Dorchester County Demographics

A map of Dorchester County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	101,283	99,145	60.6%	61.4%
Black	41,565	38,278	24.9%	23.7%
Hispanic	12,058	10,861	7.2%	6.7%
Multiracial	7,345	8,092	4.4%	5.0%
Asian	3,492	3,286	2.1%	2.0%
Native American/Other	1,458	1,878	0.9%	1.2%

Dorchester County, South Carolina has an estimated population of 167,201, an increase from the 161,540 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 60.6% White, 24.9% Black, 7.2% Hispanic, 4.4% Multiracial, 2.1% Asian, and 0.9% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Dorchester County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Dorchester is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is more diverse than South Carolina overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Dorchester County, that probability was 56.0% in 2020 and 56.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Dorchester County is ranked the 12th most populous county in South Carolina, out of 46 counties. Dorchester County was ranked the 12th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Dorchester County's White Population

101,283 residents of Dorchester County, or 60.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Dorchester County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 61.9% of the population is White. Dorchester County ranks 19th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dorchester County's White population has grown by an estimated 2.2%. White residents' share of Dorchester County's population has decreased from 61.4% to 60.6%.

Dorchester County is more White than neighboring Colleton County (56.5% White), Berkeley County (60.1% White), Orangeburg County (33.1% White), and Clarendon County (49.3% White). Dorchester County is less White than neighboring Charleston County (64.5% White).

Dorchester County's Black Population

41,565 residents of Dorchester County, or 24.9% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Dorchester County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 24.6% of the population is Black. Dorchester County ranks 29th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dorchester County's Black population has grown by an estimated 8.6%. Black residents' share of Dorchester County's population has increased from 23.7% to 24.9%.

Dorchester County is more Black than neighboring Berkeley County (22.7% Black), and Charleston County (22.7% Black). Dorchester County is less Black than neighboring Colleton County (33.6% Black), Orangeburg County (60.7% Black), and Clarendon County (44.1% Black).

Dorchester County's Asian Population

3,492 residents of Dorchester County, or 2.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Dorchester County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 1.7% of the population is Asian. Dorchester County ranks 8th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dorchester County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 6.3%. Asian residents' share of Dorchester County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.1%.

Dorchester County is more Asian than neighboring Colleton County (0.4% Asian), Orangeburg County (1% Asian), Charleston County (1.8% Asian), and Clarendon County (0.8% Asian). Dorchester County is less Asian than neighboring Berkeley County (2.5% Asian).

Dorchester County's Hispanic Population

12,058 residents of Dorchester County, or 7.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Dorchester County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 7.4% of the population is Hispanic. Dorchester County ranks 13th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dorchester County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 11.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Dorchester County's population has increased from 6.7% to 7.2%.

Dorchester County is more Hispanic than neighboring Colleton County (4.6% Hispanic), Orangeburg County (2.7% Hispanic), and Clarendon County (3.2% Hispanic). Dorchester County is less Hispanic than neighboring Berkeley County (9.2% Hispanic).

Dorchester County's Native American/Other Population

1,458 residents of Dorchester County, or 0.9% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Dorchester County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 0.7% of the population is Native American/Other. Dorchester County ranks 4th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dorchester County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 22.4%. Native American/Other residents' share of Dorchester County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.9%.

Dorchester County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Colleton County (0.6% Native American/Other), Orangeburg County (0.4% Native American/Other), Charleston County (0.5% Native American/Other), and Clarendon County (0.3% Native American/Other).

Dorchester County's Multiracial Population

7,345 residents of Dorchester County, or 4.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Dorchester County is comparable to the share in South Carolina overall, where 3.7% of the population is Multiracial. Dorchester County ranks 2nd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 46 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Dorchester County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 9.2%. Multiracial residents' share of Dorchester County's population has decreased from 5.0% to 4.4%.

Dorchester County is more Multiracial than neighboring Colleton County (4.3% Multiracial), Orangeburg County (2.2% Multiracial), Charleston County (3.4% Multiracial), and Clarendon County (2.3% Multiracial). Dorchester County is less Multiracial than neighboring Berkeley County (4.6% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.