Most working residents leave Dobson for work: only 17% work in town. The top destinations are Mount Airy (16%), Winston-Salem (7%) and Elkin (4%). Half commute less than 11 miles.

17%work in town

Where working residents work

In Dobson17%

Mount Airy16%

Winston-Salem7%

Elkin4%

Charlotte4%

11 mi

median commute distance

2,877

jobs based in Dobson

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →

Natural hazards

Low risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 20% of U.S. communities.

20risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes

federal disasters paid out here

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →

Schools

Dobson’s public schools outperform 72% of North Carolina districts

The public schools Dobson’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 72% of North Carolina’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

B+School Grade

School	Grades	Students	Grade
Dobson Elementary	PK–5	350	A−
Surry Central High	9–12	679	B
Surry Early College	9–13	296	A+

NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduationAll 3 schools →

Climate

Four seasons, pleasant summers

Dobson has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

8″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter29–50°

Spring44–69°

Summer63–85°

Fall46–70°

Oct 23

typical first frost

Apr 19

typical last frost

+1.4°

vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →

Housing

A typical Dobson home is worth about $266K

The typical Dobson home is worth about $266,000, up 9.4% in a year, 21% below the North Carolina typical home.

$266KZillow home value

Typical home value

Dobson$266K

North Carolina$335K

+9.4%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in April

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety

Crime reported in Dobson

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.

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Dobson2.2

North Carolina4.1

U.S.4

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Dobson14.4

North Carolina21

U.S.20

violent crimes reported in 2022

property crimes reported in 2022

FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →

Health

Healthier than 42% of U.S. towns

Dobson beats the North Carolina average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.

C+Health Grade

32 measures vs. North Carolina

1 better29 too close to call2 worse

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%

Northern Regional Hospital

9.1 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

43rd

percentile among NC towns

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →

Outdoors

0.2% of Dobson is conserved land

0.0 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.

0.2%conserved

Map of Dobson: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk — Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below

0.2%

conserved · 2 of 1,300 acres

0.0 mi

of trails · 0 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Dobson Square Park	—	3

A job hub

Every workday, about 2,777 people come to Dobson for work

Where Dobson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

2,877jobs based in Dobson

17%of working residents work in town

11 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

1963 · The Aquila [1963] · Wikimedia Commons

Dobson’s story

173 years in pictures

12 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 1 places on the National Register.

1853Dobson is settled
1963The Aquila [1963]
2013Dobson, NC, USA - panoramio (1)
2016"The Tree Line"

Explore the history →

Famous people from Dobson

8 notable people were born in Dobson.

See all 8 →

Alonzo Dillard FolgerAmerican politician · 1888–1941

Caleb V. HaynesUnited States Air Force general · 1895–1966

Mike RichardsonAmerican professional soccer player · born 1985

Clem LlewellynAmerican baseball player · 1895–1969

Frank JenkinsAmerican musician · 1888–1945

Roy Hampton ParkAmerican journalist · 1910–1993

About Dobson

Town in North Carolina, United States

Official town website ↗

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)

Established: 1853
Population: 1,462
Area: 2.0 sq mi
Elevation: 1,257 ft
ZIP code: 27017
Area code: 336

More about Dobson

The handbookEverything you need to know about Dobson

Dobson Community Library113 Crutchfield St.

PlacesBusinesses & favorite spots

Town HallMeetings, officials & offices

Still missing for Dobson:a photo of Dobson upcoming events

DobsonNC

What makes Dobson stand out

Surry Community College calls Dobson home

Dobson’s report card

Now in Dobson

Weather

Local news

Upcoming events

The data

About one in six working residents works right in Dobson