Population 632 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Dorchester
Household size in Dorchester
| Period | Dorchester | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.98 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.90 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.10 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.55 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.43 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Dorchester run a little small, averaging 2.55 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has dropped from 2.98 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.7 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.6 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.1 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.4 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.7 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Dorchester is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 36.4, against 40.1 nationally. That is in line with the rest of Texas.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.6% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.8% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +9.3 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Dorchester than nationally: 13.8%, against 11.6%. That is in line with the rest of Texas.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.3% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.5% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.2 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Dorchester is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 14.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly four in ten owners (38.5%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.2% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +11.5 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 18.2% 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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1990 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 2000 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1999 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2003 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +13 | +8 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Dorchester is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 2003, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,031 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,317 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,643 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,071 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,040 | +$639 | +$606 |
Rent in Dorchester runs $2,071 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 37.1% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.0% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.7% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.8% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.5% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Dorchester have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 25.5%, 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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.3% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.2% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.7% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.7% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Dorchester have finished high school (91.7%), a bit 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 | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.7% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.1% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.0% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.7 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The survey found almost no one in Dorchester out of work and looking, against 5.4% of the labor force nationally. 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 | 2.55 | 36.4 | 13.8% | 14.5% | 18.2% | 2003 | $2,071 | 25.5% | 91.7% | 0.0% |
| Southmayd | 2.64 | 47.1 | 11.3% | 9.6% | 15.5% | 1997 | $1,690 | 19.3% | 85.7% | 2.0% |
| Howe | 3.22 | 32.7 | 8.0% | 26.4% | 17.0% | 1986 | $1,386 | 19.5% | 78.8% | 2.0% |
| Gunter | 3.24 | 39.0 | 4.3% | 19.1% | 11.7% | 2005 | $1,813 | 51.6% | 89.3% | 1.9% |
| Sherman | 2.49 | 38.2 | 14.0% | 43.7% | 8.9% | 1980 | $1,398 | 23.8% | 88.6% | 2.7% |
| Luella | 2.90 | 42.4 | 5.3% | 13.8% | 2.9% | 1998 | $1,354 | 33.6% | 84.6% | 0.1% |
| Ethel | 2.65 | 55.7 | 5.4% | 8.2% | 5.3% | 1996 | $1,547 | 23.5% | 95.9% | 1.5% |
| Elmont | 3.08 | 43.0 | 2.5% | 1.7% | 10.4% | 2014 | $1,889 | 62.2% | 98.0% | 2.5% |
| Marilee | 3.01 | 40.6 | 3.6% | 10.9% | 9.5% | 2011 | $1,958 | 59.4% | 94.8% | 2.8% |
| Knollwood | 2.33 | 32.8 | 8.2% | 54.1% | 4.9% | 2007 | $1,448 | 18.7% | 93.3% | 2.0% |
| White Mound | 2.86 | 44.7 | 4.2% | 13.6% | 4.8% | 1995 | $1,415 | 28.5% | 87.7% | 0.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Cerro, NM · Spring Glen, PA · Speed, WV · Singleton, TN · Short, TX · Farnhamville, IA · Cornersville, MS · Corbin City, NJ · Corbett, NC · Collins, WI
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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