On average Dorset has average deprivation and very low crime levels, with around 38 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, about 55% below the South West average of 85 per 1,000. Approximately 10.6% of homes in this area are social housing provided by a local council or housing association. The average income per household in Dorset is £52,241 per year. There are 139 schools in Dorset: 120 primary (3 Outstanding and 83 Good) and 19 secondary (1 Outstanding and 12 Good). Dorset is home to around 379,579 people, with a population density of about 152.4 per km².
Based on 5,337 recent sales, the median property price is £340,000 (about £349 per square foot) in Dorset area, with individual transactions ranging from £55,000 up to £4,500,000.
| Type | Sales | Median | £/sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | 2,109 | £477,500 | £385 |
| Semi-Detached | 1,091 | £330,000 | £355 |
| Terraced | 1,337 | £270,000 | £328 |
| Flats | 800 | £175,000 | £275 |
Sale price
| Year | Detached | Flats | Semi-Detached | Terraced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | £374,000 | £175,000 | £260,000 | £215,000 |
| 2017 | £395,000 | £166,000 | £265,000 | £221,125 |
| 2018 | £399,950 | £168,000 | £270,000 | £230,000 |
| 2019 | £395,000 | £170,000 | £272,000 | £227,500 |
| 2020 | £420,000 | £175,000 | £288,500 | £235,000 |
| 2021 | £455,000 | £182,500 | £305,000 | £255,000 |
| 2022 | £510,000 | £188,000 | £339,995 | £285,000 |
| 2023 | £500,000 | £195,000 | £330,000 | £279,000 |
| 2024 | £485,000 | £187,500 | £325,000 | £275,000 |
| 2025 | £475,000 | £182,125 | £330,000 | £273,000 |
| 2026 | £470,000 | £171,500 | £332,500 | £265,000 |
Price per sq ft
| Year | Detached | Flats | Semi-Detached | Terraced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | £294 | £263 | £265 | £254 |
| 2017 | £308 | £258 | £277 | £261 |
| 2018 | £319 | £261 | £287 | £272 |
| 2019 | £316 | £262 | £293 | £274 |
| 2020 | £328 | £269 | £297 | £281 |
| 2021 | £358 | £276 | £319 | £298 |
| 2022 | £401 | £297 | £362 | £342 |
| 2023 | £400 | £303 | £357 | £329 |
| 2024 | £391 | £289 | £352 | £331 |
| 2025 | £387 | £282 | £352 | £330 |
| 2026 | £383 | £270 | £358 | £327 |
Dorset records about 38 crimes per 1,000 residents per year, which is a very low crime rate for England: it scores 1 out of 10 on the Area360 crime scale, where 10 is the highest crime level.
Among the 48 wards of Dorset, Corfe Mullen has the lowest crime rate, with about 22 crimes per 1,000 residents per year (the Dorset average is 38 per 1,000) based on official Police.uk data.
The median sale price in Dorset is £340,000 (about £349 per square foot) based on 5,337 registered sales according to HM Land Registry data.
Dorset has 120 primary schools (3 rated Outstanding, 83 Good) and 19 secondary schools (1 rated Outstanding, 12 Good). Ratings are from the latest Ofsted inspections.
Dorset scores 5 out of 10 on the deprivation scale, where 10 is the most deprived. The typical neighbourhood in Dorset sits around rank 19,220 of 32,844 in England on the official Index of Multiple Deprivation (rank 1 is the most deprived).
The average household income in Dorset is around £52,241 per year, and 11% of homes are social housing (ONS data).
Dorset spans 5 parliamentary constituencies, represented by Christchurch: Christopher Chope (Conservative and Unionist Party), Mid Dorset and North Poole: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrats), North Dorset: Simon Hoare (Conservative and Unionist Party), South Dorset: Lloyd Hatton (Labour Party) and West Dorset: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrats).
Beacon
Beaminster
Blackmore Vale
Blandford
Bridport
Chalk Valleys
Charminster St Mary's
Chesil Bank
Chickerell
Colehill & Wimborne Minster East
Corfe Mullen
Cranborne & Alderholt
Cranborne Chase
Crossways
Dorchester East
Dorchester Poundbury
Dorchester West
Eggardon
Ferndown North
Ferndown South
Gillingham
Hill Forts & Upper Tarrants
Littlemoor & Preston
Lyme & Charmouth
Lytchett Matravers & Upton
Marshwood Vale
Melcombe Regis
Portland
Puddletown & Lower Winterborne
Radipole
Rodwell & Wyke
Shaftesbury Town
Sherborne East
Sherborne Rural
Sherborne West
South East Purbeck
Stalbridge & Marnhull
St Leonards & St Ives
Stour & Allen Vale
Sturminster Newton
Swanage
Upwey & Broadwey
Verwood
Wareham
Westham
West Moors & Three Legged Cross
West Parley
West Purbeck
Wimborne Minster
Winterborne & Broadmayne
Winterborne North
Yetminster
DT1 1AA
Barrack Road
BH21 2DZ
Wimborne Road West
BH20 6JA
Balaclava Road
DT11 0DR
New Road
DT1 1AF
Somerleigh Road
BH16 6FL
Holton Road
BH20 6BL
High Street
DT3 4WB
Lower St Alban Street
DT3 4DA
Elizabeth Way
DT4 9JZ
Portland Beach Road
SP8 4AA
High Street
BH21 1AA
East Street
DT9 3AP
Abbey Road
DT11 7EG
Holland Way
BH22 9AQ
New Road
DT11 7DH
Langton Road
DT11 8AA
Ashley Wood Road
DT1 1GA
Copper Street
DT1 1QS
Dray Horse Yard
DT11 7BH
Whitecliff Mill Street
BH21 6FA
Crane Way
SP7 0AH
Denham Drive
DT6 3DT
Dodham's Lane
BH21 7LT
Ham Lane
All data is sourced from official UK government agencies and public datasets. Last updated: 16/07/2026. Read more about how our statistics are calculated.