Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Dawson’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living, an A for walkability, and an A− for history; its weakest is a C− for hazard risk. Dawson’s average trip to work is 13 minutes, below both the Minnesota town median (23 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). On cost of living, just 15 of Minnesota’s 573 towns do better. On history, just 35 of Minnesota’s 574 towns do better. Dawson has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Dawson beats most towns.
Commercial Bank BuildingIn a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Dawson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 418 in 1890, 1,466 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1892 and 2 maps from 1967 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dawson, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Dawson.
Dawson’s median rent is $586 a month, against $1,196 a month in Minnesota’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. The typical Dawson home is worth about $190,000, down 1% in a year, 46% below the Minnesota typical home.
| Dawson | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $586 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Dawson-Boyd Public School District. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stevens ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 297 | B |
| Dawson-Boyd SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 269 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
Dawson beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 28% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Dawson. Only 9 of the 272 Minnesota towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Dawson.
| Dawson | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 25% | 23% |
| What stands out | Dawson | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.1% | 76.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8% | 5.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 1992, 26 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Dawson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Dawson has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Among 275 Minnesota towns, just 5 have a higher July high than Dawson.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 3 of Dawson’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Dawson has lost 106 jobs, to 739 in 2023. The median household income in Dawson is $69,000.
| Dawson | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 29% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.6% | 7% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dawson Veterans Memorial Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Dawson; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Dawson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
3 places in Dawson on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Dawson.
City in Minnesota, United States
Dawson is a city in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,466 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
4 notable people were born here, including James Day Hodgson and Jeff Nordgaard.
