The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Dorchester County, MD: Crime Maps and Statistics

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	D
Property Crime Grade	D+
Other Crime Grade	D+

Which crimes are included?

$20.9 million

Cost of Crime™ for Dorchester County, MD

In 2025, crime will cost $1,497 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Dorchester County with the least crime overall and red marks the most. Each area is weighted by the type and severity of every offense, so a place with rare but serious violent crime can grade differently from one with frequent petty theft. The Interpreting the Crime Maps section below explains how to read the colors.

Is Dorchester County, MD Safe?

The D overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US county, where Dorchester County's combined rate is higher than the norm. Dorchester County sits in the 23rd percentile, ahead of 23% of counties and behind 77%. The grade covers only Dorchester County's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby counties.

The overall crime rate in Dorchester County is 42.29 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the east part of the county the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 14 in the southwest areas to 1 in 44 in the east.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the central parts of Dorchester County, MD report the most crime, about 486 cases per year. The southeast part reports the fewest, around 10 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Dorchester County, MD

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Dorchester County for 2025 is $20,923,379, about $617 per resident and $1,497 per household. That equals 1.8% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 55.9%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 32.5%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 11.6%

How Much Does Crime Cost in Dorchester County Compared to Other Counties?

Dorchester County, MD:	$617
Baltimore City, MD:	$887
Anne Arundel County, MD:	$334
Maryland:	$531
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Dorchester County is $617 per year, which is $152 more than the national average and $85 more than Maryland's state average. The comparison below uses counties similar to Dorchester County:

In Baltimore City, MD, crime costs $887 per person, which is $270 more than in Dorchester County.
In Anne Arundel County, MD, crime costs $334 per person, which is $283 less than in Dorchester County

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

The table below shows the total cost of crime to the residents of Dorchester County for the year 2025 along with the projected cost per resident.

Crime	Cost to Dorchester County	Cost per Dorchester County Resident
Murder	$5.76 million	$170
Rape/Sexual Assault	$1.28 million	$38
Robbery	$1.00 million	$30
Assault	$4.19 million	$123
Kidnapping	$124,517	$4
Vehicle Theft	$880,176	$26
Burglary	$1.21 million	$36
Theft	$2.94 million	$87
Arson	$115,998	$3
Vandalism	$1.68 million	$50
Animal Cruelty	$33,975	$1
Drug Crimes	$1.29 million	$38
Identity Theft	$409,534	$12
Total Cost of Crime	$20,923,379	$617

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Dorchester County, MD

The totals above count tangible costs only. Violent crime also carries a human cost, the pain and trauma borne by victims and their families, which research-based methods estimate so it can be compared across places. That intangible cost in Dorchester County totals $45,878,041 ($1,352 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $66,801,421 ($1,968 per resident). All Cost of Crime figures come from scholarly research on the cost of crime. Read more about our methodology here.

Interpreting the Crime Maps

Crime rates on the map are measured per resident, so areas with heavy visitor traffic can read high because crime follows crowds, even where few people live. The central part of the county holds more retail establishments, which lifts recorded crime around those blocks. A red area does not always mean the neighborhood is unsafe for residents.

Airports, parks, and transit hubs create the same effect. Major airports draw large crowds with few residents nearby, so they read as high-crime spots. Parks and recreational areas, of which Dorchester County has 8, do the same, and of Dorchester County's 33,936 residents few live beside them. Before assuming an area is unsafe, weigh both the per-capita rate and the total number of incidents, and note what sits nearby.

The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Dorchester County, MD at ISP Reports.

Dorchester County Crime Breakdown

The tables below show which crimes are used to calculate the Crime Grades above. All crime rates are shown as the number of crimes per 1,000 Dorchester County residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	4.296
Robbery	0.9412
Rape	0.6242
Murder	0.0903
Total Violent Crime	5.952 (D)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	16.75
Vehicle Theft	1.675
Burglary	3.935
Arson	0.1415
Total Property Crime	22.51 (D+)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.0605
Drug Crimes	5.139
Vandalism	6.933
Identity Theft	1.559
Animal Cruelty	0.1353
Total "Other" Rate	13.83 (D+)

Individual Dorchester County Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Counties

Compared to surrounding counties, the rate of crime in Dorchester County is higher. The table below shows Crime Grades for counties close to Dorchester County.

Nearby County	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Talbot County, MD	C-	B-	C+
Caroline County, MD	C+	C+	B-
Wicomico County, MD	C	D	C+
Calvert County, MD	A-	A-	A
Queen Anne's County, MD	A	C+	A+
Somerset County, MD	D-	D-	D
St. Mary's County, MD	B+	B	A-
Sussex County, DE	B-	B	B+
Worcester County, MD	D+	D+	C-
Anne Arundel County, MD	B-	B	C

Crime Maps and Rates for County with Similar Populations

Dorchester County is higher versus other counties of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in counties with comparable overall population in the county‘s boundaries.

Similar County	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Garvin County, OK	D	C-	C-
Steuben County, IN	A	A	A
Stephens County, GA	B	B-	B-
Steele County, MN	A	A	A
Staunton City, VA	B	A	A
Starke County, IN	A+	A	A
St. Francis County, AR	F	F	F
Somerset County, MD	D-	D-	D-
Smyth County, VA	B-	B	B
Stone County, MO	C+	C+	C+

Considering only the crime rate, Dorchester County is less safe than the Maryland state average and less safe than the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in Dorchester County, MD average SchoolGrade of D, with 26% actual proficiency versus 32% projected; overall, schools underperform expectations. See Dorchester County schools on SchoolGrade

About the Data

CrimeGrade.org provides highly detailed and accurate crime data, used by insurance companies, home security firms, and other industries. Our data is available for licensing—learn more about our USA crime data and licensing.

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All maps and statistics above are projections, not certainties, and provided without guarantee free of charge. Verify all info before making any decisions based on the data.