Dorchester County, South Carolina
CountyPopulation: 164,322 (2023 estimate)
Located in South Carolina
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 $76,896 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Dorchester County?
- The poverty rate in Dorchester County is 8.4% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Dorchester County?
- $294,400 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Dorchester County?
- The median gross rent in Dorchester County is $1,381 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Dorchester County residents have a college degree?
- 30.0% of adults in Dorchester County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
164,322
Median Income
$76,896
Median Home Value
$294,400
Poverty Rate
8.4%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
4.7%
Median Age
37.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$13,816 (+21.9%)
Home Value:
+$95,600 (+48.1%)
Poverty Rate:
-0.6 pp (-6.7%)
Bachelor's+:
+1.8 pp (+6.4%)
Unemployment:
+0.1 pp (+2.2%)
Demographics
Total Population
164,322
Median Age
37.0
Female
51.1%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
White (non-Hisp.) 61.3%
Black 25.1%
Asian 2.2%
Two or More 5.8%
Other 3.0%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Chinese
0.6%
Filipino
0.5%
Vietnamese
0.4%
Indian
0.1%
Korean
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
3.0%
Puerto Rican
1.3%
Cuban
0.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$76,896
±$3,033
+$10,078 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$95,008
Median Family Income
$93,301
Poverty Rate
8.4%
-1.7 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
13.1%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
8.1%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
28.0%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
3.8%
$10–15k
2.5%
$15–25k
5.8%
$25–35k
6.9%
$35–50k
11.6%
$50–75k
18.4%
$75–100k
13.7%
$100–150k
18.8%
$150–200k
10.4%
$200k+
8.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
66,435
Owner-Occupied
75.4%
Renter-Occupied
24.6%
Vacancy Rate
7.3%
Median Home Value
$294,400
+$57,700 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,381
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
19.5%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
42.7%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
7.1%
$50–100k
3.4%
$100–200k
4.3%
$200–300k
29.1%
$300–500k
36.8%
$500k–$1M
10.2%
$1M+
1.2%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
3.1%
$500–1k
15.6%
$1–1.5k
40.5%
$1.5–2k
27.4%
$2–2.5k
10.0%
$2.5–3.5k
2.2%
$3.5k+
1.2%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
2.9%
1 vehicle
31.6%
2 vehicles
41.0%
3+
24.5%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
66.6%
Single-fam. att.
5.2%
2–4 units
1.8%
5–19 units
4.7%
20+ units
3.4%
Mobile home
12.1%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
1.4%
1940–1969
0.7%
1970–1999
12.2%
2000–2009
27.5%
2010+
17.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
91.3%
Bachelor's or Higher
30.0%
-1.5 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
10.6%
Some College / Associate
23.9%
Less Than High School
3.1%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
64.6%
Unemployment Rate
4.7%
-0.3 pp vs. state
Work from Home
9.6%
Self-Employed
6.3%
Government Workers
18.7%
Private For-Profit
75.0%
Industry
Edu/Health
21.1%
Retail
12.4%
Manufacturing
12.1%
Prof. Services
11.4%
Arts/Entmt.
8.4%
Construction
8.3%
Transportation
7.5%
Public Admin
7.1%
Finance
4.2%
Information
1.8%
Wholesale
1.4%
Agriculture
0.4%
Occupation
Management
39.4%
Sales
20.6%
Production
15.8%
Food Prep
15.0%
Construction
9.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
31.0 min
Drove Alone
80.2%
Carpool
7.8%
Public Transit
0.1%
Work from Home
9.6%
Walked
0.6%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
61,573
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
51.5%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
20.1%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
5.8%
5–9
6.3%
10–14
7.7%
15–19
6.5%
20–24
5.7%
25–34
13.6%
35–44
14.1%
45–54
12.7%
55–64
6.0%
65–74
6.7%
75–84
9.3%
85+
4.2%
Under 18: 24.2%
Working age (18–64): 75.8%
65 and over: 14.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
6.3%
Naturalized Citizen
48.0%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
3.3%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
48.8%
Asia
22.5%
Europe
16.2%
Africa
2.3%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
12.1%
With a Disability
13.7%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
88.7%
Uninsured
11.3%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
88.6%
Has a Computer
95.8%
Same House 1 Year Ago
87.2%
Moved from Abroad
0.4%
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.) |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston County | 2,283 | 4,144 |
| Berkeley County | 1,718 | 3,205 |
| Other flows - South | 1,476 | 2,807 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 654 | 1,246 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 415 | 771 |
| Other flows - West | 398 | 840 |
| Colleton County | 143 | 285 |
| Orangeburg County | 125 | 265 |
| Richland County | 100 | 175 |
| Greenville County | 78 | 132 |