Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
31% of residents live below the poverty line in Dawson, against 7.6% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 4 of the 1,036 Pennsylvania towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Dawson. Its National Register listings include Dawson Historic District. Dawson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Dawson beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 453 in 1880, a peak of 956 in 1920, 352 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1897 and 4 maps from 1902 on.
2 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.
The typical Dawson home is worth about $156,000, down 3.1% in a year, 46% below the Pennsylvania typical home. Dawson’s median rent is $944 a month, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at $1,115 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month.
| Dawson | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $944 a month | $1,115 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 78% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 79% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Dawson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Dawson for work: only 1% work in town. The median household income in Dawson is $49,000. The top destinations are Connellsville (8%), East Huntingdon Township (6%) and Dunbar Township (6%).
| Dawson | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.8% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Dawson has chilly winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 21° and about 24 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Dawson beats the Pennsylvania average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 19% of Dawson adults smoke cigarettes.
| Dawson | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 34% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Dawson | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.2% | 79.2% |
| More uninsured adults | 8.5% | 5.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dawson. Close and well known come first.
Big draw14 mi MuseumFallingwater
Big draw34 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Stadium
Big draw39 mi National MemorialFlight 93 National Memorial286K visitors a year
26 mi Theme parkKennywood
33 mi LandmarkFort Duquesne
33 mi Stadium & arenaPNC ParkFallingwater: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Acrisure Stadium: Fo2grfr, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Flight 93 National Memorial: James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kennywood: Ski2007 of English Wikipedia, Public domain · Fort Duquesne: Sébastien Paquin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · PNC Park: alpineinc, CC BY 2.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Dawson
About 1 of every 100 Dawson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
Where Dawson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Dawson on the National Register of Historic Places.
Borough in Pennsylvania, US
Dawson is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 352 at the 2020 census, a decline from the figure of 367 tabulated in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Dawson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
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