1910 · Street parade, July 4th · Library of Congress
Dawson’s story
Dawson in pictures
11 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 3 places on the National Register.
DawsonMN
A town of 1,513. A typical home worth about $183K.
Population
1,513
−4.8% since 2010
Typical home
$183K
+0% in a year
Household income
$69K
median
Median age
44.5
years
Jobs based here
739
Balanced
What makes Dawson stand out
The 3 things Dawson does most differently from other towns.
Dawson’s report card
Now in Dawson
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The data
Ordered by what stands out in Dawson. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Dawson home is worth about $183K
The typical Dawson home is worth about $183,000, about the same as a year ago, 48% below the Minnesota typical home.
$183KZillow home value
Typical home value
Dawson$183K
Minnesota$351K
+0%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Schools
Dawson’s public schools outperform 74% of Minnesota districts
The public schools Dawson’s kids attend outperform 74% of Minnesota’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
B+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stevens Elementary | PK–6 | 297 | B+ |
| Dawson-Boyd Secondary | 7–12 | 269 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state testsAll 2 schools →
Health
Healthier than 71% of U.S. towns
Dawson beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
B+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Minnesota
1 better26 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Dawson | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.1% | 76.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8% | 5.9% |
Johnson Memorial Hospital
0.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
57th
percentile among MN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards
High risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 69% of U.S. communities.
69risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesHeat waves
26
paid flood claims since 1992
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Dawson has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
51″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter8–26°
Spring34–55°
Summer59–81°
Fall36–58°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 3
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in Dawson
About one in 3 of Dawson’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Montevideo (12%), Madison (5%) and Marshall (3%). Half commute less than 17 miles.
29%work in town
Where working residents work
In Dawson29%
Montevideo12%
Madison5%
Marshall3%
Riverside3%
17 mi
median commute distance
739
jobs based in Dawson
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Outdoors
0% of Dawson is conserved land
0.3 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 917 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dawson Veterans Memorial Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Landmarks
3 places in Dawson on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Dawson
4 notable people were born in Dawson.
About 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)
- Population
- 1,466
- Area
- 1.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,047 ft
- ZIP code
- 56232
- Area code
- 320
More about Dawson
Still missing for Dawson:a photo of Dawsonupcoming events