Dawson County, Georgia: commercial real estate data.
Dawson County, Georgia has a population of 30,242 across 211 square miles, up 25.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.55 bn in 2024, 921 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 40 7(a) approvals worth $22.9 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Dawson County
How many people live in Dawson County
- Population30,242
- Households11,573
- Average household size2.61
- Median household income$92,991
- Median age42.7
- Median gross rent$1,626 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$406,700
- Home value to household income4.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income21.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher36.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over21,652
- Population under 186,177
- Share under 1820.4 percent
- Population 65 and over5,900
- Share 65 and over19.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6418,165
- Civilian labor force15,530
- Unemployment rate3.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.5 percent
- Rank by population among Georgia counties62nd of 159
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1475th
Dawson County is the 62nd largest of 159 Georgia counties by population. A median home costs 4.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.4 percent against 19.5 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 growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base25.94 percent
- Census 2020 base population26,797
- Births, 2024365
- Deaths, 2024298
- Natural change, 202467
- Net domestic migration, 20241,936
- Net international migration, 202430
- Total net migration, 20241,966
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20246,453
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents4th
The county has grown 25.94 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Dawson County
Where people moving to Dawson County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,664
- People arriving, from those returns3,282
- Adjusted gross income arriving$146.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$87,762
- Largest single originDawson County Non-migrants (9,678 households)
- Largest single destination (9,678 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County Non-migrants | 9,678 | 20,044 | $944.7 m |
| Forsyth County | 524 | 1,079 | $45.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 334 | 635 | $33.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 193 | 353 | $14.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 157 | 300 | $10.3 m |
| Fulton County | 138 | 257 | $18.8 m |
| Lumpkin County | 129 | 272 | $7.3 m |
| Hall County | 108 | 179 | $6.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Dawson County Non-migrants, 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 the Dawson County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.55 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.36 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202413.8 percent
- GDP change over five years69.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Georgia counties60th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1490th
- GDP per resident$51,287
Output grew 13.8 percent in the latest year and 69.1 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
Who employs people in Dawson County
- Covered employment, annual average11,405
- Establishments reporting1,030
- Average annual pay$42,703
- Average weekly wage$821
- Sector 44-45, employment3,127
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,883
- Sector 72, employment2,569
- Sector 72, average annual pay$25,341
- Sector 31-33, employment977
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$58,865
- Sector 62, employment638
- Sector 62, average annual pay$52,714
- Sector 23, employment548
- Sector 54, employment378
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 3,127 | 186 | $31,883 |
| Sector 72 | 2,569 | 103 | $25,341 |
| Sector 31-33 | 977 | 34 | $58,865 |
| Sector 62 | 638 | 73 | $52,714 |
| Sector 23 | 548 | 112 | $77,413 |
| Sector 54 | 378 | 103 | $70,879 |
| Sector 71 | 315 | 21 | $22,510 |
| Sector 42 | 298 | 34 | $49,157 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,127 jobs, 27.4 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Dawson County
What businesses operate in Dawson County
- Establishments, all industries921
- Employment at those establishments10,069
- Annual payroll$372.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents30.5
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Dawson County
What is being built in Dawson County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024887
- Declared construction value permitted$271.7 m
- Single family units authorised878
- Multifamily units authorised9
- Multifamily share of units1.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$306,294
- Units authorised per 1,000 households76.6
Multifamily is 1.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Dawson County
How much SBA lending happens in Dawson County
- 7(a) approvals recorded40
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$22.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$572,275
- Median 7(a) approval$422,000
- 10th percentile approval$43,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,533,200
- Largest single approval$2,470,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)318
- Jobs per approval8.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active26
- Distinct industries receiving approvals31
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms10
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter26
- Franchise loans12
- Franchise share of approvals30.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (4)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (6)
- 504 approvals recorded13
- 504 gross approval dollars$14.0 m
- Average 504 approval$1,075,000
- Median 504 approval$941,000
- Distinct CDCs active6
- 504 jobs per approval10.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.1
- Most active CDCCapital Partners Certified Development Company (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals75.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$36.9 m
The average approval of $572,275 sits close to the median of $422,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 25.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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
Do SBA loans in Dawson County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded10
- Paid in full8
- Charged off2
- Charge off rate on resolved loans20.0 percent
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Paid in full8
- Status: Exempt from disclosure24
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Of the 10 loans that have reached a final outcome, 20.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Dawson County
How big is Dawson County
- Land area211 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Georgia counties134th of 159
- Width, east to west22.2 mi
- Height, north to south19.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land143
- Establishments per square mile4.36
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
What hazards affect Dawson County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
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.
- Population30,242
- Households11,573
- Average household size2.61
- Median household income$92,991
- Median age42.7
Common questions
Dawson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Dawson County, Georgia?
30,242, in 11,573 households, ranking 62nd of 159 Georgia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Dawson County growing?
The population has grown 25.94 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 365 births against 298 deaths, with net migration of 1,966. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Dawson County?
$92,991. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $406,700, which is 4.4 times income, and median gross rent is $1,626 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Dawson County?
921 establishments, employing 10,069 people with an annual payroll of $372.2 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Dawson County?
Average annual pay is $42,703, or $821 a week, across 11,405 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Dawson County?
40 7(a) approvals totalling $22.9 m since FY2020, across 26 lenders, with a median approval of $422,000, plus 13 504 approvals worth $14.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Dawson County get paid back?
Of the 10 loans that have reached a final outcome, 8 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge off rate of 20.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Dawson County?
887 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $271.7 m. Multifamily was 1.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Dawson County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 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 Dawson County Non-migrants, with 9,678 households. Arriving households report an average income of $87,762 against null 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?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.