Food and drink · County · Nebraska
Restaurants and cafes in Dawson County, NE
The restaurants 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 #1,883 of 2,405 scored counties
#18 of 26 scored counties in Nebraska
- Listings
- 113
- 52 chain locations (46%)
- Official establishments
- 44
- −2.2% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $33.9M
- On food away from home · $3,707 a household
- Spending per listing
- $300K
- 19% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 123.6
- 13% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 24,452
- +1.5% since 2020
See the restaurants and cafes around any address in Dawson County
The site report maps the restaurants 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 restaurants and cafes, ranking #1,883 of 2,405 scored counties and #18 of 26 scored counties in Nebraska. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
Map listings as of September 2026 show 113 restaurants and cafes in Dawson County. 52 of them (46%) are chain locations, against 34% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 123.6, 13% above the U.S. rate of 109.8.
At $3,707 per household (9% below the U.S. average), households in Dawson County spend about $33.9M a year on food away from home. That is about $300K of household spending for each restaurant on map listings, 19% below the U.S. figure of $371K.
In 2023, official counts showed 44 businesses with payroll in Dawson County classed as restaurants and other eating places, down 2.2% from 2019. That is one for every 208 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. Population estimates show Dawson County grew 1.5% from 2020 to 2025, 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 restaurants 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 | 123.6 | 105.5 | 109.8 |
| Spending per listing | $300K | $374K | $371K |
| Households per official establishment | 208 | 229 | 209 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −2.2% | +6.9% | +6.0% |
| 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 | 55 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 45 → 44−2.2% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 474
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $7.9M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 14Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 11352 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 91The 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 restaurants and other eating places 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.
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 restaurants 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 cardRestaurants and cafes across Nebraska
Every Nebraska market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Nebraska for restaurants 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 | 85 | 83 | 76.6 | $568K | +3.9% | #65 of 2,405 |
| 2Sarpy County, NE | 83 | 595 | 80.3 | $575K | +9.0% | #93 of 2,405 |
| 3Washington County, NE | 82 | 55 | 65.3 | $673K | +1.8% | #103 of 2,405 |
| 4Saunders County, NE | 76 | 84 | 94.4 | $455K | +6.0% | #228 of 2,405 |
| 5Colfax County, NE | 65 | 33 | 89.0 | $441K | +3.6% | #572 of 2,405 |
| 6Seward County, NE | 64 | 59 | 86.9 | $461K | +2.3% | #605 of 2,405 |
| 7Lancaster County, NE | 55 | 1,307 | 97.4 | $398K | +3.4% | #971 of 2,405 |
| 8Gage County, NE | 55 | 90 | 96.5 | $372K | +0.2% | #986 of 2,405 |
| 9Otoe County, NE | 55 | 77 | 120.6 | $328K | +3.9% | #992 of 2,405 |
| 10Saline County, NE | 52 | 58 | 112.8 | $341K | +1.9% | #1,111 of 2,405 |
| 18Dawson County, NE | 34 | 113 | 123.6 | $300K | +1.5% | #1,883 of 2,405 |
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 restaurants and cafes are in Dawson County, NE?
There are 113 restaurants and cafes on map listings in Dawson County as of September 2026. 52 of them (46%) are chain locations. The listings count every restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery and food truck. Official counts show 44 businesses with payroll classed as restaurants and other eating places in 2023, down 2.2% from 2019. Another 14 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
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 113 restaurants and cafes on map listings, it comes to $300K per restaurant. 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 restaurants and cafes?
Dawson County has 123.6 restaurants and cafes per 10,000 households, 13% above the U.S. rate of 109.8. Spending per restaurant is $300K, 19% below the U.S. figure of $371K. At the national ratio of restaurants and cafes to household spending, Dawson County would have about 91, against 113 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 208 households, against one for every 209 across the U.S. The official count fell 2.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.0% for 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 restaurants and cafes (lower middle), #1,883 of 2,405 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 restaurants 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 restaurants 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.