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Postcode area · Dorchester

Housing in DT

What the homes in DT are, who owns them, how many people share them and what they rent for.

Council
Dorset
Region
South West
Population
247,579 (2024)
Property types

What homes look like here

The most common homes here are detached houses (34.9%). Flats make up 16.2%, below the 22.2% across England.

DTEngland
Detached34.9%22.9%
Semi-detached25.7%31.5%
Terraced22.5%23%
Purpose-built flat11.8%17.1%
Flat in a converted or shared house2.3%3.5%
Flat in a commercial or converted building2.2%1.7%
Caravan or mobile home0.7%0.4%
Tenure

Owning vs renting

67.7% of households in DT own their home, broadly in line with the England average of 61.3%. Private renting makes up 17.6% of households, below the England figure of 20.5%. 44.7% own outright and 23% with a mortgage.

DT
68%
18%
14%
England
  • Owned67.7%61.3%
  • Shared ownership1%1%
  • Private rented17.6%20.5%
  • Social rented13.7%17.1%
  • Lives rent free0%0.1%

By mortgage and landlord type

DTEngland
Owned outright44.7%32.5%
With a mortgage or loan23%28.8%
From a private landlord or letting agent14.6%18.2%
Other private rented3%2.2%
From the council1.5%8.3%
From a housing association12.2%8.8%
Occupancy

How many people live in each home

The average home here has 2.2 people living in it. 31.6% of households are one person living alone, against 30.1% across England.

DTEngland
0%
20%
40%
60%
123456+
Households

Who lives together

The most common household is a couple without children (19.1%). 19.9% of households include dependent children.

DTEngland
Living alone, under 6614%17.3%
Living alone, 66 and over17.5%12.8%
Couple, no children19.1%16.8%
Couple with dependent children15%18.9%
Couple with grown-up children5.9%6.3%
Lone parent with dependent children4.9%6.9%
Lone parent with grown-up children3.3%4.2%
Family, all aged 66 and over15.4%9.2%
Sharers and other households4.8%7.7%
Rents

Private rents in Dorset

Average monthly rent for a new or renewed tenancy in Dorset (August 2026, +4.9% on a year earlier). ONS publishes rent figures at council level rather than by neighbourhood.

DorsetEngland
All homes£1,056£1,459
One bedroom£732£1,195
Two bedrooms£967£1,335
Three bedrooms£1,191£1,489
Four or more£1,684£2,161
Detached£1,442£1,640
Semi-detached£1,151£1,449
Terraced£1,045£1,435
Flat or maisonette£841£1,444

Source: Census 2021, Office for National Statistics. Population: ONS mid-year estimates. Open Government Licence v3.0. Rents: ONS Price Index of Private Rents.

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