Dorchester County, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Dorchester County, SC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in South Carolina
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 89% of counties in South Carolina
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 87% of counties in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Dorchester County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 166,443 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 291.7 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.49% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.9 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 62,850 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Dorchester County grew by 37.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 166,443 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Dorchester County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.5% of residents. That is 2.5 points above South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 35,615 21.4% +0.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 39,098 23.5% +2.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 33,674 20.2% on par
- Boomers 61–79 25,466 15.3% -3.2 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 South Carolina, 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 51.2% of the people living in Dorchester County and men 48.8%.
- Women 51.2% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 48.8% South Carolina 48.8%
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 B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Dorchester County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,650 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.21% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Dorchester County is about 13% higher than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Dorchester County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $229,758 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,463 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.5% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Dorchester County is about 13.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,463 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Dorchester County spend about 61 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 252 hours, about 10.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Dorchester County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.3 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 60.5 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 252 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,817 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.2% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,110 | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,401 | 1,499 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
South Carolina:
Greenwood County (16.5 min), Sumter County (18.2 min), Florence County (18.3 min).
Slowest:
McCormick County (33.9 min), Fairfield County (30.8 min), Chester County (30.6 min).
The average commute time in Dorchester County is 30 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in South Carolina.
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 C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Dorchester County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.2% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.60 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
South Carolina:
Charleston County (0.4), Beaufort County (0.3), Richland County (0.3).
Lowest:
Allendale County (0.1), Marlboro County (0.2), Chesterfield County (0.2).
Health
Dorchester County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Dorchester County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.5% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.5% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
South Carolina:
Beaufort County (0.8), Charleston County (0.8), Dorchester County (0.8).
Lowest:
Dillon County (0.8), Allendale County (0.8), Marlboro County (0.8).
Dorchester County, SC 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. Dorchester County, SC's median household income, at $78,650, runs 49% above the $52,680 typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread $42,919 on median household income, so Dorchester County, SC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Dorchester County, SC has the 3rd highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester County, SC | 166,443 | $78,650 #3/6 | $229,758 #3/6 | 30.3 min #5/6 |
| Colleton County, SC | 38,792 | $51,815 | $202,900 | 30.5 min |
| Berkeley County, SC | 246,888 | $84,225 | $293,174 | 27.8 min |
| Orangeburg County, SC | 83,253 | $45,561 | $97,595 | 22.9 min |
| Charleston County, SC | 420,867 | $88,480 | $482,575 | 22.3 min |
| Clarendon County, SC | 30,986 | $52,680 | $43,750 | 28.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Dorchester County, South Carolina.
What is the population of Dorchester County, South Carolina?
About 166,443 people live in Dorchester County, South Carolina, in 62,850 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 35.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Dorchester County, South Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Dorchester County, South Carolina has 292 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 3.4 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Dorchester County, South Carolina?
The median home costs 2.9 times the median household income ($229,758 against $78,650), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,463 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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