Dorchester County, South Carolina
Among the top 15% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 7% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A, better than 85% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade F, better than 2% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B, better than 69% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 34% of US counties
- top 6% for comfortable days
- top 7% for airport distance
- bottom 6% for cost of living
Dorchester County is a county in South Carolina with about 162,000 residents. It grades A for weather and F for safety & wellbeing. Standout strengths include comfortable days, airport distance, and annual snowfall. It rates lower on natural disaster risk and cost of living.
Official websitedorchestercounty.net (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Cool winters · Wet
cool
comf.
warm
hot
warm
comf.
cool
70%59%clearovercast
Precipitation 6.0 in3.5 in
oppressive 98%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$74k81st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$60kbetter than 6% of US counties
Home Value$273k84th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 10% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 17% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.60%better than 76% of US counties
Income Tax6.40%better than 17% of US counties
Sales Tax7.50%better than 43% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden11.08%better than 24% of US counties
Unemployment5.5%better than 35% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)50°F88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)82°F84th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation51.1 in76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.3 inbetter than 85% of US counties
Sunny Days241 daysbetter than 55% of US counties
Summer Humidity73°Fbetter than 7% of US counties
Comfortable Days107 daysbetter than 94% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk93.7better than 6% of US counties
School Quality45.4better than 28% of US counties
Violent Crime1884/100kbetter than 8% of US counties
Property Crime1920/100kbetter than 16% of US counties
Community
Population162,13987th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age37.720th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5282nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9622nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+1123rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)62.4%26th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)25.0%88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)6.1%58th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)2.0%84th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)4.5%72nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time31 minbetter than 13% of US counties
Walkability7.1/20better than 77% of US counties
Airport Distance26 mibetter than 93% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access86.8%better than 72% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.06better than 24% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 31% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Dorchester County an affordable place to live?
- Dorchester County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $60k, better than 6% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Dorchester County?
- The median home value in Dorchester County is $273k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Dorchester County?
- Median household income in Dorchester County is $74k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Dorchester County?
- Median gross rent in Dorchester County is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Dorchester County safe?
- Dorchester County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1884/100k (better than 8%). Property crime is 1920/100k.
- What is the weather like in Dorchester County?
- Dorchester County averages 82°F in July and 50°F in January, with 51.1 in of annual precipitation and about 241 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Dorchester County?
- Public-school quality in Dorchester County is below average, scoring better than 28% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Dorchester County?
- The average one-way commute in Dorchester County is 31 min.
Other counties in South Carolina
Explore South Carolina
Data sources
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)