populous county in Nebraska, out of 93 counties. Dawson County was ranked the 13th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Dawson County's White Population

12,773 residents of Dawson County, or 52.8% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Dawson County is significantly lower than in Nebraska overall, where 75.3% of the population is White. Dawson County ranks 90th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawson County's White population has declined by an estimated 5.6%. White residents' share of Dawson County's population has decreased from 56.1% to 52.8%.

Dawson County is less White than neighboring Gosper County (89.8% White), Custer County (91.6% White), Phelps County (89.5% White), Frontier County (91.1% White), and Furnas County (91.4% White).

Dawson County's Black Population

1,560 residents of Dawson County, or 6.4% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Dawson County is comparable to the share in Nebraska overall, where 4.6% of the population is Black. Dawson County ranks 4th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawson County's Black population has grown by an estimated 31.4%. Black residents' share of Dawson County's population has increased from 4.9% to 6.4%.

Dawson County is more Black than neighboring Gosper County (0% Black), Custer County (0.5% Black), Phelps County (0.9% Black), Frontier County (0.1% Black), and Furnas County (0.4% Black).

Dawson County's Asian Population

198 residents of Dawson County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Dawson County is comparable to the share in Nebraska overall, where 2.6% of the population is Asian. Dawson County ranks 13th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawson County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 3.1%. Asian residents' share of Dawson County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Dawson County is more Asian than neighboring Gosper County (0.6% Asian), Custer County (0.1% Asian), Phelps County (0% Asian), Frontier County (0.4% Asian), and Furnas County (0.2% Asian).

Dawson County's Hispanic Population

9,045 residents of Dawson County, or 37.4% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Dawson County is significantly higher than in Nebraska overall, where 12.7% of the population is Hispanic. Dawson County ranks 3rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawson County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 4.7%. Hispanic residents' share of Dawson County's population has increased from 35.8% to 37.4%.

Dawson County is more Hispanic than neighboring Gosper County (7.4% Hispanic), Custer County (4% Hispanic), Phelps County (6.9% Hispanic), Frontier County (4.9% Hispanic), and Furnas County (5.1% Hispanic).

Dawson County's Native American/Other Population

146 residents of Dawson County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Dawson County is comparable to the share in Nebraska overall, where 1% of the population is Native American/Other. Dawson County ranks 42nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawson County's Native American/Other population has remained roughly the same. Native American/Other residents' share of Dawson County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Dawson County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Gosper County (0.3% Native American/Other), Phelps County (0.4% Native American/Other), and Frontier County (0.2% Native American/Other). Dawson County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Custer County (1.2% Native American/Other), and Furnas County (1% Native American/Other).

Dawson County's Multiracial Population

480 residents of Dawson County, or 2.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Dawson County is comparable to the share in Nebraska overall, where 3.8% of the population is Multiracial. Dawson County ranks 84th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 93 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawson County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 15.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Dawson County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.0%.

Dawson County is more Multiracial than neighboring Gosper County (1.9% Multiracial). Dawson County is less Multiracial than neighboring Custer County (2.7% Multiracial), Phelps County (2.3% Multiracial), and Frontier County (3.3% 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.