Dorchester County land: flood, zoning and parcels
76,229 parcels
On the county tax roll
- In a FEMA flood zone14%special flood hazard area
Free account: 25 parcel cards a day on the map, with sale history, road access and elevation. Get started free
Around Dorchester County
Parcels to start with
Towns in Dorchester County
- Summerville16,238 parcels
- North Charleston (Dorchester County part)9,958 parcels
- St. George1,177 parcels
- Harleyville411 parcels
- Ridgeville381 parcels
- Grover223 parcels
- Reevesville196 parcels
Flood zones and wetlands
Recorded flood claims in Dorchester County
779 insured flood claims were recorded in Dorchester County from 1978 to Sep 2026; 26% were on buildings rated outside the mapped flood zone (zone X, B or C). The largest single event was Hurricane Matthew (2016), with 97 claims. FEMA paid $16.8 million on them in total.
| Years | Claims |
|---|---|
| 1978–79 | Fewer than 10 |
| 1980–89 | 52 |
| 1990–99 | 41 |
| 2000–09 | Not shown |
| 2010–19 | 558 |
| 2020–26 | 115 |
Area statistics for buildings with NFIP flood insurance, not any one parcel: a lot that never had an insured building has no claims to count. OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, as of Sep 2026.
What flood insurance costs in Dorchester County
What NFIP policyholders in Dorchester County pay a year for a single-family home, by flood zone: the middle half of premiums on policies that took effect Sep 2025–Sep 2026. It is what insured homes here pay, not a quote for any one building.
| Flood zone | Policies | Middle half | Full-risk median |
|---|---|---|---|
| A zones (special flood hazard area) | 1,066 | $530–$990 | $810 |
| X zone (outside the mapped flood zone) | 1,383 | $410–$740 | $520 |
Full-risk premium: the median of FEMA's own full-risk premium for the same policies (Risk Rating 2.0). A discounted policy rises toward it a step each year, within the law's cap on yearly increases. Zones are the flood zone each policy is rated in. OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3, as of Sep 2026.
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data.
Farmland rent in Dorchester County
Cropland in Dorchester County rents for about $45 an acre a year (USDA, 2026).
- Cropland rent
- $45 an acrenon-irrigated, 2026; $43.50 in 2022
No rent-to-price figure for South Carolina yet.
Rent: USDA NASS county cash rents survey, 2026 (released August 21, 2026), public domain. Farmland rent in every South Carolina county →
People and new homes in Dorchester County
- Population178,397July 2025 estimate, +10.1% since 2020
- Median household income$78,1982020–2024 average, ±$3,042
- New homes permitted1,5962025, 1,596 single-family; 1,298 in 2021
- Permitted so far in 20261,189Jan–Aug, against 1,101 a year earlier
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 (May 2026); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year (B19013) (Jan 2026); U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (Sep 2026).
Typical lot sizeThe typical lot, from the roll
The median parcel in Dorchester County is 0.27 acre (76,227 parcels with a size).
Acres from each parcel's own outline (the state's parcel layer carries no deeded acres). Condominium units that share one point (each carrying the whole complex's acres) are left out of the lot sizes.
How Dorchester County is zonedThe most common districts
| Zoning district | Parcels | Share of zoned |
|---|---|---|
| R-2_DC | 12,755 | 27% |
| AR_DC | 12,663 | 26% |
| PD_DC | 4,508 | 9.4% |
| EE | 3,835 | 8% |
| R-1_DC | 2,798 | 5.8% |
| R-4_DC | 1,704 | 3.6% |
| R-1(M)_DC | 1,564 | 3.3% |
| R-1(M)(A)_DC | 1,181 | 2.5% |
Zoning is on file for 63% of parcels in Dorchester County, across 57 districts (zoning maps as of Oct 2026). A district shown by its code alone has no published name on our map. The town or county zoning office has the final word on any parcel.
Land parcels in Dorchester CountyFarm and timber parcels to start with
- 1,071.1 acres of land
- 1,066.0 acres of land
- 1,041.1 acres of land
- 1,003.5 acres of land
- 1,000.9 acres of land
- 989.6 acres of land
- 946.3 acres of land
- 923.6 acres of land
- 888.9 acres of land
Land tracts of 5 acres or more, each with its own page of public land facts.
Questions about Dorchester County landAnswers from the public records
How many parcels are in Dorchester County, SC?
76,229 parcels on the SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office statewide parcel layer for Dorchester County (last edited Sep 2026, pulled Oct 2026), covering 354,963 acres.
How much vacant land is in Dorchester County, SC?
Dorchester County's parcels come from the state's parcel layer, which carries no land-use class or building record, so we don't call any Dorchester County parcel vacant.
What is the typical lot size in Dorchester County?
The median parcel is 0.27 acre, from 76,227 parcels with a recorded size.
How much of Dorchester County is in a flood zone?
14% of parcels are in a FEMA special flood hazard area (National Flood Hazard Layer, as of Sep 2026). Check each parcel's own flood line before you buy.
Are there wetlands in Dorchester County?
14% of parcels are a quarter or more wetland on the USFWS National Wetlands Inventory, a mapping guide, not a legal delineation.
What is Dorchester County zoned?
Zoning is on file for 63% of parcels (zoning maps as of Oct 2026). The most common districts: R-2_DC, AR_DC, PD_DC.
Are there land prices for Dorchester County?
No land prices for Dorchester County yet. Area prices print only where South Carolina's own price test passed for the county, and it has not for Dorchester County.
How many people live in Dorchester County?
About 178,397 (Census estimate for July 1, 2025), +10.1% since 2020.
How many new homes are being built in Dorchester County?
Building permits authorized 1,596 new housing units in 2025 and 1,189 from January to Aug 2026 (against 1,101 a year earlier) (Census Building Permits Survey).
Where does this data come from?
Parcels: SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office statewide parcel layer. Flood: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer. Wetlands: USFWS National Wetlands Inventory. Towns: U.S. Census places. Every figure is counted from those files on our map.
About these numbersSources, dates and how these figures are built
What Groundwork can price in Dorchester County
Facts only: no price estimate on any parcel here.
Land sale prices
This county publishes no bulk sale prices we may use, and South Carolina has no statewide sale-price file.
Sources
Parcels: SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office statewide parcel layer (layer last edited Sep 2026, pulled Oct 2026); flood: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (as of Sep 2026); wetlands: USFWS National Wetlands Inventory (as of Oct 2026); counted on our map built Oct 2026.