← Map/South Carolina/Counties/Dorchester

Dorchester
South Carolina

162K

Population

$74K

Median Income

$351K

Median Home

R+15

Politics

Economy

Median Household Income$74K
This county
national avg ~$75K
Poverty Rate10.7%
This county
national avg ~11.5%
Unemployment Rate2.9%
This county
national avg ~3.8%
GDP per Capita$36,181
Federal Spending per Capita$361
Median Individual Earnings$45K
This county
national avg $45K
Professional/Management Workers39.2%
Average Adjusted Gross Income$68K
Avg Credit Score662
Work From Home %7.5%
This county
national avg 17.0%
Population Under 1824.1%
This county
national avg 22.0%
Single-Person Households24.3%
This county
national avg 28.0%
Banks & Finance Firms91
Income (20th Percentile)$34K
Income (80th Percentile)$143K
Income (95th Percentile)$224K
Bachelor's Degree or Higher27.0%
This county
national avg 35.0%
Less Than High School9.4%
This county
national avg 11.0%
Knowledge Economy GDP %9.8%
Dependency Ratio1.08
Medicare Spending / Person$3,763
SS Benefits / Person$3,450
Education Wage Premium1.83x
Median Earnings (Bachelor's)$60K
Median Earnings (Graduate)$71K
Median Earnings (HS Diploma)$39K
Public Assistance Recipients1.2%
Average Annual Wage$54K
Professional Services Concentration0.65x national
This county
1.0 = national average share

Housing

Median Home Value$349K
This county
$310K state avg
$303K national
Median Sale Price$348K
This county
$303K national
Market Rent (ZORI)$1696/mo
This county
$1350/mo state avg
$1400/mo national
Property Tax Rate0.60%
This county
0.43% state avg
1.10% national

Annual tax on median home: $1,626

Affordability & Supply

HUD Fair Market Rent (2BR)$1,787/mo
Home Price Change (1 yr)+1.8%
Home Value to Income Ratio3.0x income
Severely Cost-Burdened Households12.3%
Homeownership Rate74.8%
This county
national avg ~65%

Market Activity

Listings with Price CutsHigh — sellers are negotiating
25.1%
Active Listings
1,181
New Listings / Month
297

Source: Zillow Research · Updated monthly

Days on Market (Redfin)Slow — buyers have leverage
62 days
Months of Supply (Redfin)Balanced market
3.6 mo
Sold Above List (Redfin)
18.2%
Sale-to-List Ratio (Redfin)Sellers market — homes selling at or above list
99.1%

Source: Redfin · Updated monthly

Health

Life Expectancy77.0 yrs
This county
national avg ~78.5 years
Hospital Rating5.0 / 5
This county
national avg 3.0 stars
Food Insecurity7.8%
This county
national avg ~11%
Food Environment Index8.5 / 10
This county
higher = better access
Primary Care Shortage Score12
This county
national avg 5
Mental Health Shortage Score17
Dental Care Shortage Score3
Healthcare Shortage Score10.7
Healthcare Offices228
Obesity Rate (BRFSS)35.0%
This county
national avg 32.0%
Smoking Rate (BRFSS)13.1%
This county
national avg 14.0%
Poor Health Rate (BRFSS)17.8%
This county
national avg 18.0%
Physical Inactivity (BRFSS)24.0%
This county
national avg 24.0%
High Blood Pressure (BRFSS)32.8%
This county
national avg 32.0%
Active Physicians136
Nursing Home Rating2.8 / 5
This county
national avg ~3 stars
ER Visits per 1,000 Medicare Patients622 / 1,000
Medicare Cost per Beneficiary$13,389
Uninsured (under 65)10.0%
This county
national avg ~10%
Adults with Depression22.1%

Education

Math Test Scores3.04 grade level
Reading Test Scores3.26 grade level
HS Diploma Holders22,599
Bachelor's Degree Holders12,707
HS Completion Rate90.6%
This county
national avg ~85%
Private Schools33

Safety

Violent Crime Rate3.6 / 1,000
This county
national avg ~4.0
Firearm Fatality Rate15.9 / 100K
This county
national avg ~13.6/100K
Homicide Rate7.7 / 100K
This county
national avg ~7.5/100K
Drug Overdose Rate26.2 / 100K
This county
national avg ~21/100K
Traffic Fatalities15
Social Vulnerability (CDC SVI)63th pct
Drug Overdose Deaths (2024)21.2 / 100K
Suicide Rate16.5 / 100K
This county
national avg ~14/100K

