Population 1,359 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Dorchester Estates
Household size in Dorchester Estates
| Period | Dorchester Estates | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.59 | 2.61 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.76 | 2.62 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.86 | 2.63 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.86 | 2.51 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.28 | −0.10 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Dorchester Estates holds 2.86 people, more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.59, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Dorchester Estates
| Period | Dorchester Estates | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.0 | 36.2 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.0 | 37.1 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.7 | 38.5 | 40.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 30.2 | 39.2 | 41.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.8 | +3.0 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 30.2, Dorchester Estates is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Dorchester Estates
| Period | Dorchester Estates | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 12.9% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 12.3% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 10.5% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 10.1% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Dorchester Estates: 8.0% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Dorchester Estates
Renters in Dorchester Estates
| Period | Dorchester Estates | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.8% | 33.8% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.4% | 35.4% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.4% | 33.8% | 30.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 16.8% | 30.9% | 28.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −18.0 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 16.8% of households in Dorchester Estates rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than one in five owners (22.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Dorchester Estates
| Period | Dorchester Estates | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 13.5% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.6% | 11.6% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 10.7% | 13.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 9.9% | 11.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.1 pts | −3.6 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Dorchester Estates: just 3.7% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Dorchester Estates
| Period | Dorchester Estates | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1998 | 1986 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 2000 | 1987 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 2004 | 1989 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2008 | 1995 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +9 | +7 | +6 |
Dorchester Estates has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2008, versus 1980 nationally.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Dorchester Estates
| Period | Dorchester Estates | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,071 | $1,002 | $780 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,234 | $1,088 | $859 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,272 | $1,260 | $984 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,017 | $1,767 | $1,294 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$946 | +$765 | +$514 | +$606 |
Rent in Dorchester Estates runs $2,017 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 24.2% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Dorchester Estates
Bachelor's degrees in Dorchester Estates
| Period | Dorchester Estates | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.0% | 30.2% | 25.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.2% | 32.6% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.2% | 35.9% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.9% | 41.2% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.9 pts | +11.0 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Dorchester Estates than nationally: 29.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Dorchester Estates
| Period | Dorchester Estates | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.5% | 87.9% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.0% | 89.1% | 85.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.0% | 90.9% | 87.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 81.6% | 92.8% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −9.0 pts | +4.8 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in Dorchester Estates never finished high school, well above the national share: only 81.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Dorchester Estates
| Period | Dorchester Estates | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 7.8% | 9.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 9.5% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.7% | 4.3% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 3.6% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | −4.2 pts | −4.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Dorchester Estates runs well above the national rate: 7.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Dorchester Estates compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester Estates | 2.86 | 30.2 | 8.0% | 16.8% | 3.7% | 2008 | $2,017 | 29.9% | 81.6% | 7.9% |
| Long Ridge | 3.05 | 34.8 | 12.3% | 11.1% | 6.3% | 2015 | $2,244 | 44.9% | 94.2% | 3.6% |
| Jedburg | 2.82 | 39.0 | 12.3% | 14.8% | 15.8% | 2000 | $1,604 | 12.7% | 82.2% | 0.9% |
| Summerville | 2.73 | 37.4 | 13.4% | 22.2% | 6.9% | 2002 | $1,703 | 32.9% | 92.5% | 4.9% |
| Lincolnville | 2.60 | 32.7 | 20.2% | 21.7% | 7.9% | 2003 | $848 | 26.9% | 89.0% | 2.1% |
| Whitesville | 3.01 | 33.8 | 11.4% | 10.3% | 4.9% | 2018 | $2,426 | 51.1% | 97.7% | 4.2% |
| Ladson | 2.71 | 33.6 | 13.0% | 33.1% | 7.3% | 2002 | $1,781 | 25.9% | 92.6% | 5.2% |
| Strawberry | 3.01 | 37.4 | 5.1% | 12.8% | 8.2% | 2013 | $2,224 | 36.8% | 98.5% | 0.1% |
| Ridgeville | 2.49 | 41.3 | 9.7% | 14.7% | 11.6% | 1997 | $1,249 | 13.7% | 80.8% | 1.0% |
| Murraysville | 2.05 | 52.0 | 9.1% | 27.2% | 3.6% | 1996 | $931 | 22.7% | 92.9% | 3.9% |
| Givhans | 2.89 | 42.0 | 7.1% | 11.4% | 8.0% | 2000 | $1,537 | 22.4% | 91.1% | 0.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Stanley, LA · Bray, OK · Benkelman, NE · Bellemont, OK · Beemer, NE · Beaver, OR · Bath, NH · Batavia, IA · Avoca, AR · Aspermont, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Dorchester Estates. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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