Dawson County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Dawson County, Texas has a population of 12,134 across 900 square miles, down 5.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.52 bn in 2024, 271 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $14.3 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Dawson County
How many people live in Dawson County
- Population12,134
- Households4,043
- Average household size3.00
- Median household income$54,360
- Median age34.8
- Median gross rent$777 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$103,400
- Home value to household income1.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher12.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree2.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,818
- Population under 182,945
- Share under 1824.3 percent
- Population 65 and over1,687
- Share 65 and over13.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 647,502
- Civilian labor force4,881
- Unemployment rate6.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over53.1 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties153rd of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2345th
Dawson County is the 153rd largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 1.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.3 percent against 13.9 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 base-5.61 percent
- Census 2020 base population12,457
- Births, 2024150
- Deaths, 2024180
- Natural change, 2024-30
- Net domestic migration, 2024-137
- Net international migration, 202422
- Total net migration, 2024-115
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-670
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents3023rd
The county has lost 5.61 percent of its population 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 arriving228
- People arriving, from those returns417
- Adjusted gross income arriving$7.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$31,645
- Largest single originDawson County Non-migrants (3,713 households)
- Largest single destination (3,713 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County Non-migrants | 3,713 | 8,308 | $250.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 189 | 353 | $5.9 m |
| Lubbock County | 39 | 64 | $1.3 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$1.52 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.19 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202427.7 percent
- GDP change over five years152.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Texas counties126th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1504th
- GDP per resident$125,620
Output grew 27.7 percent in the latest year and 152.2 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 average4,144
- Establishments reporting486
- Average annual pay$54,051
- Average weekly wage$1,039
- Sector 44-45, employment595
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$47,108
- Sector 21, employment448
- Sector 21, average annual pay$86,508
- Sector 11, employment379
- Sector 11, average annual pay$43,408
- Sector 52, employment152
- Sector 52, average annual pay$93,069
- Sector 23, employment118
- Sector 54, employment116
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 595 | 50 | $47,108 |
| Sector 21 | 448 | 26 | $86,508 |
| Sector 11 | 379 | 136 | $43,408 |
| Sector 52 | 152 | 25 | $93,069 |
| Sector 23 | 118 | 21 | $61,542 |
| Sector 54 | 116 | 26 | $69,764 |
| Sector 31-33 | 85 | 9 | $47,976 |
| Sector 42 | 78 | 15 | $79,675 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 595 jobs, 14.4 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 industries271
- Employment at those establishments2,578
- Annual payroll$139.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.3
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, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorised0
- Multifamily units authorised0
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Dawson County
How much SBA lending happens in Dawson County
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$14.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,298,727
- Median 7(a) approval$496,000
- 10th percentile approval$173,500
- 90th percentile approval$3,800,000
- Largest single approval$4,300,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)83
- Jobs per approval7.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term300 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer63.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals18.2 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (5)
- Most active lenderPCB Bank (3)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$309,000
- Average 504 approval$309,000
- Median 504 approval$309,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval8.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved25.9
- Most active CDCCaprock Business Finance Corporation, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals91.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$14.6 m
The average approval of $1,298,727 sits well above the median of $496,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 63.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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 recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 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
How big is Dawson County
- Land area900 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties143rd of 254
- Width, east to west30.2 mi
- Height, north to south30.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land13
- Establishments per square mile0.30
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 less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- NFIP participation rate50.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 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.
- Population12,134
- Households4,043
- Average household size3.00
- Median household income$54,360
- Median age34.8
Common questions
Dawson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Dawson County, Texas?
12,134, in 4,043 households, ranking 153rd of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Dawson County growing?
The population has fallen 5.61 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 150 births against 180 deaths, with net migration of -115. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Dawson County?
$54,360. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $103,400, which is 1.9 times income, and median gross rent is $777 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Dawson County?
271 establishments, employing 2,578 people with an annual payroll of $139.8 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 $54,051, or $1,039 a week, across 4,144 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?
11 7(a) approvals totalling $14.3 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $496,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $309,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Dawson County?
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Dawson County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 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 3,713 households. Arriving households report an average income of $31,645 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.