Dobson is home to 1,652 people in North Carolina. 49% of homes are owner-occupied. Households here earn about 40% less than in North Carolina as a whole. Median rent is $528 a month. About 24% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $173,900, having more than doubled since 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $43,750, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.8
US median: 38.9
Less educated
24% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Dobson
What changed most since 1990
Median age39.4 → 35.8(−3.6 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
White share94.2% → 60.7%(−33.6 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Hispanic share1.4% → 21.6%(+20.2 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Dobson's population equals 2.3% of Surry County's. Its number of households without a car equals 7.9% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 4.3% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)9.9%(7)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)31%(22)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era29.6%(21)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0%(0)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 71 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Dobson, decade by decade
Dobson population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
1,195
$45,858
$124,084
9.5%
13.8
2000
1,457
$48,757
$157,937
17.3%
55.0
2010
1,586
$41,286
$210,607
12.4%
56.0
2020
1,462
$56,914
$153,444
23.3%
54.9
2024
1,652
$43,750
$173,900
24.3%
71.3
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
