Health Profile of Dorchester County, South Carolina
Dorchester County Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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B
Dorchester County Around averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Dorchester County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 10.2% | 9.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 14.5% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Dorchester County is 78.0 years, about 2.2 years longer than the South Carolina average of 75.8 years. The uninsured rate is 10.2%, higher than the South Carolina average of 9.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 14.5% of residents, lower than the South Carolina average of 19.6%.
Population by Age
Older residents
52,439 residents in Dorchester County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,097 603 men · 1,494 women
- 75–84 5,885 2,648 men · 3,237 women
- 65–74 13,727 6,396 men · 7,332 women
- 50–64 30,730 14,823 men · 15,907 women
Younger residents
38,889 residents in Dorchester County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 13,122 6,756 boys · 6,366 girls
- 7–12 11,561 5,797 boys · 5,763 girls
- 3–7 8,216 4,064 boys · 4,152 girls
- 0–3 5,990 3,018 boys · 2,972 girls
About 5,716 residents in Dorchester County (3.4% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.0 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Dorchester County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 10.4% | 14.2% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.8% | 6.4% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.6% | 7.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.2% | 39.9% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in Dorchester County is about 27% lower than in South Carolina. The rate of heart disease in Dorchester County is about 24% lower than in South Carolina.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Dorchester County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18.5% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.1% | 16.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 23.4% | 30.0% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in Dorchester County is about 22% lower than in South Carolina.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 234,311 cigarettes a day, 7.0 million a month, or 85.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.6 million minutes a day and 940.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Dorchester County is 78.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.06 lifetimes a day, or 23 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Dorchester County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.98 | 6.97 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.0 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Dorchester County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Dorchester County, SC Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Dorchester County, SC is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 166,443 residents against a local median of 83,253. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Dorchester County, SC an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is uninsured, 10% above the local median at 10.2% against 9.3%. Dorchester County, SC has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester County, SC | 166,443 | 78.0 yrs #1/6 | 10.2% #5/6 | 37.2% #2/6 |
| Colleton County, SC | 38,792 | 73.5 yrs | 15.0% | 39.8% |
| Berkeley County, SC | 246,888 | 77.0 yrs | 9.3% | 37.9% |
| Orangeburg County, SC | 83,253 | 74.2 yrs | 9.7% | 43.9% |
| Charleston County, SC | 420,867 | 77.6 yrs | 8.3% | 31.3% |
| Clarendon County, SC | 30,986 | 75.4 yrs | 9.0% | 41.8% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Dorchester County, South Carolina has an overall health index grade of B, making it notably better than South Carolina, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Dorchester County, South Carolina.
What is the health grade for Dorchester County, South Carolina?
Dorchester County, South Carolina has a Map AI Health Index grade of B, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a B grade means residents are somewhat healthier than the U.S. average.
Is Dorchester County, South Carolina one of the healthiest counties in South Carolina?
Dorchester County ranks 3rd healthiest out of 46 counties in South Carolina by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Dorchester County, South Carolina?
People in Dorchester County, South Carolina can expect to live 78.0 years on average, 2.2 years longer than the South Carolina average of 75.8.
How many people lack health insurance in Dorchester County, South Carolina?
10.2% of residents in Dorchester County, South Carolina have no health insurance, about 1 in 10 people, 0.6 points above the South Carolina rate of 9.6%.
How common is obesity in Dorchester County, South Carolina?
37.2% of adults in Dorchester County, South Carolina are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.8 points below the South Carolina rate of 39.9%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Dorchester County, South Carolina go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 234,311 cigarettes a day, 7.0 million a month, or 85.5 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 2.6 million minutes a day and 940.8 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Dorchester County is 78.0 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.06 lifetimes a day, or 23 lifetimes a year.
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