Population 255 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Dorchester
Household size in Dorchester
| Period | Dorchester | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.33 | 2.52 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.20 | 2.53 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.49 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.16 | 2.46 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.83 | −0.06 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
Dorchester is a place of big households: 3.16 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.33, 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
| Period | Dorchester | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 50.6 | 38.5 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 51.0 | 39.5 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.9 | 40.7 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.8 | 40.8 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −11.8 | +2.3 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 38.8, the median age in Dorchester is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is younger than in the wider St. Louis area, where the median age is 40.8.
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
| Period | Dorchester | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 11.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.0% | 11.5% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 11.0% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 11.1% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.5% of households in Dorchester, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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
Renters in Dorchester
| Period | Dorchester | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 28.3% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.3% | 30.1% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 31.1% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.9% | 29.6% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | +12.5 pts | +1.4 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 22.9% of households in Dorchester rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. More than four in ten owners (45.4%) have paid off their mortgages, above 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
| Period | Dorchester | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 9.6% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.7% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.7% | 10.1% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.5% | 8.8% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +15.5 pts | −0.8 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Dorchester: 28.5% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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
| Period | Dorchester | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1972 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1972 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1973 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1969 | 1975 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | −1 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Dorchester is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1969, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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
| Period | Dorchester | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $718 | $825 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $457 | $920 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $857 | $1,010 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $821 | $1,239 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$103 | +$414 | +$475 | +$606 |
The median renter in Dorchester pays $821 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 14.9% 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
Bachelor's degrees in Dorchester
| Period | Dorchester | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.0% | 30.3% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.1% | 32.1% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.5% | 34.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.6% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | +8.3 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Dorchester have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 17.6%, against 35.6% nationally.
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
| Period | Dorchester | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.1% | 88.8% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.1% | 90.5% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.6% | 92.1% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.7% | 93.6% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.6 pts | +4.8 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Dorchester: 96.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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
| Period | Dorchester | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 8.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 4.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.7% | 4.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −10.5 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Dorchester has been strong: just 0.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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 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 | 3.16 | 38.8 | 3.5% | 22.9% | 28.5% | 1969 | $821 | 17.6% | 96.7% | 0.7% |
| Wilsonville | 2.52 | 41.3 | 10.6% | 20.9% | 11.3% | 1972 | $796 | 20.1% | 90.7% | 2.7% |
| Mount Clare | 2.72 | 42.8 | 14.7% | 22.2% | 25.5% | 1951 | $736 | 11.8% | 86.8% | 3.1% |
| Royal Lakes | 3.03 | 33.3 | 5.3% | 25.1% | 29.1% | 1988 | $349 | 10.5% | 86.7% | 0.0% |
| Bunker Hill | 2.72 | 42.3 | 8.0% | 19.9% | 13.4% | 1971 | $875 | 16.3% | 94.6% | 3.5% |
| Sawyerville | 1.91 | 57.2 | 11.6% | 15.5% | 21.9% | 1971 | $538 | 13.5% | 90.7% | 4.3% |
| Benld | 2.08 | 47.8 | 9.8% | 27.3% | 25.0% | 1949 | $829 | 11.2% | 88.0% | 6.9% |
| Gillespie | 2.59 | 47.1 | 9.6% | 26.3% | 21.0% | 1951 | $821 | 21.0% | 95.1% | 4.2% |
| East Gillespie | 2.50 | 46.6 | 10.7% | 13.7% | 20.6% | 1954 | $961 | 16.3% | 95.1% | 2.9% |
| Eagarville | 2.45 | 44.8 | 17.3% | 12.9% | 22.4% | 1973 | $1,554 | 10.9% | 85.7% | 2.5% |
| White City | 2.84 | 44.5 | 7.1% | 15.1% | 7.1% | 1985 | $614 | 17.5% | 87.2% | 3.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Herrick, SD · Hazelton, KS · Headrick, OK · Hebron, WV · Helmville, MT · Hematite, VA · Hereford, WV · Hermitage, NY · Herod, IL · Haysville, PA
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. 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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