Dorchester County, Maryland Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Dorchester County, MD Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in Maryland
-
C
Income Below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Maryland
-
D
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in Maryland
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Dorchester County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,754 | 6,204,886 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 33.3 | 500.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.12% | 0.51% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.8 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,546 | 2,362,551 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Dorchester County grew by 3.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 32,754 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Dorchester County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.9% of residents. That is 0.9 points above Maryland as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,973 18.2% -2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,102 18.6% -3.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,175 21.9% +0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,090 21.6% +5.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Maryland, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 53.2% of the people living in Dorchester County and men 46.8%.
- Women 53.2% Maryland 51.5%
- Men 46.8% Maryland 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Dorchester County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Dorchester County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Dorchester County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,608 | $103,916 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.29% | 3.98% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Dorchester County is about 40% lower than in Maryland.
Housing
| Metric | Dorchester County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $216,435 | $267,101 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,032 | $1,704 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.6% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Dorchester County is about 17.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,032 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Dorchester County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 180 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Dorchester County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.6 | 28.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.2 | 56.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 180 | 236 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,579 | $7,301 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.3% | 19.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,802 | 16,437 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 770 | 2,353 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Maryland:
Talbot County (17.8 min), Allegany County (17.8 min), Wicomico County (18.1 min).
Slowest:
Charles County (40.0 min), Calvert County (33.6 min), Prince George's County (32.5 min).
The average commute time in Dorchester County is 22 minutes, shorter than the 28 minutes in Maryland.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Dorchester County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Dorchester County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.5% | 39.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 2.57 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Maryland:
Howard County (0.5), Montgomery County (0.5), Talbot County (0.4).
Lowest:
Somerset County (0.2), Caroline County (0.2), Allegany County (0.2).
Health
Dorchester County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Dorchester County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.6 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.0% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.2% | 15.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Maryland:
Montgomery County (0.8), Howard County (0.8), Frederick County (0.8).
Lowest:
Baltimore city (0.8), Somerset County (0.8), Dorchester County (0.8).
Dorchester County, MD 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 household income tells the same story from another angle: $62,608 against a local median of $85,514, 27% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 27% below the local median it puts Dorchester County, MD at the weaker end of the local range. 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 household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester County, MD | 32,754 | $62,608 #6/6 | $216,435 #5/6 | 21.6 min #4/6 |
| Talbot County, MD | 37,917 | $85,514 | $472,999 | 17.8 min |
| Somerset County, MD | 24,822 | $63,559 | $260,756 | 21.0 min |
| Wicomico County, MD | 104,905 | $76,195 | $176,769 | 18.1 min |
| Calvert County, MD | 94,313 | $134,676 | $403,977 | 33.6 min |
| St. Mary's County, MD | 115,126 | $119,889 | $350,857 | 22.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Dorchester County, Maryland.
How many people live in Dorchester County, Maryland?
About 32,754 people live in Dorchester County, Maryland, in 13,546 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Dorchester County, Maryland urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Dorchester County, Maryland has 33 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 39% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Dorchester County, Maryland an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.5 times the median household income ($216,435 against $62,608), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,032 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Dorchester County, Maryland?
18.5% of adults in Dorchester County, Maryland hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →