HomeSouth CarolinaDorchester County
Dorchester County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Dorchester County, South Carolina has a population of 167,201 across 573 square miles, up 8.3 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $6.71 bn in 2024, 2,861 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 113 7(a) approvals worth $63.6 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Dorchester County
How many people live in Dorchester County
- Population167,201
- Households63,179
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$78,198
- Median age38.0
- Median gross rent$1,463 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$329,300
- Home value to household income4.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher29.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over113,866
- Population under 1840,253
- Share under 1824.1 percent
- Population 65 and over25,407
- Share 65 and over15.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64101,541
- Civilian labor force84,050
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.2 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties12th of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents412th
Dorchester County is the 12th largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 4.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.1 percent against 15.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Dorchester County
Is Dorchester County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base8.26 percent
- Census 2020 base population161,331
- Births, 20242,043
- Deaths, 20241,420
- Natural change, 2024623
- Net domestic migration, 20243,770
- Net international migration, 2024486
- Total net migration, 20244,256
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20249,021
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents227th
The county has grown 8.26 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Dorchester County
Where people moving to Dorchester County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving7,961
- People arriving, from those returns15,180
- Adjusted gross income arriving$465.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$58,495
- Largest single originDorchester County Non-migrants (56,453 households)
- Largest single destination (56,453 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester County Non-migrants | 56,453 | 118,066 | $4.13 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,714 | 5,380 | $191.0 m |
| Charleston County | 2,271 | 4,200 | $111.3 m |
| Berkeley County | 1,628 | 3,089 | $81.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,282 | 2,497 | $84.0 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 678 | 1,373 | $51.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 393 | 771 | $26.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 361 | 739 | $28.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Dorchester County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Dorchester County
What the Dorchester County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$6.71 bn
- County GDP, 2023$6.14 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20249.1 percent
- GDP change over five years55.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Carolina counties13th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents603rd
- GDP per resident$40,110
Output grew 9.1 percent in the latest year and 55.0 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Dorchester County
Who employs people in Dorchester County
- Covered employment, annual average41,444
- Establishments reporting3,549
- Average annual pay$53,559
- Average weekly wage$1,030
- Sector 31-33, employment6,261
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$78,567
- Sector 44-45, employment5,545
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,690
- Sector 72, employment4,599
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,367
- Sector 62, employment3,745
- Sector 62, average annual pay$51,862
- Sector 23, employment2,290
- Sector 48-49, employment2,257
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 6,261 | 153 | $78,567 |
| Sector 44-45 | 5,545 | 381 | $33,690 |
| Sector 72 | 4,599 | 262 | $23,367 |
| Sector 62 | 3,745 | 388 | $51,862 |
| Sector 23 | 2,290 | 392 | $67,726 |
| Sector 48-49 | 2,257 | 136 | $49,078 |
| Sector 56 | 2,199 | 221 | $49,900 |
| Sector 54 | 1,497 | 474 | $77,872 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 6,261 jobs, 15.1 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Dorchester County
What businesses operate in Dorchester County
- Establishments, all industries2,861
- Employment at those establishments33,506
- Annual payroll$1.54 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Dorchester County
What is being built in Dorchester County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,192
- Declared construction value permitted$449.4 m
- Single family units authorised1,192
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$376,979
- Units authorised per 1,000 households18.9
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Dorchester County
How much SBA lending happens in Dorchester County
- 7(a) approvals recorded113
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$63.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$563,205
- Median 7(a) approval$248,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,855,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,554
- Jobs per approval13.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active39
- Distinct industries receiving approvals78
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms16
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter84
- Franchise loans20
- Franchise share of approvals17.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (6)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (18)
- 504 approvals recorded19
- 504 gross approval dollars$13.8 m
- Average 504 approval$728,211
- Median 504 approval$542,000
- Distinct CDCs active7
- 504 jobs per approval17.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved24.1
- Most active CDCProvident Business Financial Services, Inc. (7)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals85.6 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$77.5 m
The average approval of $563,205 sits well above the median of $248,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 14.2 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Dorchester County
Do SBA loans in Dorchester County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded13
- Paid in full13
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure81
- Status: Paid in full13
- Status: Cancelled13
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed6
Of the 13 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Dorchester County
Which parts of Dorchester County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending7
- Summerville, approvals81
- NORTH CHARLESTON, approvals16
- SAINT GEORGE, approvals7
- LADSON, approvals3
- CHARLESTON, approvals2
- North Carleston, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Summerville | 81 | $38,991,900 |
| NORTH CHARLESTON | 16 | $12,627,900 |
| SAINT GEORGE | 7 | $8,185,400 |
| LADSON | 3 | $277,000 |
| CHARLESTON | 2 | $1,144,400 |
| North Carleston | 2 | $835,600 |
| Harleyville | 2 | $1,580,000 |
Summerville accounts for 81 approvals against 16 in NORTH CHARLESTON. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Dorchester County
How big is Dorchester County
- Land area573 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties27th of 46
- Width, east to west41.2 mi
- Height, north to south35.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land292
- Establishments per square mile4.99
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Dorchester County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Dorchester County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population167,201
- Households63,179
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$78,198
- Median age38.0
Common questions
Dorchester County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Dorchester County, South Carolina?
167,201, in 63,179 households, ranking 12th of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Dorchester County growing?
The population has grown 8.26 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 2,043 births against 1,420 deaths, with net migration of 4,256. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Dorchester County?
$78,198. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $329,300, which is 4.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,463 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Dorchester County?
2,861 establishments, employing 33,506 people with an annual payroll of $1.54 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Dorchester County?
Average annual pay is $53,559, or $1,030 a week, across 41,444 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Dorchester County?
113 7(a) approvals totalling $63.6 m since FY2020, across 39 lenders, with a median approval of $248,000, plus 19 504 approvals worth $13.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Dorchester County get paid back?
Of the 13 loans that have reached a final outcome, 13 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Dorchester County?
1,192 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $449.4 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Dorchester County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Dorchester County come from?
The largest single origin is Dorchester County Non-migrants, with 56,453 households. Arriving households report an average income of $58,495 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Dorchester County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Dorchester County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.