Population 1,924 · 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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.62 | 2.45 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.57 | 2.47 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.59 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.83 | 2.40 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.21 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Dorchester average 2.83 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. Household size has climbed from 2.62 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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.0 | 39.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.7 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 31.9 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −4.3 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 31.9, Dorchester 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
| Period | Dorchester | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.0% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 9.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in twelve households in Dorchester (8.7%), 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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.6% | 30.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.5% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.8% | 33.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.6% | 32.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Dorchester own their homes; 26.6% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Nearly half of owners (47.8%) 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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 10.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 10.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 10.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Dorchester: 7.8% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. That is in line with the rest of Wisconsin.
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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1974 | 1971 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1972 | 1972 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1974 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Dorchester are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1978, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in Wisconsin as a whole, where the median home dates to 1974.
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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $566 | $758 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $592 | $821 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $673 | $904 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $862 | $1,139 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$296 | +$380 | +$606 |
Rent in Dorchester runs $862 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 24.3% 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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 28.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 30.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 33.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Dorchester have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 11.1%, 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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.8% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.3% | 90.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.5% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.7% | 93.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +3.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Dorchester never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.7% 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 | Wisconsin | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 6.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.2% | 7.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.0% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 3.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Dorchester runs below the national rate: 3.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. That is in line with the rest of Wisconsin. 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 | 2.83 | 31.9 | 8.7% | 26.6% | 7.8% | 1978 | $862 | 11.1% | 84.7% | 3.9% |
| Abbotsford | 2.79 | 34.3 | 11.9% | 34.1% | 8.6% | 1978 | $854 | 12.9% | 80.3% | 6.5% |
| Stetsonville | 2.63 | 41.7 | 8.8% | 13.2% | 6.9% | 1974 | $872 | 13.5% | 90.0% | 2.4% |
| Curtiss | 3.05 | 29.2 | 7.4% | 21.8% | 6.7% | 1971 | $859 | 9.4% | 74.0% | 3.8% |
| Colby | 2.87 | 36.9 | 15.3% | 29.8% | 5.5% | 1974 | $794 | 13.2% | 80.8% | 2.5% |
| Little Black | 2.51 | 43.6 | 8.1% | 20.3% | 8.9% | 1978 | $773 | 15.8% | 91.3% | 2.8% |
| Milan | 2.69 | 41.4 | 5.5% | 9.2% | 6.1% | 1968 | $976 | 12.2% | 86.5% | 1.8% |
| Medford | 2.38 | 46.2 | 5.5% | 26.8% | 11.2% | 1978 | $865 | 19.9% | 93.9% | 2.0% |
| Owen | 2.89 | 36.3 | 8.9% | 23.3% | 8.5% | 1963 | $794 | 10.1% | 79.4% | 3.9% |
| Longwood | 2.85 | 35.3 | 6.4% | 15.1% | 13.3% | 1975 | $863 | 9.1% | 78.9% | 2.1% |
| Corinth | 3.02 | 39.9 | 9.4% | 10.9% | 8.4% | 1962 | $981 | 9.1% | 85.5% | 2.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Avoca, IA · White Plains, KY · West Liberty, WV · Valley Falls, NY · Three Rivers, CA · Thackerville, OK · Sunfield, MI · Sumner, MI · Starks, LA · St. Lawrence, 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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