Dorchester County, South Carolina 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 4% below the South Carolina median$229,758
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Median rent 24% above the South Carolina median Among the 5 most expensive counties in South Carolina$1,463
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Dorchester County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $229,758 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 4.8% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,463 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.4% | 4.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Dorchester County is about 4% lower than in South Carolina. Rent is about 24% higher than the South Carolina 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 4.8% and 5.4% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
Median rent in Dorchester County rose about 54.6% between 2015 and 2024, from $946 to $1,463. Over the same span, rent in South Carolina rose about 49.3%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 2.9 yearly household incomes in Dorchester County.
Buying the median-priced home in Dorchester County costs roughly 13.1 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Dorchester County. The price-to-rent ratio in South Carolina is about 16.9.
| Metric | Dorchester County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $229,758 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $78,650 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Dorchester County rose about 42.5%, while median household income rose about 36.8% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Dorchester County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 70.3% | 62.3% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 22.8% | 24.4% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 6.9% | 13.3% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 14.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2012 | 2011 | 2011 |
Dorchester County has a homeownership rate of 70.3%, higher than the South Carolina average of 62.3%. Its housing vacancy rate is 6.9%, compared with 13.3% in South Carolina.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Dorchester County | South Carolina Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.60 people | 2.44 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1997 | 1990 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 6.1 | 5.7 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Dorchester County was built around 1997. On average, 2.6 people live in a home with about 6.1 rooms, staying for about 14.0 years on average.
Dorchester County, SC Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Dorchester County, SC is typical in size for this group, 166,443 residents against a local median of 165,071, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. 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 median rent, 14% above the local median at $1,463 against $1,285. Dorchester County, SC has the 3rd highest median rent of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester County, SC | 166,443 | $229,758 #3/5 | $1,463 #3/5 | 75.5% #1/5 |
| Colleton County, SC | 38,792 | $202,900 | $949 | 73.3% |
| Berkeley County, SC | 246,888 | $293,174 | $1,651 | 74.6% |
| Orangeburg County, SC | 83,253 | $97,595 | $841 | 67.0% |
| Charleston County, SC | 420,867 | $482,575 | $1,621 | 63.9% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Dorchester County, South Carolina.
What is the median home price in Dorchester County, South Carolina?
The median home price in Dorchester County, South Carolina is $229,758, lower than the South Carolina average of $239,609.
What is the average home price in Dorchester County, South Carolina?
The typical home price in Dorchester County, South Carolina, reported as the median sale price, is $229,758. 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, South Carolina?
The median gross rent in Dorchester County, South Carolina is $1,463 per month, higher than the South Carolina average of $1,179.
What was the median gross rent in Dorchester County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Dorchester County, South Carolina was $1,134 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Dorchester County, South Carolina?
The price-to-rent ratio in Dorchester County, South Carolina is about 13.1, meaning it would take roughly 13.1 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Dorchester County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Dorchester County, South Carolina?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Dorchester County, up about 4.8% and 5.4% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Dorchester County, South Carolina?
70.3% of households in Dorchester County, South Carolina own their home, higher than the South Carolina average of 62.3%.
What is the vacancy rate in Dorchester County, South Carolina?
The housing vacancy rate in Dorchester County, South Carolina is 6.9%, lower than the South Carolina average of 13.3%.
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