Population 1,610 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Dorchester
Household size in Dorchester
| Period | Dorchester | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.30 | 2.61 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.35 | 2.62 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.70 | 2.63 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.50 | 2.51 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.20 | −0.10 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
The average household in Dorchester has 2.50 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. The Charleston area as a whole looks much the same. Household size has climbed from 2.30 in 2006–10, 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 | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.1 | 36.2 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.2 | 37.1 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.6 | 38.5 | 40.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.7 | 39.2 | 41.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.5 | +3.0 | +2.9 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 47.7, 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 | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 12.9% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 12.3% | 13.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 10.5% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.6% | 10.1% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Dorchester: 7.6% 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
Renters in Dorchester
| Period | Dorchester | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.0% | 33.8% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.7% | 35.4% | 31.4% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.5% | 33.8% | 30.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.0% | 30.9% | 28.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −2.8 pts | −2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Dorchester is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 13.0% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Just over six in ten owners (63.1%) 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 | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.9% | 13.5% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 11.6% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.8% | 10.7% | 13.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.5% | 9.9% | 11.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −3.6 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 14.5% of the housing in Dorchester, 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 | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1984 | 1986 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1987 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1989 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1994 | 1995 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +9 | +7 | +6 |
Dorchester has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1994, versus 1980 nationally. The Charleston area as a whole looks much the same.
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 | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $681 | $1,002 | $780 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $922 | $1,088 | $859 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $906 | $1,260 | $984 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $639 | $1,767 | $1,294 | $1,571 |
| Change | −$42 | +$765 | +$514 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Dorchester costs $639 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 24.1% 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 | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 30.2% | 25.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.8% | 32.6% | 26.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.0% | 35.9% | 28.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.8% | 41.2% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.8 pts | +11.0 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Dorchester have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.8%, 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 | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.9% | 87.9% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.3% | 89.1% | 85.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.4% | 90.9% | 87.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.1% | 92.8% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +11.2 pts | +4.8 pts | +6.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Dorchester never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
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 | Charleston area | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 7.8% | 9.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 15.4% | 9.5% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.9% | 4.3% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 3.6% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.8 pts | −4.2 pts | −4.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Dorchester has been low: just 3.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. The Charleston area as a whole looks much the same. 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 | 2.50 | 47.7 | 7.6% | 13.0% | 14.5% | 1994 | $639 | 22.8% | 87.1% | 3.4% |
| Pregnall | 2.56 | 47.4 | 7.5% | 12.0% | 15.2% | 1994 | $690 | 22.2% | 86.4% | 3.5% |
| Harleyville | 2.53 | 45.4 | 14.5% | 13.9% | 20.3% | 1988 | $749 | 13.5% | 84.8% | 3.2% |
| Ridgeville | 2.49 | 41.3 | 9.7% | 14.7% | 11.6% | 1997 | $1,249 | 13.7% | 80.8% | 1.0% |
| Four Holes | 2.66 | 43.1 | 15.9% | 17.0% | 22.5% | 1991 | $1,150 | 14.1% | 85.4% | 1.4% |
| Jedburg | 2.82 | 39.0 | 12.3% | 14.8% | 15.8% | 2000 | $1,604 | 12.7% | 82.2% | 0.9% |
| St. George | 2.39 | 46.8 | 12.1% | 23.3% | 17.2% | 1981 | $941 | 17.1% | 81.3% | 2.2% |
| Rosinville | 2.34 | 47.5 | 16.7% | 9.4% | 21.7% | 1981 | $697 | 10.5% | 93.8% | 6.1% |
| Givhans | 2.89 | 42.0 | 7.1% | 11.4% | 8.0% | 2000 | $1,537 | 22.4% | 91.1% | 0.7% |
| Grover | 2.79 | 39.1 | 22.2% | 11.8% | 18.4% | 1989 | $823 | 18.1% | 90.4% | 5.5% |
| Canadys | 2.55 | 46.8 | 25.4% | 20.5% | 17.8% | 1986 | $923 | 12.0% | 86.7% | 6.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Berlin Center, OH · Wardsville, MO · New Harmony, IN · Bridgeport, NE · Ceredo, WV · Harpersville, AL · Coon Rapids, IA · North Bloomfield, OH · Savona, NY · Ruth, MI
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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