Climate & Air Quality

Natural Amenity Scale-1.1
January Sunshine0.89
January Temperature1.20
Average Temp66°F
Avg High Temp77°F
Avg Low Temp55°F
Median AQIAQI 47
Good Air Days211 days/yr
Unhealthy Air Days2 days/yr
Annual Precipitation43.6 in/yr
Avg Storm Events28.4 storms/yr
Avg Annual Storm Damage$74K
Drought Index (2022)-0.18
Heating Degree Days2,015 HDD/yr
This county
national avg ~4,500 HDD/yr
Cooling Degree Days2,416 CDD/yr
This county
national avg ~1,200 CDD/yr
Heating Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)2,353 HDD/yr
Cooling Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)2,043 CDD/yr
Avg Tornadoes / Year0.6
Avg Flood Events / Year1.4
Avg Hail Events / Year4.2
Avg Hurricane Events / Year0.00
Avg Wildfire Events / Year0.0
Avg Winter Storms / Year0.0
Avg Heat Events / Year0.0
Natural Hazard Risk (FEMA)97 / 100
Community Resilience (FEMA)60 / 100
Federal Disaster Declarations26 since 1953
Fine Particulate Pollution (PM2.5)8.1 µg/m³
This county
EPA standard 9 µg/m³

Outdoor & Recreation

Historic Places (NRHP)11 properties
FAA-Registered Airports2 total
Airports (excl. heliports)2 airports

Internet & Remote Work

Download Speed278 Mbps
This county
national avg ~120 Mbps
Upload Speed128 Mbps
Fixed Internet (Q1 2026)399 Mbps
Mobile Internet (Q1 2026)333 Mbps
Mobile Upload (Q1 2026)22 Mbps
Mobile Latency (Q1 2026)34 ms
Households with 100Mbps+91.3%
This county
national avg 75.0%
Cellular-Only Internet10.7%
This county
national avg 8.0%
Fixed Upload Speed (Q1 2026)176 Mbps

EV Infrastructure

EV Charging Stations16 stations
DC Fast Chargers20 chargers
Level 2 EV Chargers45

Commute & Transit

Remote Workers5,835 workers
Public Transit Commuters84 workers
Walk to Work425 workers
Extreme Commutes (90+ min)1,865 workers
Avg Commute Time28.6 min
This county
national avg ~27 min
Bike Commuters0.4%
Walk to Work0.6%

Families & Childcare

Childcare Cost Burden24.9%
This county
national median ~27% of household income
Childcare Centers4.0 per 10K residents
Childcare Facilities28

Civic & Community

Voter Turnout65.7%
This county
national avg ~55%
Volunteering Rate1.0%
Income Inequality (Gini)4.153
Nonprofit Organizations581
Veterans Share12.6%
This county
national avg 7.0%
Married Adults53.8%
Never-Married Adults31.4%
Divorced Adults9.6%
Religious Organizations75
Asian Population2.0%
Native American Population0.3%
Membership Associations5.9 per 10K residents

Lifestyle & Services

Full-Service Restaurants0.52 per 1K residents
Colleges & Universities1
Nursing & Care Facilities16
Grocery Stores35
Arts & Entertainment Venues17
Hotels & Lodging15
Recreation Businesses19
Professional Services Firms260
Veterinary Practices29
Real Estate Firms170
Museums3
Debt Burden
Avg Mortgage Balance$72K
Avg Student Loan Balance$15K
Avg Credit Card Balance$5K
Loan Delinquency Rate53.2%
This county
national avg 4.0%

Innovation

Inventor Rate0.12%

Politics

R+15

2024 Presidential · South Carolina was R+13 statewide

vs South Carolina State

Income tax
6.2%Same (state law)
Property tax
0.60%0.43% state avg
Politics
R+15R+13
COL Index
County data93 (state)

Population & Migration

Net Domestic Migration 2023

+3K

More people arriving than leaving

IRS Wealth Migration

Lower-income migration pattern (IRS: 0.86x avg income)

Economic Mobility

39%

chance a low-income child reaches the middle class

Source: Opportunity Insights

Real Estate

Find Homes in Dorchester County

Median home value: $351K

View on Zillow →View on Realtor.com →

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Local News — Dorchester

FITSNews · 20 hours ago

School Threat in Dorchester County Deemed ‘Not Credible’

by WILL FOLKS. ***. A threat issued against a middle school in the South Carolina Lowcountry this we

MaxPreps · 5 days ago

Woodland High School (Dorchester, SC) Volleyball

Fall Woodland Wolverines Varsity Girls Volleyball Season ... Welcome to the Woodland Girls Volleybal

WCIV · 4 weeks ago

DD4 parents question district response to transitioning teacher

DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — Nineteen families with children enrolled at a Dorchester School Dis

Ballotpedia · Apr 28, 2026

James Weaver (Dorchester County Council District 7, South Carolina, candidate 2026)

James Weaver (Republican Party) ran for election to the Dorchester County Council District 7 in Sout

USAFacts · Apr 6, 2026

How many people live in Dorchester County, SC?

How many people live in Dorchester County, SC ? ... In 2025, there were about 178,400 people living

FOX Carolina News · 1 month ago

Parents warned of confirmed tuberculosis case at South Carolina high school

DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) — A confirmed case of tuberculosis has been identified at Summerville

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Data: Census ACS, BLS, Zillow, USDA Natural Amenities, OpenElections 2024, CMS, NCES. Vintage 2022–2025. News via Google News.

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable