Map the Block › Places › South Carolina › Dorchester County
What are the crime rate and median income in Dorchester County, South Carolina?
FBI reports put Dorchester County at 2.9 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 36% lower than the rate for South Carolina (4.6). The median household earns $78,198 and the unemployment rate was 3.9% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 167,201 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Dorchester County?
Over 2021-2025, the county's police agencies sent the FBI reports of about 439 violent and 2,736 property crimes per year. That is 2.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 36% lower than the South Carolina rate (4.6), and 20% lower than the U.S. rate (3.7). Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 18.4 per 1,000 residents, compared with 21.3 across South Carolina. Most violent crimes here are aggravated assaults (78%). CDC death records show about 12 homicide deaths a year in the county (7.6 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Dorchester County | Per 1,000 | South Carolina per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 439 | 2.9 | 4.6 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 10 | 0.07 | 0.09 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 45 | 0.30 | 0.39 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 40 | 0.27 | 0.39 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 344 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 2,736 | 18.4 | 21.3 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 318 | 2.1 | 3.2 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 2,089 | 14.0 | 15.8 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 329 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (5 agencies; 89% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Dorchester County?
Median household income is $78,198, 13% higher than the statewide figure ($69,324). The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $329,300 by its owners; renters pay a median $1,463. 8.9% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 10.5%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.9% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 3,556 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Dorchester County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 167,201 | 5,296,225 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $78,198 | $69,324 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $329,300 | $250,000+ | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,463 | $1,180 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 4.9% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 11.4% | 14.1% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 8.9% | 10.5% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 29.8% | 32.1% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 75.5% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 38.0 | 40.2 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 91.6% | 88.8% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 10.2% | 9.6% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Dorchester County?
Dorchester County carries a “Relatively Moderate” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are hurricanes (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Dorchester County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
Dorchester County has 2 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 2 are rated Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Woodlands Nature Reserve Dam (27 ft) and Lake Caire Yelleau Dam (15 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
13 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 457,263 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Dorchester County was covered by 6 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Hurricane 5, Tropical Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. Of 20 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 3 (low). NHTSA counted 38 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 4 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Dorchester County?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 15 highway work zones in Dorchester County (0 active that day). Listed roads include US17 ALT, SC165 and I-26. 3 are on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Dorchester County?
Federal school lists show 35 public and 6 private schools in the county. 4 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 23 fire or EMS stations and 7 police or sheriff stations. 1 state park or recreation area: Givhans Ferry State Park.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Dorchester County?
Census tribal areas that reach into Dorchester County: Edisto Natchez Kusso SDTSA.
Tribal areas are Census statistical boundaries, shown for reference; they are not legal boundaries.
See them on the map: tribal lands →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Dorchester County
Gun shops
7 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Dorchester County (6 from the ATF licensee list, 1 from OpenStreetMap), plus 11 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). One of them is a pawnshop licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Allied Arms LLC (Summerville), Hutto Ace Hardware LLC (St George), Money Man Pawn Shop (Summerville), Precision Hardware LLC (Summerville), Walmart #628 (Summerville) and Westburys Ace Hdwe (Harleyville).
Liquor stores
19 liquor stores are on the map in Dorchester County: Boone Hill Liquors (Summerville), Carolina Spirits (North Charleston), Chucktown Wine & Spirits (North Charleston), DEV Liquors North Charleston, SC (North Charleston), DEV Liquors Summerville, SC (Summerville), Flowertown Wine & Spirits, Galleria Wine & Spirits Inc (Summerville), Happy Hour Liquors (Summerville) and 11 more. South Carolina has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Dorchester County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Dorchester County?
Dorchester County averaged 439 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 2.9 per 1,000 residents, 36% lower than the South Carolina rate (4.6). The property-crime rate was 18.4 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Dorchester County?
$78,198 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $69,324 for South Carolina and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Dorchester County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.9% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 3,556 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Dorchester County?
Dorchester County carries a “Relatively Moderate” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are hurricanes (Relatively High).
Is there road construction in Dorchester County right now?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 15 highway work zones in Dorchester County (0 active that day). Listed roads include US17 ALT, SC165 and I-26. 3 are on interstates.
How many nursing homes are in Dorchester County?
4 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Dorchester County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County | 246,802 | 3.2 | $84,358 |
| Charleston County | 420,264 | 4.3 | $88,494 |
| Colleton County | 38,783 | 6.7 | $51,114 |
| Orangeburg County | 83,253 | 12.6 | $45,675 |
Cities in Dorchester County with their own page: North Charleston, Summerville.
More: South Carolina statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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