Dawson is a city in Terrell County, Georgia, home to about 4,247 people across 3.8 square miles. Its ZIP code is 39842.
Homes sold for a median of $122 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Mostly Dawson; also Sasser
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Dawson. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Dawson’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)129 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Southwest Georgia Regional Airport (ABY)25 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Atlanta, GA138 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Houston, TX659 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Dawson; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Dawson had 4,414 residents in the 2020 census, down 13% since 2000.
It’s the 194th largest of 669 towns in Georgia by population.
Terrell County grew from 19,023 residents in 1900 to 9,185 in 2020.
Terrell County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 92°F in summer, and winter lows average 35°F. About 55.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 0 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Cuthbert, GA weather station (16 miles away).
1,632 jobs at 166 businesses in Terrell County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
19 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Dawson.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 3 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
| Dentists | 1 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 9 |
| Mental health providers | 1 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 1 |
| Optometrists | 3 |
| Pharmacies | 3 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores
Libraries
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1856.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Terrell County, Department of Juvenile Justice. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper-Carver Elementary SchoolDawson | Pre-K–5 | 440 | Public | 6.3 mi |
| Terrell Middle SchoolDawson | 6–8 | 215 | Public | 6.5 mi |
| Terrell Regional Youth Detention CenterDawson | 6–12 | 14 | Special Education | 5.4 mi |
| Terrell High SchoolDawson | 9–12 | 266 | Public | 6.5 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrell AcademyDawson | Pre-K–12 | 514 | Nonsectarian | 5.4 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Sasser.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.