The Dow Jones Industrial Average, conceived by Charles Dow in 1896 to serve as the market's benchmark, nowadays also serves as a can't-miss index for income investors. Especially if you're looking for dividend growth stocks.

The Dow consists of 30 large-cap U.S. businesses that are meant to reflect America's economy. Its constituents include many iconic companies, including Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Coca-Cola (KO). Impressively, all 30 stocks pay dividends.

Several of these companies can be found in Simply Safe Dividends' best high dividend stocks list. But high current yield isn't the only dividend metric you should look at. Dividend increases, for instance, can not only lead to higher yields later down the road, but also act as a signal helping you to identify companies with rising profits and a sturdy balance sheet.

Let's review nine of the best Dow Jones dividend growth stocks. These companies appear to be the best equipped to continue rewarding their shareholders with safe and fast-growing dividends for years to come.

Apple

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Apple (AAPL, $321.55) is the largest equity stake among Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK.B) dividend stocks, which Simply Safe Dividends has analyzed in detail.

Warren Buffett likes to own businesses that generate a lot of cash is becoming an increasingly important factor in owning the stock.