| Official Name: | Dobson, North Carolina |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Mapsize: | 250x200px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | North Carolina |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Surry |
| Government Type: | Local/Municipal |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Ricky Draughn |
| Leader Title1: | Town Manager |
| Leader Name1: | Laura Neely |
| Established Date: | 1891 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 5.29 |
| Area Land Km2: | 5.26 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.03 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 2.04 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 2.03 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.01 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 1462 |
| Population Density Km2: | 277.97 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 719.84 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation Ft: | 1230 |
| Coordinates: | 36.3928°N -80.7244°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 27017 |
| Area Code: | 336 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 37-17340[2] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2406382 |
| Website: | www.dobson-nc.com |
Dobson is a town in Dobson Township, Surry County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census,[3] the town population was 1,396. It is the county seat of Surry County.[4] Dobson is the home of the Shelton Vineyards, the largest winery in North Carolina. It is also home to a significant Latino population due to the large number of farms in the area. The main crops in the area are corn, tobacco and soy beans.
Dobson was established as the county seat in 1853, replacing Rockford after all land in Surry County south of the Yadkin River was used to form Yadkin County.
The Edwards-Franklin House and Surry County Courthouse are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.8sqmi, all land.
| Number | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,062 | 72.64% | |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 64 | 4.38% | |
| Native American | 9 | 0.62% | |
| Asian | 30 | 2.05% | |
| Other/Mixed | 40 | 2.74% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 257 | 17.58% |
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,457 people, 555 households, and 339 families living in the town. The population density was 813.8sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 594 housing units at an average density of 331.8sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 75.84% White, 3.91% African American, 0.41% Native American, 19.42% from other races, and 0.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.81% of the population.
There were 555 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,765, and the median income for a family was $34,792. Males had a median income of $22,050 versus $21,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,346. About 17.8% of families and 23.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.6% of those under age 18 and 22.9% of those age 65 or over.