Population 277 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Dorchester
Household size in Dorchester
| Period | Dorchester | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.87 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.58 | 2.82 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.34 | 2.78 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.24 | 2.76 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.63 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Dorchester are small: just 2.24 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.87, 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 | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.3 | 39.1 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.8 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 49.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 51.6 | 40.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +12.4 | +1.8 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 51.6, Dorchester is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 11.6% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.6% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.9% 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 | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 33.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.2% | 35.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 7.6% | 36.1% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 17.8% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +9.5 pts | +3.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Dorchester is largely a place of homeowners: only 17.8% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than half of owners (54.0%) have paid off their mortgages, well 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 | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 9.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 26.2% | 9.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 6.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Dorchester than nationally: 6.0%, against 9.6% for the U.S. New Jersey as a whole looks much the same.
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 | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1956 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1961 | 1966 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1955 | 1967 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1969 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Dorchester is a place of older homes: half were built before 1962, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,073 | $1,246 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $975 | $1,324 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,031 | $1,522 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,361 | $1,896 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$288 | +$651 | +$606 |
The median renter in Dorchester pays $1,361 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 22.2% 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
Bachelor's degrees in Dorchester
| Period | Dorchester | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.5% | 34.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.4% | 36.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.9% | 39.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.9% | 43.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | −10.6 pts | +8.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Dorchester have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 11.9%, 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 | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.8% | 87.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.3% | 88.1% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.9% | 89.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.9% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +20.2 pts | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in Dorchester have finished high school (92.9%), 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 | New Jersey | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 9.8% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.5% | 6.4% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Dorchester than nationally: unemployment was 4.5%, against 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 | 2.24 | 51.6 | 4.9% | 17.8% | 6.0% | 1962 | $1,361 | 11.9% | 92.9% | 4.5% |
| Heislerville | 2.27 | 51.2 | 3.2% | 18.6% | 6.8% | 1957 | $1,277 | 11.7% | 93.0% | 6.8% |
| Leesburg | 1.90 | 43.5 | 1.7% | 16.5% | 9.6% | 1955 | $1,279 | 3.3% | 83.3% | 3.8% |
| Mauricetown | 1.71 | 64.2 | 17.6% | 5.6% | 16.4% | 1951 | $1,472 | 25.2% | 84.1% | 0.3% |
| Port Elizabeth | 2.39 | 46.1 | 11.2% | 24.6% | 5.3% | 1982 | $1,725 | 17.8% | 91.8% | 12.3% |
| Delmont | 2.34 | 47.8 | 7.5% | 19.1% | 6.4% | 1970 | $1,480 | 16.6% | 91.8% | 6.6% |
| Port Norris | 2.49 | 41.3 | 24.0% | 36.9% | 12.9% | 1948 | $1,547 | 11.4% | 89.8% | 3.8% |
| Buckshutem | 1.69 | 64.7 | 17.8% | 5.3% | 16.7% | 1950 | $1,465 | 25.4% | 83.9% | 0.0% |
| Laurel Lake | 2.51 | 42.2 | 17.6% | 24.2% | 10.9% | 1977 | $1,247 | 7.7% | 93.2% | 7.1% |
| Menantico | 2.39 | 46.1 | 11.1% | 24.8% | 5.0% | 1981 | $1,682 | 18.2% | 91.3% | 11.8% |
| Eldora | 2.52 | 41.7 | 7.4% | 15.6% | 9.1% | 1971 | $1,352 | 25.7% | 89.4% | 1.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Hickston, TX · Shamrock Shores, TX · Sharon, KS · Shelburne, MA · Sheldon, ND · Shepard, SC · Jameson, MN · Ita, NC · Huxford, AL · Hurley, MO
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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