Dorchester County, Maryland
Located in Maryland, Dorchester County has a population of 32,754 residents and a median age of 43.5 years, making it the #1,404 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.1%. The median home value is $262,400, and the median household income is $61,839, which is 18% below the national median.
Demographics
Dorchester County has a population of 32,754, making it the #1,404 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.5 years, which is 11.8% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Dorchester County is $61,839, ranking #1,911 out of 3,222 counties — 17.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.1% and unemployment stands at 5.7%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Dorchester County is $262,400 (-6.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,032/mo and the homeownership rate is 65.6%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Dorchester County, 19.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 42.6% below the national average, ranking #2,115 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Dorchester County is 74.2 years. 20.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.5% of adults in Dorchester County smoke , 41.8% are obese , and 16.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 57.7 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Dorchester County is 10.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 12.0 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
23.2% of children in Dorchester County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 9.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 27.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Dorchester County is 65.1%. The mean commute time is 29.1 min, which is 5.6% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Dorchester County voted Republican with a margin of 14.5%. The vote was 41.6% Dem / 56.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.5 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Dorchester County, Maryland
Dorchester County, Maryland has a total population of 32,754, making it the 1,404th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Dorchester County is 43.5 years, which is 11.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Dorchester County is $61,839, which ranks #1,911 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 17.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.7%.
The median home value in Dorchester County is $262,400, 6.9% below the national median. Renters in Dorchester County pay a median gross rent of $1,032 per month. The homeownership rate is 65.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Dorchester County, 19.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 42.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.1 min.
Dorchester County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 60.7% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (24.8%) and Two or More Races (6.4%).
All data for Dorchester County, Maryland comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.