Dawson County, NE

County

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2021 Population

24,031

1.66% 1-year growth

US Senator

Deb Fischer

Republican Party

US Senator

Pete Ricketts

Republican Party

2021 Median Age

0.279% 1-year increase

2021 Poverty Rate

12.2%

3.02% 1-year increase

2021 Median Household Income

$58,402

2.95% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$123,100

8.27% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Dawson County, NE had a population of 24k people with a median age of 36 and a median household income of $58,402. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Dawson County, NE grew from 23,638 to 24,031, a 1.66% increase and its median household income grew from $56,731 to $58,402, a 2.95% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Dawson County, NE are White (Non-Hispanic) (56.9%), White (Hispanic) (19.1%), Other (Hispanic) (10.6%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (6.63%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (4.11%).

None of the households in Dawson County, NE reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

89.1% of the residents in Dawson County, NE are U.S. citizens.

In 2021, the median property value in Dawson County, NE was $123,100, and the homeownership rate was 65.8%.

Most people in Dawson County, NE drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18 minutes. The average car ownership in Dawson County, NE was 2 cars per household.

Dawson County, NE borders Buffalo County, NE, Custer County, NE, Frontier County, NE, Gosper County, NE, Lincoln County, NE, and Phelps County, NE.

United States Nebraska Lexington, NE

Population & Diversity

Dawson County, NE is home to a population of 24k people, from which 89.1% are citizens. As of 2021, 22% of Dawson County, NE residents were born outside of the country (5.28k people).

In 2021, there were 2.99 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (13.7k people) in Dawson County, NE than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.58k White (Hispanic) and 2.54k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

89.1%

2021 Citizenship

88.2%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 89.1% of Dawson County, NE residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Dawson County, NE was 88.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Dawson County, NE compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Dawson County, NE

White (Non-Hispanic)
13.7k ± 64
White (Hispanic)
4.58k ± 587
Other (Hispanic)
2.54k ± 700

34%

Hispanic Population

8.16k people

34% of the people in Dawson County, NE are hispanic (8.16k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Dawson County, NE as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

22%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

5.28k people

20.2%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

4.77k people

As of 2021, 22% of Dawson County, NE residents (5.28k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Dawson County, NE was 20.2%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Dawson County, NE compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
521 ± 100
Gulf War (2001-)
142 ± 62
Gulf War (1990s)
121 ± 60

Dawson County, NE has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.67 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Dawson County, NE employs 12.2k people. The largest industries in Dawson County, NE are Manufacturing (3,059 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,281 people), and Retail Trade (1,263 people), and the highest paying industries are Transportation & Warehousing ($61,683), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($58,542), and Utilities ($54,615).

Employment

Occupations

12.2k

2021 Value

± 697

1.4%

1 Year growth

± 8.08%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Dawson County, NE grew at a rate of 1.4%, from 12.1k employees to 12.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Dawson County, NE, are Production Occupations (2,289 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,181 people), and Management Occupations (1,057 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Dawson County, NE.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Nebraska (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

12.2k

2021 Value

± 697

1.4%

1 Year growth

± 8.08%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Dawson County, NE grew at a rate of 1.4%, from 12.1k employees to 12.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Dawson County, NE, are Manufacturing (3,059 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,281 people), and Retail Trade (1,263 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Dawson County, NE, though some of these residents may live in Dawson County, NE and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,956

Median earning men ± $1,835

$28,910

Median earning women ± $2,818

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($65,321), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($58,750), and Wholesale Trade ($54,417).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Public Administration ($47,765), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($43,333), and Information ($36,250).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Nebraska. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Nebraska.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

214
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
168
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
135
Other Services, Except Public Administration

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Nebraska to other states, or from other states to Nebraska.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Nebraska product (by dollars) was Meat/seafood with $26B, followed by Live animals/fish ($14.9B) and Cereal grains ($13.5B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Nebraska products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Nebraska.

$145B

2020 Value in Nebraska

$286B

Projected 2050 Value in Nebraska

97.1% growth

In 2020, total outbound Nebraska trade was $145B. This is expected to increase 97.1% to $286B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Nebraska trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Nebraska to other states, or from other states to Nebraska.

