County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Dorchester County
- What is the median household income in Dorchester County?
- The median household income in Dorchester County is $75,329 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Dorchester County?
- The poverty rate in Dorchester County is 2.8% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Dorchester County?
- $237,900 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Dorchester County?
- The median gross rent in Dorchester County is $1,207 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Dorchester County residents have a college degree?
- 30.3% of adults in Dorchester County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
28,615
Median Income
$75,329
Median Home Value
$237,900
Poverty Rate
2.8%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
2.7%
Median Age
45.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$2,736 (+3.8%)
Home Value:
+$53,600 (+29.1%)
Poverty Rate:
-0.4 pp (-12.5%)
Bachelor's+:
-1.1 pp (-3.5%)
Unemployment:
-0.7 pp (-20.6%)
Demographics
Total Population
28,615
Median Age
45.0
Female
51.7%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 3.5%
White (non-Hisp.) 76.2%
Black 13.2%
Asian 3.4%
Two or More 4.0%
Other 1.4%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Vietnamese
1.1%
Chinese
0.5%
Filipino
0.2%
Korean
0.2%
Indian
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
1.8%
Cuban
0.2%
Puerto Rican
0.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$75,329
±$4,213
-$26,323 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$91,575
Median Family Income
$84,959
Poverty Rate
2.8%
-3.5 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
4.7%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
4.6%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
30.8%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
3.7%
$10–15k
2.1%
$15–25k
5.0%
$25–35k
8.9%
$35–50k
11.0%
$50–75k
19.0%
$75–100k
15.3%
$100–150k
19.4%
$150–200k
8.7%
$200k+
6.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
12,373
Owner-Occupied
76.9%
Renter-Occupied
23.1%
Vacancy Rate
4.2%
Median Home Value
$237,900
-$159,800 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,207
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
20.3%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
29.8%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
3.2%
$50–100k
1.2%
$100–200k
6.0%
$200–300k
45.2%
$300–500k
22.5%
$500k–$1M
2.6%
$1M+
0.4%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
2.9%
$500–1k
27.8%
$1–1.5k
39.2%
$1.5–2k
24.2%
$2–2.5k
4.4%
$2.5–3.5k
1.5%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
4.0%
1 vehicle
29.9%
2 vehicles
41.2%
3+
24.9%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
75.6%
Single-fam. att.
7.9%
2–4 units
1.2%
5–19 units
4.0%
20+ units
3.5%
Mobile home
2.4%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
0.7%
1940–1969
2.8%
1970–1999
22.9%
2000–2009
12.9%
2010+
7.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
94.0%
Bachelor's or Higher
30.3%
-12.4 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
10.8%
Some College / Associate
19.5%
Less Than High School
2.9%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
62.2%
Unemployment Rate
2.7%
-2.2 pp vs. state
Work from Home
16.0%
Self-Employed
4.6%
Government Workers
13.6%
Private For-Profit
81.9%
Industry
Edu/Health
24.3%
Prof. Services
11.4%
Manufacturing
11.4%
Retail
11.1%
Transportation
10.6%
Finance
6.3%
Arts/Entmt.
5.7%
Public Admin
4.5%
Construction
3.8%
Wholesale
3.0%
Information
1.4%
Occupation
Management
39.0%
Sales
23.7%
Production
17.7%
Food Prep
14.0%
Construction
5.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
20.2 min
Drove Alone
78.5%
Carpool
4.2%
Public Transit
0.0%
Work from Home
16.0%
Walked
0.5%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
11,852
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
48.7%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
14.6%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
4.8%
5–9
4.6%
10–14
4.8%
15–19
5.0%
20–24
5.4%
25–34
12.8%
35–44
12.5%
45–54
12.1%
55–64
8.2%
65–74
6.7%
75–84
14.2%
85+
7.0%
Under 18: 17.4%
Working age (18–64): 82.6%
65 and over: 23.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
6.7%
Naturalized Citizen
49.6%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
3.5%
Foreign-Born Origin
Asia
40.1%
Latin America
32.8%
Europe
21.1%
Africa
5.6%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
8.6%
With a Disability
12.5%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
94.5%
Uninsured
5.5%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
92.3%
Has a Computer
93.6%
Same House 1 Year Ago
91.4%
Moved from Abroad
0.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Dorchester County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Dorchester County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Other flows - South | 161 | 283 |
| Talbot County | 130 | 241 |
| Caroline County | 110 | 202 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 88 | 152 |
| Wicomico County | 84 | 145 |
| Anne Arundel County | 67 | 116 |
| Sussex County | 48 | 92 |
| Prince George's County | 39 | 67 |
| Baltimore County | 32 | 63 |
| Other flows - West | 29 | 48 |