Population 1,772 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Dorset
Household size in Dorset
| Period | Dorset | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.46 | 2.35 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.18 | 2.36 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.08 | 2.33 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.65 | 2.31 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.19 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
At 2.65 people per household, Dorset sits right at the national average. The typical household here is bigger than in Vermont as a whole, where it has 2.31 people. Household size has climbed from 2.46 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 Dorset
| Period | Dorset | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.2 | 40.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 52.7 | 42.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 56.7 | 43.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.9 | 44.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −6.4 | +3.2 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Dorset is 42.9 years old, older than the national median of 40.1. Vermont as a whole looks much the same.
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 Dorset
| Period | Dorset | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.5% | 10.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.7% | 9.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 8.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 8.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.6% of households in Dorset, 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 Dorset
Renters in Dorset
| Period | Dorset | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 28.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.0% | 29.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.3% | 29.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −1.8 pts | +1.5 pts |
Dorset is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 7.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly half of owners (47.5%) 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 Dorset
| Period | Dorset | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.1% | 15.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 42.0% | 15.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 48.9% | 17.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 42.4% | 15.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +8.3 pts | +0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Dorset: 42.4% 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 Dorset
| Period | Dorset | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1966 | 1967 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1969 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1973 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Dorset run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1973 against 1980. That is in line with the rest of Vermont.
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 Dorset
| Period | Dorset | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,170 | $878 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,111 | $947 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $780 | $1,043 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,642 | $1,306 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$472 | +$428 | +$606 |
The median renter in Dorset pays $1,642 a month for rent and utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rents here are higher than in Vermont overall ($1,306). Rent takes 37.7% 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 Dorset
Bachelor's degrees in Dorset
| Period | Dorset | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 55.7% | 34.7% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 49.6% | 36.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 53.2% | 38.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 68.9% | 44.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.2 pts | +9.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Dorset is highly educated: about seven in ten adults 25 and older (68.9%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%.
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 Dorset
| Period | Dorset | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.9% | 90.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.0% | 91.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.5% | 92.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 99.0% | 94.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Dorset: 99.0% 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 Dorset
| Period | Dorset | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.1% | 5.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.0% | 6.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.3% | 3.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 3.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Dorset runs below the national rate: 3.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. That is in line with the rest of Vermont. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Dorset 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorset | 2.65 | 42.9 | 6.6% | 7.1% | 42.4% | 1973 | $1,642 | 68.9% | 99.0% | 3.4% |
| Freedleyville | 1.98 | 51.8 | 3.0% | 15.9% | 27.7% | 1976 | $1,290 | 75.0% | 98.1% | 6.0% |
| East Dorset | 2.02 | 51.3 | 3.0% | 15.3% | 29.0% | 1976 | $1,292 | 75.0% | 98.1% | 5.9% |
| Manchester Center | 2.41 | 53.9 | 8.8% | 23.4% | 28.6% | 1979 | $1,061 | 43.6% | 96.9% | 3.2% |
| Manchester | 2.27 | 57.8 | 8.6% | 36.8% | 47.8% | 1979 | $873 | 58.4% | 95.3% | 0.1% |
| West Rupert | 2.35 | 57.6 | 5.9% | 6.2% | 28.8% | 1955 | $1,341 | 31.2% | 96.3% | 1.4% |
| North Dorset | 2.36 | 47.8 | 1.5% | 14.4% | 63.7% | 1978 | $1,363 | 65.0% | 94.4% | 0.6% |
| Pawlet | 2.31 | 50.6 | 6.1% | 11.3% | 21.9% | 1974 | $1,243 | 36.8% | 94.4% | 2.9% |
| Rupert | 2.35 | 57.7 | 5.8% | 6.1% | 29.9% | 1956 | $1,306 | 30.6% | 95.9% | 1.4% |
| Danby | 2.26 | 53.3 | 6.2% | 9.8% | 24.3% | 1974 | $1,062 | 34.9% | 92.3% | 2.3% |
| Peru | 2.46 | 47.4 | 1.0% | 15.4% | 70.9% | 1980 | $1,282 | 66.1% | 94.8% | 0.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Dieterich, IL · Columbia, AL · Clifford, MI · Creston, NC · Cienega Springs, AZ · Burnside, MI · Buffalo, WV · Buckfield, ME · Bradner, OH · Blossom, TX
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 Dorset. 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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