Town guide

Dobson, North Carolina

Dobson is a town in Surry County, North Carolina, home to about 1,652 people across 2.0 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 27017.

Homes sold for a median of $153 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.

Population1,652814 per sq mi
Median home value$173,900Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$153Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking11%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Dobson

1 ZIP code, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Dobson. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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We’re writing up Dobson’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Dobson

Distances

Nearest major airportPiedmont Triad International Airport (GSO)47 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Winston-Salem, NC31 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Philadelphia, PA393 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Dobson; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Dobson

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Dobson had 1,462 residents in the 2020 census, up 0% since 2000.

It’s the 371st largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.

Surry County grew from 25,515 residents in 1900 to 71,359 in 2020.

Dobson population by census2000: 1,457, 2010: 1,586, 2020: 1,4621,45720001,58620101,4622020

Surry County, 1900–2020

Surry County population, 1900 to 20201900: 25,515, 1910: 29,705, 1920: 32,464, 1930: 39,749, 1940: 41,783, 1950: 45,593, 1960: 48,205, 1970: 51,415, 1980: 59,449, 1990: 61,704, 2000: 71,219, 2010: 73,673, 2020: 71,35926K’00’1032K’20’3042K’40’5048K’60’7059K’80’9071K’00’1071K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 86°F in summer, and winter lows average 25°F. About 50.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 8 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near DobsonJan: high 47°F, low 25°F, 4 in; Feb: high 51°F, low 27°F, 3.1 in; Mar: high 58°F, low 33°F, 4.2 in; Apr: high 69°F, low 41°F, 4.3 in; May: high 76°F, low 50°F, 4.5 in; Jun: high 83°F, low 59°F, 5 in; Jul: high 86°F, low 63°F, 5.2 in; Aug: high 85°F, low 62°F, 4.7 in; Sep: high 79°F, low 56°F, 4.3 in; Oct: high 70°F, low 43°F, 3.5 in; Nov: high 59°F, low 33°F, 3.4 in; Dec: high 50°F, low 28°F, 4.2 in47°25°Jan4.051°27°Feb3.158°33°Mar4.269°41°Apr4.376°50°May4.583°59°Jun5.086°63°Jul5.285°62°Aug4.779°56°Sep4.370°43°Oct3.559°33°Nov3.450°28°Dec4.2Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Mt Airy 2 W, NC weather station (9 miles away).

Jobs in Surry County

32,143 jobs at 1,661 businesses in Surry County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Surry CountyConstruction: 8,786 jobs; Retail trade: 4,784 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 4,337 jobs; Manufacturing: 3,630 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 2,847 jobs; Professional services: 1,169 jobs; Company headquarters: 1,084 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 1,061 jobsConstruction 27% Retail trade 15% Health care and social assistance 14% Manufacturing 11% Hotels and restaurants 9% Professional services 4% Company headquarters 3% Transportation and warehousing 3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

51 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Dobson.

Nearest hospitals

  • Northern Regional HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Mount Airy9.9 miles
  • Hugh Chatham Memorial HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Elkin10.3 miles
  • Twin County Regional HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · Galax24.0 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors6
Specialist doctors2
Dentists3
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants18
Mental health providers18
Physical and occupational therapists1
Optometrists3
Pharmacies3

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.

Places in and around Dobson

Parks (1 nearby)

  • Cody Park0.3 mi

Grocery stores

  • Food Lion1.7 mi
  • Supermercado La Lupita1.9 mi
  • El Mexicano3.0 mi
  • BZ Supermart4.9 mi

Libraries

  • Dobson Community Library1.9 mi

Counts are within about 1 mile 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.

Schools in Dobson

Public schools here are run by Surry County Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (7)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Copeland ElementaryDobsonPre-K–5274Public4.0 mi
Dobson ElementaryDobsonPre-K–5350Public2.0 mi
Rockford ElementaryDobsonPre-K–5335Public0.9 mi
Surry Online Magnet SchoolDobsonK–12121Public2.3 mi
Central MiddleDobson6–8502Public2.3 mi
Surry Central HighDobson9–12679Public0.9 mi
Surry Early CollegeDobson9–13296Public1.1 mi
Private schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
Salem Christian AcademyDobsonPre-K–8102Baptist0.4 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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Where Dobson is

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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.