Dowagiac is a somewhat small city located in the state of Michigan. With a population of 5,600 people and five associated neighborhoods, Dowagiac is the 175th largest community in Michigan.

The citizens of Dowagiac are slightly less educated than the national average of 21.84% for the average city or town: 15.11% of adults in Dowagiac have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree

The per capita income in Dowagiac in 2018 was $26,417, which is lower middle income relative to Michigan and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $105,668 for a family of four. However, Dowagiac contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Dowagiac also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 32.77% of its population below the federal poverty line.

Dowagiac is a very ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Dowagiac home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Dowagiac residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Dowagiac include German, Irish, English, European, and Polish.

The most common language spoken in Dowagiac is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Polish.