Median Income
$41,094
household / year
Median Home Value
$92,200
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$834
gross / month
Cost of Living
94
national avg = 100

Is Dawson, PA a Good Place to Live?

Dawson is a small town of 388 in Pennsylvania, with a median household income of $41,094 and a 8.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 94 (US average = 100), which is 6% below the national average.

Strengths: Dawson stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Dawson is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Dawson city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 94.4

Dawson's overall cost of living index is 94.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Dawson costs roughly 6% less than the average American city.

Metric Dawson, PA National Avg
Median Home Value $92,200 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $834 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 74.2% 65.9%
Median Household Income $41,094 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Crime data for Dawson is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.

Schools & Education

Metric Dawson, PA National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 5.9% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 88.2% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Dawson sees average highs of 38.4°F in January and 84.0°F in July, with 46.9 inches of annual precipitation and 24.4 inches of snow per year.

MetricDawson, PA
Average High — January38.4°F
Average High — July84.0°F
Annual Precipitation46.9"
Annual Snowfall24.4"

Demographics

MetricDawson, PANational Avg
Population388—
Median Age36.438.9
Unemployment Rate8.5%3.7%
Avg Commute Time23.6 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)98.5%59.3%
Black or African American0.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino1.3%18.9%
Asian0.0%6.3%
Under 1825.5%22.2%
65 and over15.7%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Vanderbilt, PA 1 mi Connellsville, PA 4 mi Everson, PA 5 mi Dunbar, PA 5 mi Scottdale, PA 5 mi

ZIP Codes in Dawson

Dawson, PA is covered by 1 ZIP code:

15428

Dawson vs Other Cities

Dawson, PA vs Vanderbilt, PA Dawson, PA vs Connellsville, PA Dawson, PA vs Everson, PA Dawson, PA vs Dunbar, PA Dawson, PA vs Scottdale, PA

Frequently Asked Questions

Dawson's cost of living index is 94, where 100 is the national average. That makes Dawson roughly 6% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $92,200 and median rent is $834/month.
Crime data for Dawson is not available in the current FBI UCR reporting year. Not all jurisdictions submit data annually.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Dawson, PA has a population of 388, a median household income of $41,094, and an unemployment rate of 8.5%. It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Dawson averages 38.4°F in January and 84.0°F in July. Annual rainfall is 46.9 inches with about 24.4 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Dawson, PA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 15428.
The population of Dawson, Pennsylvania is 388 with a median age of 36.4. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Dawson: cost of living index 94 (100 = US average), median home $92,200, median household income $41,094. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Dawson side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.