Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Dobson’s subject grades are a B+ for schools and a B for cost of living; the weakest is a D for incomes. Only 18 of North Carolina’s 451 towns score higher on hazard risk. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 73% of U.S. towns. On incomes, just 44 of North Carolina’s 448 towns do worse. Dobson is home to Surry Community College. Dobson has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Dobson beats most towns.
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Surry Community College | 2,202 |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Dobson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 327 in 1900, 1,462 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1963 and 2 maps from 1971 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dobson, 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 Dobson.
Most working residents leave Dobson for work: only 17% work in town. 22% of residents live below the poverty line in Dobson, where North Carolina’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Dobson’s average trip to work is 18 minutes.
| Dobson | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 6.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Surry County Schools. Its three schools are below. The largest public high school is Surry Central High, with 679 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dobson ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 350 | B+ |
| Surry Central HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 679 | B |
| Surry Early CollegeTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 296 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 80% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Dobson’s median rent is $528 a month, below both North Carolina’s towns ($1,085 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 49% of Dobson households own their home. Typical home values rose 8.3% in the year to September 2026.
| Dobson | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 49% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $528 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Dobson has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 27° and about 8 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Dobson's reported crime rate is below North Carolina's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 3 reported in 2022.
| Dobson | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 14.4 per 1,000 residents | 24.7 | 14.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 2.2 per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 1.9 |
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
Dobson beats the North Carolina average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 14% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Dobson.
| Dobson | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 10% | 8.1% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 25% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 36% | 35% |
| What stands out | Dobson | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.3% | 13.9% |
| More uninsured adults | 13.8% | 10.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dobson Square Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dobson. Close and well known come first.
12 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
14 mi MountainPilot Mountain
32 mi Stadium & arenaAllegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium
34 mi MuseumOld Salem
26 mi State parkHanging Rock State Park
31 mi MuseumReynolda House Museum of American ArtBlue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Pilot Mountain: Berean Hunter, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium: BobHWS, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Old Salem: David Bjorgen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hanging Rock State Park: Jacalyn Engler from Greensboro, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Reynolda House Museum of American Art: Zsrarticle, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Dobson
About 4 of every 100 Dobson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
6 notable people were born in Dobson.
Town in North Carolina, United States
Dobson is a town and the county seat in Dobson Township, Surry County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 1,396. Dobson is the home of the Shelton Vineyards, the largest winery in North Carolina. It is also home to a significant Latino population due to the large number of farms in the area. The main crops in the area are corn, tobacco and soy beans.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
6 notable people were born here, including Alonzo Dillard Folger and Caleb V. Haynes.
