Water tower Dawson Iowa 8-11-2012, 2012
Dawson’s story
139 years in pictures
Census counts: 275 in 1910, 116 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1950 on.
- 1887Dawson is settled
DawsonIA
A town of 114, settled in 1887.
Photo: rochelle hartman from La Crosse, WI · CC BY 2.0
Population
114
2025 Census estimate · +0.9% since 2020
Typical home
$242K
+1.9% in a year
Household income
$65K
median
Median age
54.3
years
Land area
1 sq mi
Is Dawson a good place to live?
Dawson’s age of the median resident is 54.3 years, above both the Iowa town median (38.7 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Among 141 Iowa towns, just one has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Dawson. Dawson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
114 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Dawson: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dawson, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterXenia RWD (Des Moines)No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Dawson’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Iowa you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereDallas County Elections OfficeDallas County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2026
ZIP code5006650066 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Dawson.
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Dawson is drought, at a low overall level
On expected storm and flood damage, Dawson sits below 72% of U.S. communities. Just over three fifths of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from drought, followed by inland flooding at 17%. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Dawson once, in 2008.
28risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Dawson has four seasons and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 11° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
33″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–33°
Spring38–60°
Summer61–83°
Fall40–62°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 25
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Dawson is
For adults in Dawson, the share who binge drink is 22%. 75% of adults had a checkup this year in the town, where Iowa’s towns sit at 78% and U.S. towns at 79%.
| Dawson | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 78% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
1 better31 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Dawson | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.6% | 8.7% |
Dallas County Hospital
6.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Homes in Dawson are worth about $242K, by Zillow’s estimate
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 6 have a higher owner-occupancy rate than Dawson. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 1.9%.
$242KZillow home value
Typical home value
Dawson$242K
Iowa$237K
+1.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dawson
16pages on Dawson
The big questions
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Dawson; the nearest are
Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical CenterUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · West Des Moines29.4 miIowa State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ames32 mi$10,787 in-state tuitionDes Moines Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ankeny32.7 mi$5,790 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Dawson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
About Dawson
City in Iowa, USA
Dawson is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 116 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,037 ft
- ZIP code
- 50066
Questions about Dawson
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dawson, IA a good place to live?
Dawson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.