Dawsonisd
Dawson’s story
179 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper.
- 1847Dawson is settled
DawsonTX
A town of 822, settled in 1847.
Population
822
2025 Census estimate · +0% since 2020
Typical home
$184K
+4.7% in a year
Household income
$51K
median
Median age
40.7
years
Jobs based here
61
A commuter town
Is Dawson a good place to live?
Dawson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
822 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.
PowerOncorEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Dawson water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Dawson’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personTexas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereNavarro County Early Voting ClerkNavarro County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2022
ZIP code7663976639 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.
Housing
A typical Dawson home is worth about $184K
The share of households in Dawson who are owner-occupiers is 58%, below both the Texas town median (69%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). For Dawson, the midpoint rent is $748 a month. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 4.7% in value.
$184KZillow home value
| Dawson | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 58% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $748 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Dawson$184K
Texas$296K
+4.7%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in March
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Dawson’s kids attend
Public schools: Dawson ISD. The largest public high school is Dawson PK-12, with 628 students. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson PK-12Largest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 628 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Dawson has 0.2 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
In Dawson, the middle household income is $51,000, against $69,000 in Texas’ towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. Just 2% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Since 2013, Dawson has added 28 jobs, to 61 in 2023. The average commute locally is 36 minutes.
2%work in town
| Dawson | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $51,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Dawson2%
Corsicana19%
Dallas9%
Waco7%
Fort Worth4%
52 mi
median commute distance
61
jobs based in Dawson
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Dawson has a low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
The natural-hazard score from FEMA for Dawson comes to 26 of 100. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2024. 35% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 28%.
26risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
96°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter38–60°
Spring55–77°
Summer73–94°
Fall56–79°
Nov 14
typical first frost
Mar 13
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
96°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Dawson
In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Dawson is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
0
violent crimes reported in 2024
1
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Dawson is
Among adults in Dawson, 17% report frequent physical distress. Of 31 CDC measures, Dawson beats the Texas average on 1 and trails it on 17.
| Dawson | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 19% |
31 measures vs. Texas
1 better13 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Dawson | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78% | 74.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.9% | 12.5% |
Navarro Regional Hospital
17.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dawson
19pages on Dawson
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Dawson; the nearest are
Navarro CollegeCommunity college · Public · Corsicana17.8 mi$3,008 in-state tuitionHill CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hillsboro23.3 mi$3,570 in-state tuitionUniversity of North Texas at DallasUniversity or college · Public · Dallas53.1 mi$9,595 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Dawson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Dawson for work
Where Dawson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
61jobs based in Dawson
2%of working residents work in town
52 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Dawson
3 notable people were born in Dawson.
About Dawson
Town in Texas, United States
Dawson is a town in Navarro County, in the U.S. state of Texas. Its population was 815 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1847
- Area
- 1.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 482 ft
- ZIP code
- 76639
- Area code
- 254
Questions about Dawson
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dawson, TX a good place to live?
Dawson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Dawson, TX known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Anjanette Comer and Jimmy Lawrence.