Dawson County Demographics

A map of Dawson County's Population by Race

Dawson County, Texas has an estimated population of 12,134, a slight decrease from the 12,456 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 55.8% Hispanic, 35.2% White, 6.5% Black, 1.9% Multiracial, 0.5% Asian, and 0.1% 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 is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Texas 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 56.4% in 2020 and 56.0% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Dawson County is ranked the 153rd most populous county in Texas, out of 254 counties. Dawson County was ranked the 151st most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Dawson County's White Population

4,268 residents of Dawson County, or 35.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Dawson County is slightly lower than in Texas overall, where 39.1% of the population is White. Dawson County ranks 206th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawson County's White population has declined by an estimated 7.0%. White residents' share of Dawson County's population has decreased from 36.8% to 35.2%.

Dawson County is less White than neighboring Martin County (45.1% White), Lynn County (54.5% White), Borden County (90.2% White), Terry County (37.7% White), and Howard County (43.1% White).

Dawson County's Black Population

788 residents of Dawson County, or 6.5% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Dawson County is lower than in Texas overall, where 11.9% of the population is Black. Dawson County ranks 80th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawson County's Black population has declined by an estimated 7.0%. Black residents' share of Dawson County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 6.5%.

Dawson County is more Black than neighboring Martin County (2.8% Black), Lynn County (1.7% Black), Borden County (0.6% Black), Terry County (2.9% Black), and Howard County (4.5% Black).

Dawson County's Asian Population

63 residents of Dawson County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Dawson County is slightly lower than in Texas overall, where 5.5% of the population is Asian. Dawson County ranks 153rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawson County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 12.5%. Asian residents' share of Dawson County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Dawson County is more Asian than neighboring Martin County (0.1% Asian), Borden County (0% Asian), and Terry County (0.2% Asian). Dawson County is less Asian than neighboring Howard County (1% Asian).

Dawson County's Hispanic Population

6,770 residents of Dawson County, or 55.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Dawson County is significantly higher than in Texas overall, where 39.7% of the population is Hispanic. Dawson County ranks 53rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawson County's Hispanic population has remained roughly the same. Hispanic residents' share of Dawson County's population has increased from 54.3% to 55.8%.

Dawson County is more Hispanic than neighboring Martin County (47.7% Hispanic), Lynn County (41.2% Hispanic), Borden County (8.4% Hispanic), and Howard County (47.7% Hispanic). Dawson County is less Hispanic than neighboring Terry County (56.9% Hispanic).

Dawson County's Native American/Other Population

12 residents of Dawson County, or 0.1% 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 Texas overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Dawson County ranks 226th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawson County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 72.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Dawson County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.1%.

Dawson County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Borden County (0% Native American/Other). Dawson County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Martin County (1.6% Native American/Other), Lynn County (0.2% Native American/Other), Terry County (0.4% Native American/Other), and Howard County (0.5% Native American/Other).

Dawson County's Multiracial Population

233 residents of Dawson County, or 1.9% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Dawson County is comparable to the share in Texas overall, where 3.1% of the population is Multiracial. Dawson County ranks 229th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dawson County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 53.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Dawson County's population has increased from 1.2% to 1.9%.

Dawson County is more Multiracial than neighboring Borden County (0.8% Multiracial). Dawson County is less Multiracial than neighboring Martin County (2.7% Multiracial), and Howard County (3.1% 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.