Dorchester Village Hall · Wikideas1 / CC0Dorchester Wisconsin Looking West County A · I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: / CC BY-SA 3.0Dorchester Wisconsin Downtown Looking South WIS13 · I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: / CC BY-SA 3.0
Dorchester is a small town of 852 in Wisconsin, with a median household income of $55,179
and a 3.2% unemployment rate.
Its cost of living index is 90 (US average = 100), which is
10% below the national average.
Strengths:
Dorchester stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs:
No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Dorchester is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Dorchester city data on this page comes from official government sources —
the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 90.2
Dorchester's overall cost of living index is 90.2,
where 100 represents the US national average.
Living in Dorchester costs roughly 10% less than the average American city.
Metric
Dorchester, WI
National Avg
Median Home Value
$128,700
$244,900
Median Monthly Rent
$755
$1,163
Homeownership Rate
58.8%
65.9%
Median Household Income
$55,179
$74,755
Crime & Safety
Very Safe
Dorchester's violent crime rate is 51.8 per 100,000 residents
— 86% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Violent Crime
51.8 /100k
Property Crime
322.1 /100k
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Metric
Dorchester, WI
National Avg
School District
N/A
—
Elementary Schools
N/A
—
Middle Schools
N/A
—
High Schools
N/A
—
Student/Teacher Ratio
N/A
16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
14.0%
35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher
85.6%
91.1%
Weather & Climate
Dorchester sees average highs of 20.6°F in January
and 78.8°F in July,
with 34.2 inches of annual precipitation
and 57.0 inches of snow per year.
Dorchester's cost of living index is 90, where 100 is the national average.
That makes Dorchester roughly 10% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage.
The median home price is $128,700 and median rent is $755/month.
Dorchester's violent crime rate is 51.8 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 322.1 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Dorchester, WI has a population of 852, a median household income of $55,179, and an unemployment rate of 3.2%.
It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Dorchester averages 20.6°F in January and 78.8°F in July. Annual rainfall is 34.2 inches
with about 57.0 inches of snow per year.
Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Dorchester, WI is covered by 1 ZIP code: 54425.
The population of Dorchester, Wisconsin is 852 with a median age of 33.6. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Dorchester: cost of living index 90 (100 = US average), median home $128,700, median household income $55,179, crime index 14 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Dorchester side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.