Most Common Trade Partners

Iowa
$10.2B
Kansas
$7.65B
Texas
$6.86B

In 2020, the top outbound Nebraska domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Iowa with $10.2B, followed by Kansas with $7.65B and Texas and $6.86B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Nebraska shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Dawson County, NE went to Donald J. Trump with 71.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (27.2%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.71%).

Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts are the senators currently representing the state of Nebraska. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Nebraska is currently represented by 3 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (71.1%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (27.2%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.71%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Dawson County, NE for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Nebraska

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Senator from Nebraska

Deb Fischer
Assumed office on January 3, 2013
Pete Ricketts
Assumed office on January 23, 2023
Appointed to the seat on January 12, 2023 following the resignation of Ben Sasse.

Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts are the senators currently representing Nebraska.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Nebraska over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Nebraska

Nebraska is currently represented by 3 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Nebraska have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Measure

In 2021, 0.964% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.968% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Nebraska.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were High School or Equivalent (380k), Some college (367k), and Bachelors Degree (301k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Dawson County, NE was $123,100 in 2021, which is 0.503 times smaller than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $113,700 to $123,100, a 8.27% increase. The homeownership rate in Dawson County, NE is 65.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Dawson County, NE have an average commute time of 18 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Dawson County, NE is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Dawson County, NE is $58,402. In 2021, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Dawson County, NE was Census Tract 9686 with a value of $79,628, followed by Census Tract 9680 and Census Tract 9681, with respective values of $76,250 and $62,143.

Property

$123,100

Median Property Value 2021

±$9,267

$5,793

Median Property Taxes

±$431

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Dawson County, NE the largest share of households pay taxes in the $2k - $3k range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Dawson County, NE compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

65.8%

Homeownership

2021

62.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 65.8% of the housing units in Dawson County, NE were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 65.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Dawson County, NE compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9686
Census Tract 9680
Census Tract 9681

In 2021, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Dawson County, NE was Census Tract 9686 with a value of $79,628, followed by Census Tract 9680 and Census Tract 9681, with respective values of $76,250 and $62,143.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Dawson County, NE colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$58,402

Median Household Income

± $2,798

8.8k

Number of Households

± 602

In 2021, the median household income of the 8.8k households in Dawson County, NE grew to $58,402 from the previous year's value of $56,731.

The following chart displays the households in Dawson County, NE distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Dawson County, NE is from Nebraska.

0.444

2021 Wage GINI in Nebraska

0.441

2020 Wage GINI in Nebraska

In 2021, the income inequality in Nebraska was 0.444 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.499% growth from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Nebraska was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Nebraska in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Nebraska across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (78.2%)
Carpooled (15.5%)
Worked At Home (2.7%)

In 2021, 78.2% of workers in Dawson County, NE drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (15.5%) and those who worked at home (2.7%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

18 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Dawson County, NE have a shorter commute time (18 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 2.3% of the workforce in Dawson County, NE have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Dawson County, NE compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Dawson County, NE distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Dawson County, NE have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Dawson County, NE (2.89k out of 23.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 6 - 11, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Dawson County, NE is Hispanic, followed by White and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

90.3% of the population of Dawson County, NE has health coverage, with 49.3% on employee plans, 13.5% on Medicaid, 11.1% on Medicare, 14.7% on non-group plans, and 1.66% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Dawson County, NE see 1815 patients per year on average, which represents a 8.15% decrease from the previous year (1976 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1679 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 784 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.1% were men and 48.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,815 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Dawson County, NE

Primary care physicians in Dawson County, NE see an average of 1,815 patients per year. This represents a 8.15% decrease from the previous year (1,976 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Dawson County, NE in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 29.2% under 18 years, 19.3% between 18 and 34 years, 35.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.1% were men and 48.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

9.74%

Uninsured

49.3%

Employer Coverage

13.5%

Medicaid

11.1%

Medicare

14.7%

Non-Group

1.66%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Dawson County, NE declined by 10.1% from 10.8% to 9.74%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Dawson County, NE changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2022, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 69.9 in Dawson County, NE.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Dawson County, NE.

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2022, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 40.3% in Dawson County, NE.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Dawson County, NE.

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