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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Dorchester County

South Carolina · 161,540 residents · 568 sq mi
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The short version

Dorchester County is a county of 161,540 people in South Carolina. Since 2000 the county has risen by half, up 65,127 people. 73% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 6%. Households here earn about 16% more than in South Carolina as a whole. 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 38.0
US median: 38.8
Average education
28% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 54%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
161,540
+68%since 2000
from 96,413 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
38.0
+10%since 2000
from 34.7 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
568 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
75K100K125K150K176K19902000201020202024Dorchester County
2024167K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.9%(9,529)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.9%(11,210)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 147.6%(12,309)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.8%(10,931)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.3%(8,555)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.1%(21,168)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.7%(22,138)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.7%(20,529)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.8%(20,743)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 749.6%(15,450)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.3%(6,905)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.3%(2,073)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$63,501
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $43,316 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$29,856
+58%since 2000
from $18,840 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
41.8%
+9.6 ptssince 2009
from 32.2% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
12.0%
+2.4 ptssince 2000
from 9.7% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade12.6%
US avg: 10%
Information12.3%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade7.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance6.3%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical5.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Other services3.4%
US avg: 6.6%
Arts, entertainment, food2.3%
US avg: 2%
Public administration2.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
US avg: 2.5%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$213,000
+54%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $92,200 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,134
+33%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $568 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
73.2%
−1.7 ptssince 2000
from 75.0% in 2000
26.8% rent
Persons per household
2.80 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.81 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.4
+11%since 2009
from 3.0 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic70.1%(67,578)
Black25%(24,067)
Hispanic / Latino1.8%(1,722)
Asian1.1%(1,077)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic61.4%(99,145)
Black23.7%(38,278)
Hispanic / Latino6.7%(10,861)
Asian2%(3,286)
Other4%(6,448)
Segregation Score
26
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
Mexican2.4%(3,793)
Central American1.2%(1,954)
Puerto Rican0.8%(1,303)
Guatemalan0.5%(865)
Colombian0.3%(450)
Panamanian0.2%(334)
Honduran0.2%(283)
Dominican0.1%(218)
Salvadoran0.1%(174)
Nicaraguan0.1%(153)
Costa Rican0.1%(145)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(128)
Cuban0.1%(116)
Venezuelan0.1%(99)
Spaniard0%(31)
Argentine0%(15)
Asian origin
Chinese0.6%(986)
Filipino0.6%(915)
Asian Indian0.2%(340)
Vietnamese0.1%(220)
Korean0.1%(197)
Thai0.1%(81)
Taiwanese0%(72)
Japanese0%(69)
Laotian0%(52)
Cambodian0%(12)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(31)
Ancestry
German11%(17,668)
Irish9.7%(15,713)
English9.6%(15,459)
American6.5%(10,443)
Italian4%(6,381)
Scottish2.6%(4,172)
French2.1%(3,378)
Polish1.5%(2,441)
Scotch-Irish1.4%(2,181)
British0.9%(1,384)
Swedish0.8%(1,340)
Dutch0.7%(1,112)
+ 38 more ancestry groups with data
Portuguese0.5%(859)
Welsh0.5%(831)
Greek0.5%(738)
Norwegian0.4%(572)
Russian0.3%(549)
Brazilian0.3%(412)
Canadian0.2%(401)
Lebanese0.2%(376)
Czech0.2%(350)
Romanian0.2%(347)
Belgian0.2%(345)
West Indian0.2%(333)
Hungarian0.2%(330)
Ukrainian0.2%(273)
Danish0.2%(259)
Slovak0.2%(257)
Croatian0.2%(250)
Swiss0.1%(222)
Finnish0.1%(153)
Lithuanian0.1%(145)
Armenian0.1%(129)
Austrian0.1%(128)
Jamaican0.1%(110)
Israeli0%(68)
Serbian0%(43)
Haitian0%(36)
Ethiopian0%(25)
Slovene0%(24)
Syrian0%(18)
Iranian0%(18)
Barbadian0%(12)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
28.2%
+6.8 ptssince 2000
from 21.4% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
89.0%
+6.8 ptssince 2000
from 82.2% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
9.7%
+2.4 ptssince 2000
from 7.3% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
30.6 min
+57%since 2000
from 19.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
85.8%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 83.1% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
3.4%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.7%
−3.1 ptssince 2011
from 8.8% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
63.7%
−3.5 ptssince 2011
from 67.2% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.4%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
38.1%
+7.1 ptssince 2009
from 31.0% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
Female
51.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
Foreign born
5.6%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
10.4%
−4.3 ptssince 2013
from 14.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
93.5%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
86.2%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
10.4%
−4.3 ptssince 2013
from 14.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
54.2%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
11.4%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
16.8%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
17.9%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
4.1%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
68.6%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
34.2%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)32.8%(5,053)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)37.9%(5,850)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era28.4%(4,381)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War2.4%(374)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II1.2%(184)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 15,427 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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Dorchester County to nearby counties

DORCHESTER COUNTY VS
Colleton County
Income$51,114−20%
Home value$162,500−24%
Population39,382−78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DORCHESTER COUNTY VS
Berkeley County
Income$84,358+33%
Home value$310,300+46%
Population274,666+54%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DORCHESTER COUNTY VS
Charleston County
Income$88,494+39%
Home value$489,100+130%
Population436,200+145%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DORCHESTER COUNTY VS
Orangeburg County
Income$45,675−28%
Home value$115,800−46%
Population83,177−53%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Dorchester County, South Carolina?

Dorchester County, South Carolina has about 161,540 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Dorchester County, South Carolina earns about $63,501 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 $213,000, and the typical rent is about $1,134 a month.

How educated are people in Dorchester County, South Carolina?

About 28.2% 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 12.0% 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 78,480 residents, a change of about 94 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →