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COUNTY

Dorchester County

South Carolina · 178,397 residents (2025 est.) · 568.409 sq mi
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The short version

Dorchester County has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $78,198. The county has grown rapidly, with population up 73% since 2000. Median home value has more than tripled since 2000, reaching $329,300. It sits in the top 10% of US counties for household income.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 96%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
167,201
+73%since 2000
from 96,413 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
294 / sq mi
+37%since 2009
from 215 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
38.0
+10%since 2000
from 34.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:178,397 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
75K100K125K150K176K1990201020202024Dorchester County
2024167K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.8%(9,751)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.1%(10,256)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.7%(12,874)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.5%(10,863)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.7%(9,591)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.5%(22,612)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.3%(23,926)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.5%(20,887)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.6%(21,034)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.4%(15,703)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.5%(7,496)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.3%(2,208)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$78,198
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $43,316 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$38,870
+106%since 2000
from $18,840 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
52.0%
+19.8 ptssince 2009
from 32.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
11.4%
+1.7 ptssince 2000
from 9.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.420
+6%since 2010
from 0.395 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade11.8%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade8.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance7.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical6.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services4.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration3.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services1.1%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$329,300
+96%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $92,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,463
+41%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $568 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
75.5%
+0.6 ptssince 2000
from 75.0% in 2000
24.5% rent
Vacancy rate
6.9%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
21.5%
−7.3 ptssince 2009
from 28.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
52.7%
+10.8 ptssince 2009
from 41.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.2
+39%since 2009
from 3.0 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
48
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Dorchester County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic70.1%(67,578)
Black25%(24,067)
Hispanic / Latino1.8%(1,722)
Asian1.1%(1,077)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic60.6%(101,283)
Black24.9%(41,565)
Hispanic / Latino7.2%(12,058)
Asian2.1%(3,492)
Other5.3%(8,803)
Diversity Score
70
+19%since 2009
from 59 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
22
−15%since 2020
from 26 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican3%(4,938)
Puerto Rican1.6%(2,717)
Central American0.9%(1,485)
South American0.7%(1,089)
Honduran0.5%(806)
Cuban0.4%(637)
Colombian0.2%(383)
Guatemalan0.2%(329)
Spaniard0.2%(302)
Venezuelan0.2%(301)
Panamanian0.1%(227)
Peruvian0.1%(215)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0.1%(157)
Ecuadorian0.1%(84)
Argentine0%(49)
Chilean0%(33)
Bolivian0%(24)
Asian origin
Filipino0.7%(1,201)
Vietnamese0.3%(452)
Asian Indian0.3%(440)
Chinese0.3%(419)
Cambodian0.1%(217)
Korean0.1%(162)
Laotian0.1%(116)
Taiwanese0.1%(90)
Japanese0%(57)
Pakistani0%(43)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Uzbek0%(12)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(79)
Chamorro0%(20)
Ancestry
English13%(21,717)
German10.6%(17,732)
Irish8.4%(14,037)
American5.4%(9,040)
Italian3.7%(6,188)
Scottish2.9%(4,928)
French2%(3,359)
Polish1.9%(3,117)
Scotch-Irish1.4%(2,420)
Swedish0.6%(1,046)
Norwegian0.6%(934)
+ 44 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.5%(769)
West Indian0.4%(698)
British0.4%(688)
Arab0.4%(652)
Portuguese0.4%(607)
Greek0.3%(584)
Czech0.3%(527)
Welsh0.3%(525)
Brazilian0.3%(487)
Lebanese0.3%(436)
Ukrainian0.2%(399)
Croatian0.2%(357)
Russian0.2%(352)
Australian0.2%(323)
Swiss0.2%(289)
Danish0.2%(285)
Finnish0.2%(279)
Jamaican0.2%(265)
Hungarian0.2%(259)
Austrian0.1%(241)
Nigerian0.1%(238)
Kenyan0.1%(233)
Canadian0.1%(175)
Haitian0.1%(167)
Slovak0.1%(151)
Armenian0.1%(129)
Lithuanian0.1%(93)
Syrian0.1%(87)
Moroccan0%(76)
Turkish0%(63)
Guyanese0%(43)
Belgian0%(26)
Serbian0%(26)
Romanian0%(21)
Slovene0%(18)
Barbadian0%(14)
Iranian0%(12)
Jordanian0%(11)
Egyptian0%(10)
Latvian0%(8)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest Italian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
29.8%
+8.4 ptssince 2000
from 21.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.1%
+10.0 ptssince 2000
from 82.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
11.5%
+4.2 ptssince 2000
from 7.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
31.3 min
+60%since 2000
from 19.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
77.9%
−5.2 ptssince 2009
from 83.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.0%
−2.8 ptssince 2009
from 10.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
11.2%
+7.6 ptssince 2009
from 3.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
3.5%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.9%
−3.9 ptssince 2011
from 8.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
65.0%
−2.2 ptssince 2011
from 67.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
12.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
39.1%
−22.8 ptssince 2009
from 61.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Female
51.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Foreign born
5.5%
+1.9 ptssince 2009
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
11.8%
−35.9 ptssince 2009
from 47.6% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.8%
+2.6 ptssince 2012
from 11.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
10.2%
−75.1 ptssince 2013
from 85.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.6%
+13.7 ptssince 2017
from 77.9% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
92.5%
−1.0 ptssince 2016
from 93.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.6%
+1.2 ptssince 2016
from 3.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34.8%(22,528)
Married54.6%(35,378)
Widowed2.6%(1,692)
Divorced8%(5,196)
Women 15+
Never married28.9%(20,063)
Married50.9%(35,380)
Widowed8.1%(5,621)
Divorced12.2%(8,462)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Dorchester County to nearby counties

DORCHESTER COUNTY VS
Colleton County
Income$51,114−35%
Home value$162,500−51%
Population39,382−78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DORCHESTER COUNTY VS
Berkeley County
Income$84,358+8%
Home value$310,300−6%
Population274,666+54%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DORCHESTER COUNTY VS
Charleston County
Income$88,494+13%
Home value$489,100+49%
Population436,200+145%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DORCHESTER COUNTY VS
Orangeburg County
Income$45,675−42%
Home value$115,800−65%
Population83,177−53%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Dorchester County, South Carolina?

Dorchester County, South Carolina has about 167,201 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Dorchester County, South Carolina?

The typical household in Dorchester County, South Carolina earns about $78,198 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Dorchester County, South Carolina expensive?

In Dorchester County, South Carolina, the median home is worth about $329,300, and the typical rent is about $1,463 a month.

How educated are people in Dorchester County, South Carolina?

About 29.8% of adults age 25 and over in Dorchester County, South Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Dorchester County, South Carolina?

About 11.4% of people in Dorchester County, South Carolina live below the federal poverty line.

Has Dorchester County, South Carolina grown since 1990?

Yes, Dorchester County, South Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 84,141 residents, a change of about 101 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

31 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 108.13Census Tract 108.01Census Tract 108.23Census Tract 108.18Census Tract 106.03Census Tract 105.01Census Tract 108.20Census Tract 108.17Census Tract 105.03Census Tract 104Census Tract 105.05Census Tract 108.08Census Tract 108.14Census Tract 107Census Tract 106.04Census Tract 106.07Census Tract 108.07Census Tract 102Census Tract 108.19Census Tract 105.08
8 ZIP codes
ZIP 29483ZIP 29485ZIP 29420ZIP 29472ZIP 29477ZIP 29437ZIP 29448ZIP 29471
Up the hierarchy
All counties in South Carolina
Rankings
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →