Dorchester County, SC

County

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2023 Population

164,322

1.35% 1-year growth

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

37.9

0.531% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

11.5%

6.56% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$76,896

4.36% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$294,400

7.84% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

78,293

0.998% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Dorchester County, SC had a population of 164k people with a median age of 37.9 and a median household income of $76,896. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Dorchester County, SC grew from 162,139 to 164,322, a 1.35% increase and its median household income grew from $73,686 to $76,896, a 4.36% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Dorchester County, SC are White (Non-Hispanic) (61.3%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (24.8%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (2.9%), Other (Hispanic) (2.36%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (2.16%).

None of the households in Dorchester County, SC 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.

96.7% of the residents in Dorchester County, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Dorchester County, SC are Charleston Cosmetology Institute (83 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2023, the median property value in Dorchester County, SC was $294,400, and the homeownership rate was 75.4%.

Most people in Dorchester County, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 31 minutes. The average car ownership in Dorchester County, SC was 2 cars per household.

Dorchester County, SC borders Berkeley County, SC, Charleston County, SC, Colleton County, SC, and Orangeburg County, SC.

United States South Carolina Charleston-North Charleston, SC

Population & Diversity

Dorchester County, SC is home to a population of 164k people, from which 96.7% are citizens. As of 2023, 6.33% of Dorchester County, SC residents were born outside of the country (10.4k people).

In 2023, there were 2.48 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (101k people) in Dorchester County, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 40.7k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 4.76k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.7%

2023 Citizenship

97.1%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 96.7% of Dorchester County, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Dorchester County, SC was 97.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Dorchester County, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
101k ± 591
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
40.7k ± 998
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
4.76k ± 898

6.89%

Hispanic Population

11.3k people

6.89% of the people in Dorchester County, SC are hispanic (11.3k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Dorchester County, SC 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 South Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
63,986 ± 6,172 people
India
20,779 ± 3,532 people
Honduras
17,281 ± 3,222 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 63,986 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 20,779 and Honduras with 17,281.

Foreign-Born Population

6.33%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

10.4k people

5.42%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

8.79k people

As of 2023, 6.33% of Dorchester County, SC residents (10.4k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Dorchester County, SC was 5.42%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
4,997 ± 712
Vietnam
3,327 ± 398
Gulf War (1990s)
3,195 ± 561

Dorchester County, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.5 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Dorchester County, SC employs 78.3k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Dorchester County, SC were Health Care & Social Assistance (10,086 people), Retail Trade (9,700 people), and Manufacturing (9,447 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($80,856), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($70,574), and Finance & Insurance ($67,054).

Employment

Occupations

78.3k

2023 Value

± 2,645

0.998%

1 Year growth

± 4.71%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Dorchester County, SC grew at a rate of 0.998%, from 77.5k employees to 78.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Dorchester County, SC, are Management Occupations (9,346 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (8,923 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (7,175 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Dorchester County, SC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Carolina (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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

78.3k

2023 Value

± 2,645

0.998%

1 Year growth

± 4.71%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Dorchester County, SC grew at a rate of 0.998%, from 77.5k employees to 78.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Dorchester County, SC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (10,086 people), Retail Trade (9,700 people), and Manufacturing (9,447 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Dorchester County, SC, though some of these residents may live in Dorchester County, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$56,453

Median earning men ± $1,521

$37,834

Median earning women ± $1,438

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($85,648), Public Administration ($80,086), and Wholesale Trade ($76,071).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Information ($60,546), Manufacturing ($50,334), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,733).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.54%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.26M people employed in South Carolina. This represents a 2.54% 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 13.4%.

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

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

230
Construction
198
Other Services (except Public Administration)
183
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$352k
Manufacturing
$196k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$163k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Dorchester County, SC awarded 83 degrees. The student population of Dorchester County, SC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 2 male students and 87 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Dorchester County, SC are Black or African American (47 and 56.6%), followed by White (18 and 21.7%), Hispanic or Latino (11 and 13.3%), and Unknown (3 and 3.61%).

The largest universities in Dorchester County, SC by number of degrees awarded are Charleston Cosmetology Institute (83 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Dorchester County, SC are Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist (40 and 48.2%), Nail Specialist & Manicurist (30 and 36.1%), and General Cosmetology (13 and 15.7%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 89 students enrolled in Dorchester County, SC, 2.25% men and 97.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 53 records, of which 96.2% were women and 3.77% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist
40 degrees awarded
Nail Specialist & Manicurist
30 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Dorchester County, SC was Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist with 40 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years from schools in Dorchester County, SC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Charleston Cosmetology Institute

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

83 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Charleston Cosmetology Institute with 83 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 1 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Dorchester County, SC, which is 0.0122 times less than the 82 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Black or African American students. These 47 degrees mean that there were 2.61 times more degrees awarded to Black or African American students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 18 degrees awarded.

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 South Carolina.

Measure

In 2023, 0.922% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.743% 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 South Carolina.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (1.19M), Some college (897k), and Bachelors Degree (746k).

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, SC was $294,400 in 2023, which is 0.97 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $273,000 to $294,400, a 7.84% increase. The homeownership rate in Dorchester County, SC is 75.4%, which is higher than the national average of 65%.

People in Dorchester County, SC have an average commute time of 31 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Dorchester County, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Dorchester County, SC is $76,896. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Dorchester County, SC was Census Tract 108.01, Dorchester County, SC with a value of $129,118, followed by Census Tract 108.19, Dorchester County, SC and Census Tract 106.04, Dorchester County, SC, with respective values of $128,750 and $120,034.

In 2024, 15.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Dorchester County, SC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator grew 1.34%.

Housing

Property

$294,400

Median Property Value 2023

±$5,491

$46,442

Median Property Taxes

±$1,814

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, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

75.4%

Homeownership

2023

70.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 75.4% of the housing units in Dorchester County, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 74.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Dorchester County, SC 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 108.01, Dorchester County, SC
Census Tract 108.19, Dorchester County, SC
Census Tract 106.04, Dorchester County, SC

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Dorchester County, SC was Census Tract 108.01, Dorchester County, SC with a value of $129,118, followed by Census Tract 108.19, Dorchester County, SC and Census Tract 106.04, Dorchester County, SC, with respective values of $128,750 and $120,034.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Dorchester County, SC 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.

$76,896

Median Household Income

± $3,033

61.6k

Number of Households

± 2,387

In 2023, the median household income of the 61.6k households in Dorchester County, SC grew to $76,896 from the previous year's value of $73,686.

The following chart displays the households in Dorchester County, SC 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, SC is from South Carolina.

0.464

2023 Wage GINI in South Carolina

0.464

2022 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.102% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Carolina in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (80.2%)
Worked At Home (9.59%)
Carpooled (7.75%)

In 2023, 80.2% of workers in Dorchester County, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.59%) and those who carpooled to work (7.75%).

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

31 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Dorchester County, SC have a longer commute time (31 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.81% of the workforce in Dorchester County, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Dorchester County, SC 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, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Dorchester County, SC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 15.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Dorchester County, SC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator grew 1.34%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

11.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Dorchester County, SC (18.6k out of 162k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Dorchester County, SC is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

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 2024, 14.6% of the children was living in poverty in Dorchester County, SC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 2.3%.

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.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 461 in Dorchester County, SC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 41.5 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

88.7% of the population of Dorchester County, SC has health coverage, with 44.3% on employee plans, 14.6% on Medicaid, 10.7% on Medicare, 14.8% on non-group plans, and 4.22% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Dorchester County, SC see 3,141 patients per year on average, which represents a 4.25% increase from the previous year (3,013 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1308 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 667 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,141 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Dorchester County, SC

Primary care physicians in Dorchester County, SC see an average of 3,141 patients per year. This represents a 4.25% increase from the previous year (3,013 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.9% under 18 years, 19.4% between 18 and 34 years, 39.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

11.3%

Uninsured

44.3%

Employer Coverage

14.6%

Medicaid

10.7%

Medicare

14.8%

Non-Group

4.22%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Dorchester County, SC grew by 7.18% from 10.5% to 11.3%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2024, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 54.7 in Dorchester County, SC.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2024, 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 40.8% in Dorchester County, SC.

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