Food and drink · County · Nebraska
Coffee shops and cafes in Dawson County, NE
The coffee shops and cafes in Dawson County, NE, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 34 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,625 of 2,063 scored counties
#18 of 24 scored counties in Nebraska
- Listings
- 14
- 4 chain locations (29%)
- Official establishments
- 6
- All snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars
- Household spending a year
- $33.9M
- On food away from home · $3,707 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2.4M
- 35% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 15.3
- 39% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 24,452
- +1.5% since 2020
See the coffee shops and cafes around any address in Dawson County
The site report maps the coffee shops and cafes on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Dawson County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Dawson County scores 34 (lower middle) on the Groundwork market score for coffee shops and cafes, ranking #1,625 of 2,063 scored counties and #18 of 24 scored counties in Nebraska. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
As of September 2026, map listings count 14 coffee shops and cafes in Dawson County. 4 of them (29%) are chain locations, against 39% across the U.S. That is 15.3 per 10,000 households, 39% above the U.S. rate of 11.0.
Households in Dawson County spend about $33.9M a year on food away from home, or $3,707 per household, 9% below the U.S. average. That works out to $2.4M per cafe, 35% below the U.S. figure of $3.7M. That spending covers all food away from home, which coffee shops and cafes share with other businesses in the trade.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in Dawson County was 6 in 2023. That is one for every 1,524 households, against one for every 1,518 across the U.S. The official count takes in all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, not only coffee shops and cafes: bakeries and dessert shops are counted too. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Dawson County grew 1.5%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Dawson County compares
The same measures for Nebraska and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all food away from home by the coffee shops and cafes counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Dawson County | Nebraska | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 15.3 | 12.9 | 11.0 |
| Spending per listing | $2.4M | $3.1M | $3.7M |
| Households per official establishment (all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars) | 1,524 | 1,602 | 1,518 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +35.3% | +24.3% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +1.5% | +2.8% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,707 | $3,946 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $69,880 | $76,475 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 34 | 42 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 4 → 6All snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars
- Employees, 2023
- 54
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $686K
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 3All snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 144 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 9The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in Dawson County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3. These official figures cover all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, not only coffee shops and cafes.
Population and households in Dawson County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 24,452+1.5% since 2020
- Households
- 9,145
- Median age
- 37.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 66%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.3
- Land area
- 1,014 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 24
- Median household income
- $69,880+30.1% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $92,897
- Median home value
- $166,200
- Jobs located here
- 12,382
- Daytime population
- 24,113Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Dawson County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the coffee shops and cafes on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Dawson County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardCoffee shops and cafes across Nebraska
Every Nebraska market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Nebraska for coffee shops and cafes, numbered among those based in Nebraska, with Dawson County marked.
Top counties in Nebraska
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Cass County, NE | 81 | 8 | 7.4 | $5.9M | +3.9% | #92 of 2,063 |
| 2Saunders County, NE | 72 | 10 | 11.2 | $3.8M | +6.0% | #258 of 2,063 |
| 3Washington County, NE | 69 | 8 | 9.5 | $4.6M | +1.8% | #337 of 2,063 |
| 4Gage County, NE | 63 | 7 | 7.5 | $4.8M | +0.2% | #501 of 2,063 |
| 5Sarpy County, NE | 58 | 100 | 13.5 | $3.4M | +9.0% | #707 of 2,063 |
| 6Otoe County, NE | 53 | 7 | 11.0 | $3.6M | +3.9% | #904 of 2,063 |
| 7Platte County, NE | 52 | 15 | 11.0 | $3.4M | +3.9% | #951 of 2,063 |
| 8Seward County, NE | 48 | 7 | 10.3 | $3.9M | +2.3% | #1,094 of 2,063 |
| 9Dodge County, NE | 48 | 16 | 10.5 | $3.5M | +2.6% | #1,100 of 2,063 |
| 10Saline County, NE | 48 | 6 | 11.7 | $3.3M | +1.9% | #1,110 of 2,063 |
| 18Dawson County, NE | 34 | 14 | 15.3 | $2.4M | +1.5% | #1,625 of 2,063 |
Other business types in Dawson County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes34
- Sit-down restaurants40
- Fast food and sandwich shops36
- Pizza36
- Coffee shops and cafes34
- Bakeries and dessert shops32
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many coffee shops and cafes are in Dawson County, NE?
Dawson County has 14 coffee shops and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. 4 of them (29%) are chain locations. The listings count coffee, tea, juice and bubble tea shops, and cafes. Official counts show 6 businesses with payroll classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in 2023. That count covers all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars (bakeries and dessert shops included), not only coffee shops and cafes. Official counts also show 3 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Dawson County, NE spend on food away from home?
About $33.9M a year, or $3,707 per household. That is 9% below the U.S. average (an index of 91, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 14 coffee shops and cafes on map listings, it comes to $2.4M per cafe. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only coffee shops and cafes. It is estimated from the incomes of the 9,145 households in Dawson County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Dawson County, NE compare with the U.S. for coffee shops and cafes?
Dawson County has 15.3 coffee shops and cafes per 10,000 households, 39% above the U.S. rate of 11.0. Spending per cafe is $2.4M, 35% below the U.S. figure of $3.7M. At the national ratio of coffee shops and cafes to household spending, Dawson County would have about 9, against 14 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,524 households, against one for every 1,518 across the U.S.
How fast is Dawson County, NE growing?
Population estimates put Dawson County at 24,452 people in 2025, up 1.5% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 9,145 households. The median household income in Dawson County is $69,880 a year, 13% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 30.1% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Dawson County scores 34 for coffee shops and cafes (lower middle), #1,625 of 2,063 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Dawson County. It maps the coffee shops and cafes on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for coffee shops and cafes · All 56 business types in Dawson County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Dawson County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Dawson County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.