Dorchester County, South Carolina Housing Market

In Dorchester County, South Carolina, the median home value is $329,300, with a median monthly rent of $1,463. This places Dorchester County at #495 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #5 within South Carolina.

Median Home Value $329,300
Median Rent $1,463/mo
Owner Occupancy 75.5%
Price/Rent Ratio 18.8

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

📊 Recent Market Momentum (FHFA HPI)

FHFA House Price Index — All-Transactions, Annual (2000 = 100) · Latest: 2025

💡 Year-over-Year Trend: Home prices in Dorchester County rose +1.8% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

34,611
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $1,075
  • Establishments: 3,610
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

1,596
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 1,596
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+6310
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 67,128 (avg $71,328)
  • Outflow: 60,818 (avg $71,858)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Dorchester County Compares

MetricDorchester CountySouth Carolina AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $329,300 $199,732 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $1,463 $984 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 75.5% 73.2% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 18.8 16.3 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Dorchester County is 64.9% above the South Carolina state average and 44.6% above the U.S. national average. The median rent of $1,463/month is 48.7% above the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 18.8, the buy-vs-rent decision in Dorchester County is balanced. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on your time horizon, down payment capacity, and local market conditions.

Dorchester County has an owner-occupancy rate of 75.5%, compared to 73.2% in South Carolina and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more homeowner-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Chambers County Texas $329,500 $1,609
Franklin County Massachusetts $329,000 $1,177
Charlotte County Florida $328,900 $1,464
Santa Rosa County Florida $329,800 $1,544
Churchill County Nevada $329,900 $1,319

Other Counties in South Carolina

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Lancaster County $329,900 $959 83.3%
Jasper County $325,500 $1,328 77.2%
Berkeley County $310,300 $1,654 74.5%
Greenville County $299,000 $1,262 68.9%
York County $361,300 $1,387 74.5%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).