Civil War

The 1860s brought war and hardships to the people of Dawson County. Many men of Dawson County answered the call and went to fight in the Civil War. Several Confederate units were raised in Dawson County, including:

• 21st Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company E Concord Rangers
• 22nd Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company I, Dawson County Independents
• 38th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company I (Wright's Legion), Dawson Farmers
• 38th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company L (Wright's Legion)
• 52nd Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry, Company I

The 1st Georgia Infantry Battalion (Union), Companies B and C also was raised there.

After Civil War to present

Dawson County is known for its long involvement in auto racing, which was established in the 20th century; many of the original NASCAR racers came from this area, and Dawsonville is now one of a few areas considered to be the "birthplace of stock car racing".^[6] Local racing skills are said to have been developed by men who ran moonshine down Georgia State Route 9, also known as Thunder Road, to Atlanta. The celebration of Dawson County's history and its involvement in bootlegging moonshine during the Prohibition era now occurs every October, dubbed the Moonshine Festival.

Locals have referred to Dawson County as the "Moonshine Capital of the World". This title is claimed by many other cities and communities, but is fiercely defended by residents of the area. Allegedly, bootleggers took advantage of the county's relative isolation and the ability to move so much moonshine to the larger cities, especially Atlanta, during the United States Prohibition era.

Adjacent counties

• Fannin County - north
• Lumpkin County - northeast
• Hall County - east
• Forsyth County - south
• Cherokee County - southwest
• Pickens County - west
• Gilmer County - northwest

National protected area

• Chattahoochee National Forest (part)

Major highways

• U.S. Route 19
• State Route 9
• State Route 52
• State Route 53
• State Route 136
• State Route 183
• State Route 400

Pedestrians and cycling

2000 census

As of the census^[14] of 2010, 22,330 people, and 10,425 households, and 6,390 families were living in the county. The racial makeup of the county was 95.62% White, 0.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 1.6% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.1% of the population.

Of the 8,433 households, 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 24.2% were not families. About 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals living alone, and 6.5% of whom were 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61, and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the population was distributed as 5.7% under the age of 5, 6.5% at 5–9 years, 6.8% at 10–14 years, 6.0% at 15–19 years, 6.1% at 20–24 years, 5.7% at 25–29 years, 5.8% at 30–34 years, 6.6% at 35–39 years, 6.9% at 40–44 years, 8.1% at 45–49 years, 7.2% at 50–54 years, 7.0% at 55–59 years, 7.6% at 60–64 years, 6.0% at 65–69 years, 3.6% at 70–74 years, 2.4% at 75–79 years, 1.3% at 80–84 years, and 0.8% over age 85. The median age was 40.6 years - 11,164 were male and 11,166 were female.

The median income for a household in the county was estimated at $51,989, and for a family was estimated at $60,455. About 8.9% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.^[15]

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 22,330 people, 8,433 households, and 6,390 families living in the county.^[16] The population density was 105.9 inhabitants per square mile (40.9 inhabitants/km²). There were 10,425 housing units at an average density of 49.4 units per square mile (19.1 units/km²).^[17] The racial makeup of the county was 95.6% white, 0.6% Asian, 0.5% black or African American, 0.4% American Indian, 1.6% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.1% of the population.^[16] In terms of ancestry, 18.9% were American, 18.8% were Irish, 14.7% were English, and 13.6% were German.^[18]

Of the 8,433 households, 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 24.2% were non-families, and 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 40.6 years.^[16]

The median income for a household in the county was $51,128 and the median income for a family was $60,236. Males had a median income of $41,726 versus $31,978 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,557. About 7.8% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.^[19]

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 26,798 people, 9,041 households, and 6,491 families residing in the county. Between 2021 and 2022, Dawson experienced a 5.8% growth in population, making it the fourth fastest growing county in the nation.^[21]

Cities

• Dawsonville

Unincorporated communities

• Juno
• Afton

Private communities

Several large, gated, private communities function similar to a municipality, providing many municipal-type services that operate independently of county government.

• Big Canoe