Dawson County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Dawson County, Nebraska has a population of 24,202 across 1,013 square miles, up 1.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.22 bn in 2024, 672 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 12 7(a) approvals worth $2.2 m.
118 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Dawson County
How many people live in Dawson County
- Population24,202
- Households9,145
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$69,880
- Median age35.6
- Median gross rent$925 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$166,200
- Home value to household income2.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over15,460
- Population under 186,723
- Share under 1827.8 percent
- Population 65 and over4,003
- Share 65 and over16.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6413,476
- Civilian labor force12,781
- Unemployment rate1.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over73.1 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties13th of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1693rd
Dawson County is the 13th largest of 93 Nebraska counties by population. A median home costs 2.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 27.8 percent against 16.5 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 base1.86 percent
- Census 2020 base population24,105
- Births, 2024376
- Deaths, 2024212
- Natural change, 2024164
- Net domestic migration, 2024-475
- Net international migration, 2024476
- Total net migration, 20241
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,334
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1214th
The county has grown 1.86 percent since the 2020 census base.
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 arriving503
- People arriving, from those returns851
- Adjusted gross income arriving$24.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$49,197
- Largest single originDawson County Non-migrants (9,196 households)
- Largest single destination (9,196 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County Non-migrants | 9,196 | 20,476 | $617.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 199 | 340 | $8.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 150 | 263 | $9.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 76 | 140 | $3.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 74 | 122 | $2.6 m |
| Buffalo County | 61 | 98 | $3.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 49 | 78 | $1.7 m |
| Lincoln County | 36 | 70 | $2.0 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$2.22 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.14 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.7 percent
- GDP change over five years36.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Nebraska counties13th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1193rd
- GDP per resident$91,607
Output grew 3.7 percent in the latest year and 36.1 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 average11,864
- Establishments reporting763
- Average annual pay$50,639
- Average weekly wage$974
- Sector 31-33, employment3,925
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$54,247
- Sector 44-45, employment1,153
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,744
- Sector 72, employment761
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,664
- Sector 62, employment576
- Sector 62, average annual pay$38,333
- Sector 42, employment406
- Sector 23, employment404
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 3,925 | 31 | $54,247 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,153 | 94 | $33,744 |
| Sector 72 | 761 | 62 | $18,664 |
| Sector 62 | 576 | 64 | $38,333 |
| Sector 42 | 406 | 42 | $67,994 |
| Sector 23 | 404 | 61 | $57,444 |
| Sector 56 | 296 | 30 | $48,292 |
| Sector 48-49 | 270 | 37 | $60,545 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,925 jobs, 33.1 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 industries672
- Employment at those establishments9,577
- Annual payroll$456.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents27.8
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, 202430
- Declared construction value permitted$14.4 m
- Single family units authorised30
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$479,400
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.3
Multifamily is 0.0 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 recorded12
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$180,625
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$100,000
- 90th percentile approval$350,000
- Largest single approval$400,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)88
- Jobs per approval7.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active11
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer8.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter11
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals8.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAll Other Miscellaneous Retailers (3)
- Most active lenderWestern Nebraska Bank (2)
- 504 approvals recorded9
- 504 gross approval dollars$6.7 m
- Average 504 approval$747,111
- Median 504 approval$438,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval9.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.5
- Most active CDCNebraska Economic Development Corporation (9)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals57.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$8.9 m
The average approval of $180,625 sits close to the median of $150,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 8.3 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 recorded7
- Paid in full7
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 7 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Dawson County
Which parts of Dawson County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- COZAD, approvals6
- GOTHENBURG, approvals3
- FARNAM, approvals2
- Sumner, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| COZAD | 6 | $867,500 |
| GOTHENBURG | 3 | $900,000 |
| FARNAM | 2 | $200,000 |
| Sumner | 1 | $200,000 |
COZAD accounts for 6 approvals against 3 in GOTHENBURG. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
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 area1,013 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties15th of 93
- Width, east to west42.3 mi
- Height, north to south25.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land24
- Establishments per square mile0.66
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.
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.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- 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.
- Population24,202
- Households9,145
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$69,880
- Median age35.6
Common questions
Dawson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Dawson County, Nebraska?
24,202, in 9,145 households, ranking 13th of 93 Nebraska counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Dawson County growing?
The population has grown 1.86 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 376 births against 212 deaths, with net migration of 1. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Dawson County?
$69,880. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $166,200, which is 2.4 times income, and median gross rent is $925 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Dawson County?
672 establishments, employing 9,577 people with an annual payroll of $456.7 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 $50,639, or $974 a week, across 11,864 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?
12 7(a) approvals totalling $2.2 m since FY2020, across 11 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 9 504 approvals worth $6.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Dawson County?
30 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $14.4 m. Multifamily was 0.0 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 9,196 households. Arriving households report an average income of $49,197 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.