Dorchester County, Maryland Housing Market Prices
Dorchester County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 19% below the Maryland median Cheaper than 70% of counties in Maryland$216,435
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Median rent 39% below the Maryland median Among the top 5 cheapest counties in Maryland$1,032
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Dorchester County | Maryland Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $216,435 | $267,101 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 5.4% | 3.4% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,032 | $1,704 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 2.5% | 3.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Dorchester County is about 19% lower than in Maryland. Rent is about 39% lower than the Maryland average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Dorchester County, up about 5.4% and 2.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Dorchester County rose about 22.3% between 2015 and 2024, from $844 to $1,032. Over the same span, rent in Maryland rose about 38.7%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 3.5 yearly household incomes in Dorchester County.
Buying the median-priced home in Dorchester County costs roughly 17.5 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Dorchester County. The price-to-rent ratio in Maryland is about 13.1.
| Metric | Dorchester County | Maryland Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $216,435 | $267,101 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $62,608 | $103,916 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 3.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Dorchester County rose about 23.3%, while median household income rose about 35.4% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Dorchester County | Maryland Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 54.0% | 62.4% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 28.4% | 29.9% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 17.6% | 7.7% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 18.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2008 | 2011 | 2011 |
Dorchester County has a homeownership rate of 54.0%, lower than the Maryland average of 62.4%. Its housing vacancy rate is 17.6%, compared with 7.7% in Maryland.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Dorchester County | Maryland Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.38 people | 2.57 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1978 | 1977 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.9 | 6.2 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Dorchester County was built around 1978. On average, 2.4 people live in a home with about 5.9 rooms, staying for about 18.0 years on average.
Dorchester County, MD Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Dorchester County, MD is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 32,754 residents against a local median of 94,313. Where Dorchester County, MD breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 38% below the local median of $350,857 at $216,435.
Median rent tells the same story from another angle: $1,032 against a local median of $1,326, 22% below it. The counties themselves spread $296,231 on median home price, so Dorchester County, MD sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Dorchester County, MD has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester County, MD | 32,754 | $216,435 #5/6 | $1,032 #5/6 | 65.6% #5/6 |
| Talbot County, MD | 37,917 | $472,999 | $1,256 | 75.1% |
| Somerset County, MD | 24,822 | $260,756 | $1,013 | 73.1% |
| Wicomico County, MD | 104,905 | $176,769 | $1,326 | 62.3% |
| Calvert County, MD | 94,313 | $403,977 | $1,759 | 87.2% |
| St. Mary's County, MD | 115,126 | $350,857 | $1,747 | 73.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Dorchester County, Maryland.
What is the median home price in Dorchester County, Maryland?
The median home price in Dorchester County, Maryland is $216,435, lower than the Maryland average of $267,101.
What is the average home price in Dorchester County, Maryland?
The typical home price in Dorchester County, Maryland, reported as the median sale price, is $216,435. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Dorchester County, Maryland?
The median gross rent in Dorchester County, Maryland is $1,032 per month, lower than the Maryland average of $1,704.
What was the median gross rent in Dorchester County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Dorchester County, Maryland was $864 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Dorchester County, Maryland?
The price-to-rent ratio in Dorchester County, Maryland is about 17.5, meaning it would take roughly 17.5 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Dorchester County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Dorchester County, Maryland?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Dorchester County, up about 5.4% and 2.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Dorchester County, Maryland?
54.0% of households in Dorchester County, Maryland own their home, lower than the Maryland average of 62.4%.
What is the vacancy rate in Dorchester County, Maryland?
The housing vacancy rate in Dorchester County, Maryland is 17.6%, higher than the Maryland average of 7.7%.
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