HomeSouth CarolinaDorchester County
Dorchester County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Dorchester County, South Carolina had an estimated 174,663 residents on July 1, 2024, up 8.3 percent since the 2020 census base of 161,331, across 573 square miles. 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 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Dorchester County
How many people live in Dorchester County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024167,201
- 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-equivalents, Puerto Rico included412th of 3,222
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 seriously unaffordable 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's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024174,663
- Census 2020 base population161,331
- Population change since the 2020 census base8.26 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20244,893
- 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 of 3,144
The county has grown 8.26 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Dorchester County
Where are people moving to Dorchester County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving7,961
- People arriving, from those returns15,180
- Tax returns filed by households leaving6,729
- Net household movement1,232
- Adjusted gross income arriving$465.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$75.8 m
- Average income of an arriving household$58,495
- Average income of a leaving household$57,937
- Largest single originCharleston County (2,271 households)
- Largest single destinationBerkeley County (1,762 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston County | 2,271 | 4,200 | $111.3 m |
| Berkeley County | 1,628 | 3,089 | $81.2 m |
| Colleton County | 137 | 256 | $6.1 m |
| Orangeburg County | 106 | 197 | $7.2 m |
| Richland County | 83 | 145 | $3.5 m |
| Mecklenburg County | 67 | 107 | $4.0 m |
| Horry County | 65 | 115 | $3.5 m |
| Greenville County | 61 | 97 | $3.4 m |
Households arriving report $558 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Charleston County, 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 is the Dorchester County economy?
- 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 the South Carolina areas BEA publishes13th of 46
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes603rd of 3,127
- 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
Employment by industry in Dorchester County
- Covered employment, annual average41,444
- Establishments reporting3,549
- Average annual pay$53,559
- Average weekly wage$1,030
- Manufacturing, employment6,261
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$78,567
- Retail trade, employment5,545
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,690
- Accommodation and food services, employment4,599
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$23,367
- Health care and social assistance, employment3,745
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$51,862
- Construction, employment2,290
- Transportation and warehousing, employment2,257
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 6,261 | 153 | $78,567 |
| Retail trade | 5,545 | 381 | $33,690 |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,599 | 262 | $23,367 |
| Health care and social assistance | 3,745 | 388 | $51,862 |
| Construction | 2,290 | 392 | $67,726 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,257 | 136 | $49,078 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 2,199 | 221 | $49,900 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 1,497 | 474 | $77,872 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 6,261 jobs, 15.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Dorchester County
How many businesses are 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. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Dorchester County
Building permits in Dorchester County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,192
- Declared construction value permitted$449.4 m
- Single family units authorized1,192
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$376,979
- Units authorized per 1,000 households18.9
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Dorchester County
SBA loans in Dorchester County (7(a) and 504)
- 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$28,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,793,000
- 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
- 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)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$77.5 m
The average approval of $563,205 sits well above the median of $248,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here 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
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Dorchester County
Do SBA loans in Dorchester County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded13
- Paid in full13
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure81
- Status: Paid in full13
- Status: Cancelled13
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed6
Only 13 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Dorchester County
SBA lending by place in Dorchester County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending7
- Summerville, approvals81
- North Charleston, approvals16
- St. George, approvals7
- Ladson, approvals3
- Harleyville, approvals2
- Charleston, approvals2
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Summerville | 81 | $38,991,900 |
| North Charleston | 16 | $12,627,900 |
| St. George | 7 | $8,185,400 |
| Ladson | 3 | $277,000 |
| Harleyville | 2 | $1,580,000 |
| Charleston | 2 | $1,144,400 |
| North Carleston | 2 | $835,600 |
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 large 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.
Dorchester County
Flood risk in Dorchester County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Dorchester County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 450068
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 8
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- NFIP participation rate85.7 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class2
- Radon levels in Dorchester County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Dorchester County (community 450068), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 8, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Dorchester County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 5, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 85.7 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
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.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024167,201
- 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?
The Census Bureau estimates 174,663 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 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's population growing?
The population has grown 8.26 percent since the 2020 census base of 161,331, to 174,663 on July 1, 2024. 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 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 employment by industry in Dorchester County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 6,261 jobs, 15.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 41,444 jobs at an average annual pay of $53,559, or $1,030 a week. 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 totaling $63.6 m since FY2020, across 39 lenders, with a median approval of $248,000, plus 19 504 approvals worth $13.8 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Dorchester County?
1,192 housing units were authorized 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 Charleston County, with 2,271 households. Arriving households report an average income of $58,495 against $57,937 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?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Dorchester County
Cities and places in Dorchester.
7 Census places lie wholly or partly in Dorchester County. All 7 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Charleston | city | 119,913 | 16 | 26.3 percent here, 73.7 percent Charleston County |
| Summerville | town | 51,654 | 81 | 76.2 percent here, 19.8 percent Berkeley County, 4.0 percent Charleston County |
| St. George | town | 2,154 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Ridgeville | town | 1,740 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Harleyville | town | 592 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Grover | CDP | 345 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Reevesville | town | 271 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 7 of the county's 113 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Dorchester County, the largest being Ladson (3), Charleston (2), North Carleston (2). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.