Food and drink · County · South Carolina
Coffee shops and cafes in Dorchester County, SC
The coffee shops and cafes in Dorchester County, SC, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 83 out of 100: High
Ranked #70 of 2,063 scored counties
#5 of 36 scored counties in South Carolina
- Listings
- 47
- 21 chain locations (45%)
- Official establishments
- 17
- All snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars
- Household spending a year
- $246M
- On food away from home · $3,894 a household
- Spending per listing
- $5.2M
- 41% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 7.4
- 33% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 178,397
- +10.1% since 2020
See the coffee shops and cafes around any address in Dorchester County
The site report maps the coffee shops and cafes on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Dorchester County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Dorchester County scores 83 (high) on the Groundwork market score for coffee shops and cafes, ranking #70 of 2,063 scored counties and #5 of 36 scored counties in South Carolina. That puts it in the top 10% of counties for coffee shops and cafes.
As of September 2026, map listings count 47 coffee shops and cafes in Dorchester County. 21 of them (45%) are chain locations, against 39% across the U.S. That is 7.4 per 10,000 households, 33% below the U.S. rate of 11.0.
At $3,894 per household (4% below the U.S. average), households in Dorchester County spend about $246M a year on food away from home. That is about $5.2M of household spending for each cafe on map listings, 41% above the U.S. figure of $3.7M. That spending covers all food away from home, which coffee shops and cafes share with other businesses in the trade.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in Dorchester County was 17 in 2023. That is one for every 3,716 households, against one for every 1,518 across the U.S. The official count takes in all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, not only coffee shops and cafes: bakeries and dessert shops are counted too. Since fiscal 2022, 3 SBA-backed loans worth $1.2M have gone to businesses classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in Dorchester County. Population estimates put the population change in Dorchester County from 2020 to 2025 at +10.1%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Dorchester County compares
The same measures for South Carolina and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all food away from home by the coffee shops and cafes counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Dorchester County | South Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 7.4 | 8.4 | 11.0 |
| Spending per listing | $5.2M | $4.4M | $3.7M |
| Households per official establishment (all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars) | 3,716 | 2,612 | 1,518 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +28.1% | +24.3% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +10.1% | +8.5% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,894 | $3,660 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $78,198 | $69,324 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 83 | 75 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 13 → 17All snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars
- Employees, 2023
- 326
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $4.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 8All snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 4721 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 66The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 3
- Amount
- $1.2M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in Dorchester County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3. These official figures cover all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, not only coffee shops and cafes.
Population and households in Dorchester County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 178,397+10.1% since 2020
- Households
- 63,179
- Median age
- 38.4
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 76%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 568 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 294
- Median household income
- $78,198+24.0% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $100,220
- Median home value
- $329,300
- Jobs located here
- 39,777
- Daytime population
- 129,933Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Dorchester County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the coffee shops and cafes on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Dorchester County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardCoffee shops and cafes across South Carolina
Every South Carolina market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in South Carolina for coffee shops and cafes, numbered among those based in South Carolina, with Dorchester County marked.
Top counties in South Carolina
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Lancaster County, SC | 90 | 23 | 5.7 | $6.9M | +18.3% | #22 of 2,063 |
| 2Berkeley County, SC | 87 | 62 | 6.6 | $5.9M | +18.7% | #44 of 2,063 |
| 3Aiken County, SC | 85 | 37 | 5.3 | $6.9M | +7.3% | #49 of 2,063 |
| 4Jasper County, SC | 83 | 5 | 3.8 | $9.1M | +32.2% | #60 of 2,063 |
| 5Dorchester County, SC | 83 | 47 | 7.4 | $5.2M | +10.1% | #70 of 2,063 |
| 6York County, SC | 82 | 74 | 6.5 | $6.5M | +8.1% | #81 of 2,063 |
| 7Kershaw County, SC | 82 | 15 | 5.6 | $6.4M | +11.6% | #82 of 2,063 |
| 8Lexington County, SC | 79 | 88 | 7.2 | $5.3M | +7.7% | #123 of 2,063 |
| 9Oconee County, SC | 77 | 21 | 6.1 | $5.7M | +6.3% | #154 of 2,063 |
| 10Laurens County, SC | 73 | 15 | 5.6 | $5.7M | +6.2% | #235 of 2,063 |
Other business types in Dorchester County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes76
- Sit-down restaurants73
- Fast food and sandwich shops74
- Pizza71
- Coffee shops and cafes83
- Bakeries and dessert shops82
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many coffee shops and cafes are in Dorchester County, SC?
Dorchester County has 47 coffee shops and cafes on map listings as of September 2026. 21 of them (45%) are chain locations. The listings count coffee, tea, juice and bubble tea shops, and cafes. Official counts show 17 businesses with payroll classed as snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars in 2023. That count covers all snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars (bakeries and dessert shops included), not only coffee shops and cafes. Official counts also show 8 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Dorchester County, SC spend on food away from home?
About $246M a year, or $3,894 per household. That is 4% below the U.S. average (an index of 96, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 47 coffee shops and cafes on map listings, it comes to $5.2M per cafe. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only coffee shops and cafes. It is estimated from the incomes of the 63,179 households in Dorchester County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Dorchester County, SC compare with the U.S. for coffee shops and cafes?
Dorchester County has 7.4 coffee shops and cafes per 10,000 households, 33% below the U.S. rate of 11.0. Spending per cafe is $5.2M, 41% above the U.S. figure of $3.7M. At the national ratio of coffee shops and cafes to household spending, Dorchester County would have about 66, against 47 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 3,716 households, against one for every 1,518 across the U.S.
How fast is Dorchester County, SC growing?
Population estimates put Dorchester County at 178,397 people in 2025, up 10.1% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 63,179 households. The median household income in Dorchester County is $78,198 a year, 3% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 24.0% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Dorchester County scores 83 for coffee shops and cafes (high), #70 of 2,063 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Dorchester County. It maps the coffee shops and cafes on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for coffee shops and cafes · All 56 business types in Dorchester County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Dorchester County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Dorchester County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.