Dorchester County is home to 32,754 people in Maryland. 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. That trails the Maryland median by roughly 40%. At a median age of 43.5, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 4% of people here were born outside the United States. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $262,400.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $61,839, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 43.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 64%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Dorchester County
What changed most since 1990
White share71.2% → 60.7%(−10.4 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree10.9% → 19.4%(+8.4 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)14.1%(290)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.3%(417)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era42.4%(871)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.7%(96)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.2%(4)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 2,056 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Dorchester County, decade by decade
Dorchester County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
30,236
$59,815
$163,685
10.9%
52.1
2000
30,674
$62,077
$160,306
12.0%
55.8
2010
32,618
$64,953
$294,907
16.5%
60.7
2020
32,531
$63,994
$227,015
19.9%
67.9
2024
32,754
$61,839
$262,400
19.4%
70.1
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
