Postcode area · Dorchester

DT area guide

Who lives in DT, what homes sell for, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

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

DTPostcode area · Dorchester

At a glance

What DT is like

The DT postcode area in South West covers 7,940 live postcodes and is home to about 247,579 people in 108,516 households. 67.7% of households own their home, 17.6% rent privately and 13.7% are in social housing. The largest age group is 55–59, and 50.9% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for England. Higher-harm crime is well below the England and Wales average. Homes in DT sold for a median of £310,000 over the year to August 2026.

Scores

How DT compares

Headline figures for DT, set against England as a whole.

AffluenceMore

5.6/ 10

Around the middle. Scored from 1 (most deprived in England) to 10 (least deprived).

CrimeMore

2/ 10

Lower than most: 18.6 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

House pricesMore

£310,000

Median over 3,007 sales in DT, −4.6% on the year before.

TransportMore

0.0/ 10

Poor: 0 stations within a mile, 0 bus stops within 800m.

SchoolsMore

82%

Rated good or better across 100 inspected schools in DT.

Household incomeMore

£51,120

Average annual income before tax, higher than 45% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where DT differs most from the national average.

01
Low crimePositive
18.6 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year, against 31.1 across England and Wales.
02
An older population
29.1% of residents are 65 or over, against 18.4% across England.

Questions

DT FAQs

Is DT a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 5.6 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 18.6 per 1,000 people a year, band 2 of 10 nationally. 82% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better. Transport connectivity scores 0.0 out of 10 (poor).

How much does a house cost in DT?

The median sale price over the last year was £310,000.

Homes in DT sold for a median of £310,000 across 3,007 sales in the year to August 2026, −4.6% on the year before. Prices come from HM Land Registry’s record of every residential sale.

Is DT safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 18.6 offences per 1,000 people a year around DT, well below the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 2 of 10.

Who lives in DT?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 55–59, at 8% of residents. 67.7% of households own their home. The most common property type is detached (34.9%).

Which council covers DT?

The local authority for DT is Dorset.

DT comes under Dorset in the South West. Council tax, planning applications and bin collections are handled there.

How well connected is DT?

Connectivity scores 0.0 out of 10.

There are 0 bus stops within 800m and 0 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 0.0 out of 10 (poor).

Sources: Census 2021 (ONS); ONS mid-year population estimates; police recorded crime; the English, Welsh and Scottish indices of deprivation; ONS small area income estimates; ONS private rents; DfE, Welsh and Scottish school registers and Ofsted; DfT NaPTAN; ORR estimates of station usage; HM Land Registry Price Paid Data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.

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