Dorchester County, MD

County

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2023 Population

32,612

0.169% 1-year growth

US Senator

Chris Van Hollen

Democratic Party

US Senator

Angela Alsobrooks

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

43.9

0.228% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

16.3%

5.57% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$60,495

5.23% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$252,300

11.6% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

14,749

1.68% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Dorchester County, MD had a population of 32.6k people with a median age of 43.9 and a median household income of $60,495. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Dorchester County, MD grew from 32,557 to 32,612, a 0.169% increase and its median household income grew from $57,490 to $60,495, a 5.23% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Dorchester County, MD are White (Non-Hispanic) (61%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (25.3%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (5.88%), Other (Hispanic) (2.8%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (2.18%).

None of the households in Dorchester County, MD reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98% of the residents in Dorchester County, MD are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Dorchester County, MD was $252,300, and the homeownership rate was 66.3%.

Most people in Dorchester County, MD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Dorchester County, MD was 2 cars per household.

Dorchester County, MD borders Sussex County, DE, Calvert County, MD, Caroline County, MD, St. Mary's County, MD, Somerset County, MD, Talbot County, MD, and Wicomico County, MD.

United States Maryland Cambridge, MD

Population & Diversity

Dorchester County, MD is home to a population of 32.6k people, from which 98% are citizens. As of 2023, 3.98% of Dorchester County, MD residents were born outside of the country (1.3k people).

In 2023, there were 2.41 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (19.9k people) in Dorchester County, MD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 8.25k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.92k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98%

2023 Citizenship

97.9%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98% of Dorchester County, MD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Dorchester County, MD was 97.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Dorchester County, MD compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Dorchester County, MD

White (Non-Hispanic)
19.9k ± 148
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
8.25k ± 394
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
1.92k ± 412

5.85%

Hispanic Population

1.91k people

5.85% of the people in Dorchester County, MD are hispanic (1.91k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Dorchester County, MD as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Maryland.

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
115,960 ± 8,281 people
India
61,668 ± 6,066 people
Nigeria
45,887 ± 5,240 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Maryland was El Salvador, the natal country of 115,960 Maryland residents, followed by India with 61,668 and Nigeria with 45,887.

Foreign-Born Population

3.98%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.3k people

3.9%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

1.27k people

As of 2023, 3.98% of Dorchester County, MD residents (1.3k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Dorchester County, MD was 3.9%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Dorchester County, MD compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
833 ± 180
Gulf War (2001-)
280 ± 141
Gulf War (1990s)
266 ± 105

Dorchester County, MD has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.98 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Dorchester County, MD employs 14.7k people. The largest industries in Dorchester County, MD are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,162 people), Retail Trade (1,700 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (1,415 people), and the highest paying industries are Public Administration ($72,500), Utilities ($69,261), and Wholesale Trade ($61,287).

Males in Maryland have an average income that is 1.24 times higher than the average income of females, which is $77,266. The income inequality in Maryland (measured using the Gini index) is 0.454, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

14.7k

2023 Value

± 872

−1.68%

1 Year decline

± 8.26%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Dorchester County, MD declined at a rate of −1.68%, from 15k employees to 14.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Dorchester County, MD, are Management Occupations (1,554 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,459 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (1,192 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Dorchester County, MD.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Maryland (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

14.7k

2023 Value

± 872

−1.68%

1 Year decline

± 8.26%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Dorchester County, MD declined at a rate of −1.68%, from 15k employees to 14.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Dorchester County, MD, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,162 people), Retail Trade (1,700 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (1,415 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Dorchester County, MD, though some of these residents may live in Dorchester County, MD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,105

Median earning men ± $3,970

$35,727

Median earning women ± $1,924

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Public Administration ($73,288), Wholesale Trade ($62,426), and Information ($59,826).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($63,235), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($62,604), and Information ($57,850).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Maryland.

Y-Axis

0.617%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.69M people employed in Maryland. This represents a 0.617% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Maryland.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

55
Other Services (except Public Administration)
50
Construction
42
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$153k
Manufacturing
$79.3k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$44.4k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Dorchester County, MD went to Donald J. Trump with 54.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (42.9%), followed by Other (1.14%).

Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks are the senators currently representing the state of Maryland. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Maryland is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (54.9%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (42.9%)
Democratic Party
Other (1.14%)
Green and Other Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Dorchester County, MD went to Donald J. Trump with 54.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (42.9%), followed by Other (1.14%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Dorchester County, MD for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Maryland

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Maryland.

Chris Van Hollen

Senator from Maryland

Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Angela Alsobrooks

Senator from Maryland

Assumed office on January 3, 2025

Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks are the senators currently representing Maryland.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Maryland over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Maryland

Maryland is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Maryland have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Maryland.

Measure

In 2022, 1.12% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.05% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Maryland.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.2M), Bachelors Degree (1.04M), and Some college (961k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Dorchester County, MD was $252,300 in 2023, which is 0.832 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $226,000 to $252,300, a 11.6% increase. The homeownership rate in Dorchester County, MD is 66.3%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Dorchester County, MD have an average commute time of 26.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Dorchester County, MD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Dorchester County, MD is $60,495. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Dorchester County, MD was Census Tract 9708.04 with a value of $93,125, followed by Census Tract 9707.02 and Census Tract 9701, with respective values of $83,125 and $79,219.

In 2023, 16.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Dorchester County, MD. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.35%.

Housing

Property

$252,300

Median Property Value 2023

±$11,410

$8,837

Median Property Taxes

±$590

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Dorchester County, MD the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Dorchester County, MD compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

66.3%

Homeownership

2023

62.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 66.3% of the housing units in Dorchester County, MD were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 68.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Dorchester County, MD compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9708.04
Census Tract 9707.02
Census Tract 9701

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Dorchester County, MD was Census Tract 9708.04 with a value of $93,125, followed by Census Tract 9707.02 and Census Tract 9701, with respective values of $83,125 and $79,219.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Dorchester County, MD colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$60,495

Median Household Income

± $3,107

13.3k

Number of Households

± 788

In 2023, the median household income of the 13.3k households in Dorchester County, MD grew to $60,495 from the previous year's value of $57,490.

The following chart displays the households in Dorchester County, MD distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Dorchester County, MD is from Maryland.

0.454

2022 Wage GINI in Maryland

0.456

2021 Wage GINI in Maryland

In 2022, the income inequality in Maryland was 0.454 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.498% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Maryland was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Maryland in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Maryland across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (81.4%)
Carpooled (9.29%)
Worked At Home (6.66%)

In 2023, 81.4% of workers in Dorchester County, MD drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.29%) and those who worked at home (6.66%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

26.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Dorchester County, MD have a longer commute time (26.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 4.26% of the workforce in Dorchester County, MD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Dorchester County, MD compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Dorchester County, MD distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Dorchester County, MD have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 16.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Dorchester County, MD. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.35%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

16.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Dorchester County, MD (5.23k out of 32.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Dorchester County, MD is Black, followed by White and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 25.7% of the children was living in poverty in Dorchester County, MD. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 5.7%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

94.6% of the population of Dorchester County, MD has health coverage, with 34.6% on employee plans, 29.7% on Medicaid, 15.8% on Medicare, 13.3% on non-group plans, and 1.22% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Dorchester County, MD see 2275 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.263% decrease from the previous year (2281 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1354 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 382 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.2% were men and 54.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,275 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Dorchester County, MD

Primary care physicians in Dorchester County, MD see an average of 2,275 patients per year. This represents a 0.263% decrease from the previous year (2,281 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Dorchester County, MD in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.4% under 18 years, 17% between 18 and 34 years, 38.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45.2% were men and 54.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.4%

Uninsured

34.6%

Employer Coverage

29.7%

Medicaid

15.8%

Medicare

13.3%

Non-Group

1.22%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Dorchester County, MD grew by 2.82% from 5.25% to 5.4%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Dorchester County, MD changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 78.1 in Dorchester County, MD.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Dorchester County, MD.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 39.8% in Dorchester County, MD.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Dorchester County, MD.