Dawes County, Nebraska Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Dawes County, Nebraska, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Dawes County, Nebraska. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Dawes County, Nebraska. The estimated population of Dawes County, Nebraska is 8,383 people, with a median age of 34.3.

We can look at the total population in Dawes County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
8,383
 -3.48% -6.56%
2020
8,685
 -1.42% -
2019
8,810
 -0.97% -
2018
8,896
 -0.85% -
2017
8,972
 - -

Population of Dawes County, Nebraska by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
84.5%
85.3%
 -0.94%
Black/African American
4.6%
0.9%
 +411.11%
Native
2.5%
2.8%
 -10.71%
Hispanic
5.8%
4.8%
 +20.83%
Asian
0.5%
0.9%
 -44.44%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
2.2%
 -100.00%
Two Or More Races
2.1%
2.9%
 -27.59%
Other
0%
0.3%
 -100.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Dawes County, Nebraska by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 34.3 0% 35.9 +5.28% 33.2 -3.49%
2020 34.3 -1.72% 34.1 -4.48% 34.4 +2.69%
2019 34.9 0% 35.7 +3.78% 33.5 -6.42%
2018 34.9 +2.65% 34.4 +0.29% 35.8 +5.92%
2017 34 - 34.3 - 33.8 -

The median age of Dawes County, Nebraska gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 498 -7.01% 501 -11.49% 450 440
10 to 19 701 +7.32% 781 -2.7% 746 756
20 to 29 882 -37.85% 735 +24.06% 579 881
30 to 39 493 -7.62% 434 -2.42% 438 423
40 to 49 449 -1.6% 389 -26.75% 431 294
50 to 59 444 -5.34% 484 +7.28% 416 514
60 to 69 519 -3.13% 487 -14.83% 496 415
70+ 509 -1.07% 666 -9.43% 499 605

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Dawes County, Nebraska is $51,925.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Dawes County.

  • Under 25
    $18,724.00
  • 25 to 44
    $52,207.00
  • 45 to 64
    $72,875.00
  • 65 and over
    $47,850.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Dawes County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Dawes County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Dawes County, Nebraska is currently $62,777.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

0.56% of households in Dawes County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Dawes County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    19.68%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    27.45%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    20.72%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    13.80%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    13.56%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    4.23%
  • $200,000 or more
    0.56%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Dawes County is $26,289.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Dawes County by the total population of Dawes County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Dawes County, Nebraska, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Dawes County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    16.60%
  • Bachelor's degree
    32.30%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    17.33%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    29.14%
  • Less than high school diploma
    4.62%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Dawes County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Dawes County over the age of 16 is 6,982.

Of those people, a total of 63.20% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Dawes County is 61.70%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 991 43.80% 8.30%
20 to 24 years 899 75.90% 6.20%
25 to 29 years 561 93.40% 0.00%
30 to 34 years 388 88.40% 0.00%
35 to 44 years 791 88.50% 0.70%
45 to 54 years 777 87.40% 0.00%
55 to 59 years 560 83.40% 0.00%
60 to 64 years 505 61.40% 5.50%
65 to 74 years 821 22.90% 0.00%
75 years and over 689 12.00% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Dawes County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 6,245 62.20% 2.30%
Black or African American 254 90.60% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 213 44.10% 0.00%
Asian 46 84.80% 10.30%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 0 0.00% 0.00%
Two or more races 224 71.40% 3.80%
Hispanic or Latino 379 90.20% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 6,081 61.80% 2.40%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Dawes County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Dawes County is 4,310, with median earnings of $28,750.00.

Women in Dawes County, Nebraska earning approximately 67.30% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 4,310 $28,750.00
Male 2,057 $35,736.00
Female 2,253 $24,039.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 469 $44,837.00
Business and Financial 95 $60,750.00
Computer and Mathematical 47 $66,991.00
Architecture and Engineering 8 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 89 $77,847.00
Community and Social Service 105 $30,163.00
Legal 12 $0.00
Educational and Library 614 $36,985.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 79 $102,806.00
Healthcare Practitioners 149 $29,750.00
Healthcare Support 234 $6,924.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 25 $0.00
Law Enforcement 41 $65,602.00
Food Preparation and Serving 315 $4,772.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 84 $23,125.00
Personal Care and Service 98 $6,029.00
Sales 408 $26,544.00
Office and Administrative Support 561 $23,875.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 163 $32,361.00
Construction and Extraction 210 $47,228.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 141 $26,381.00
Production 123 $26,563.00
Transportation and Material Moving 217 $61,042.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 284 $42,826.00 185 $57,917.00
Business and Financial 27 $38,958.00 68 $92,927.00
Computer and Mathematical 29 $0.00 18 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 8 $0.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 67 $36,964.00 22 $0.00
Community and Social Service 73 $27,122.00 32 $51,875.00
Legal 12 $0.00 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 171 $48,438.00 443 $19,917.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 12 $0.00 67 $103,139.00
Healthcare Practitioners 42 $24,600.00 107 $47,734.00
Healthcare Support 0 $0.00 234 $6,924.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 25 $0.00 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 41 $65,602.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 108 $15,833.00 207 $4,322.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 56 $19,464.00 28 $25,667.00
Personal Care and Service 35 $12,266.00 63 $4,360.00
Sales 208 $37,021.00 200 $14,783.00
Office and Administrative Support 87 $8,681.00 474 $25,000.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 93 $31,898.00 70 $47,813.00
Construction and Extraction 210 $47,228.00 0 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 141 $26,381.00 0 $0.00
Production 93 $46,838.00 30 $11,442.00
Transportation and Material Moving 215 $61,458.00 2 $0.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 3,384 households in Dawes County, with an average household size of 2.18 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 1,980 families in Dawes County with an average family size of 2.83 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 1,579 158 243 1,404
Average Household Size 2.95 3.52 1.95 1.22
Total Families 1,579 158 243 0
Average Household Size 2.94 3.12 1.95 0

Poverty

Of the 1,980 families in Dawes County, 10.50% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Dawes County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 4,021 housing units in Dawes County, Nebraska.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 3,384 84.16%
Vacant 637 15.84%

27.58% of the total 4,021 housing units in Dawes County are rental units. This is approximately 1,109 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 2,150 are occupied by the owner - or 53.47% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Dawes County is $763.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Dawes County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    125
  • Less than $500
    174
  • $500 to $999
    793
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    116
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    0
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    26
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Dawes County is $131,800.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Dawes County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    249
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    464
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    598
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    452
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    220
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    158
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    9
  • $1,000,000 or more
    0

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Dawes County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Dawes County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    1,357
  • 1940 to 1949
    323
  • 1950 to 1959
    446
  • 1960 to 1969
    376
  • 1970 to 1979
    708
  • 1980 to 1989
    243
  • 1990 to 1999
    221
  • 2000 to 2009
    236
  • 2010 to 2013
    111
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Dawes County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    157
  • 1 vehicle available
    921
  • 2 vehicles available
    1,240
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    1,066

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Dawes County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Dawes County that commute to work in a particular way.

13.5 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Dawes County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    1,063
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    1,314
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    555
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    87
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    38
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    51
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    288
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    9
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    5
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    122
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    207
  • 90 or more minutes
    38

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Dawes County, Nebraska in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Dawes County, Nebraska

We have data for 14 places in Dawes County, Nebraska. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.