Cost of living in Dorset
Data last updated: 12 May 2026
Rent in Dorset
The average monthly rent in Dorset is £850.
- 1 Bed£650 /mo
- 2 Bed£810 /mo
- 3 Bed£1,000 /mo
- 4+ Bed£1,450 /mo
The cheapest 25% of rents start from £695/month.
Source: ONS Private Rental Market Statistics
Earnings in Dorset
The average annual salary for residents of Dorset is £31,444.
We use the median (middle value) as the average throughout this site. This is more representative than the mean, which can be skewed by extremely high or low values.
Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE)
House prices in Dorset
The average house price in Dorset is £352,000.
- Detached£520,000
- Semi-detached£344,250
- Terraced£285,000
- Flat£185,000
Source: ONS / HM Land Registry
Council tax in Dorset
Band D council tax in Dorset is £2,765 per year.
- Band A£1,843
- Band B£2,151
- Band C£2,458
- Band DBenchmark£2,765
- Band E£3,379
- Band F£3,994
- Band G£4,608
- Band H£5,530
Source: MHCLG / Scottish Government / Welsh Government
Energy costs in Dorset
A typical household in Dorset pays approximately £1,641/year (£137/month) for gas and electricity.
Energy region: South West
This estimate is based on the Ofgem price cap for a typical dual-fuel household using 2,700 kWh of electricity and 11,500 kWh of gas per year, paying by Direct Debit. Your actual costs will depend on your usage, tariff, and whether you're on a fixed deal.
Source: Ofgem Energy Price Cap, Q2 2026
Water costs in Dorset
The average annual water and sewerage bill for South West Water customers is £813/year (£68/month).
Water company: South West Water
Water bills vary based on whether you have a meter and your household's water usage. This figure is the company average for unmetered customers.
Source: Water UK / Discover Water, 2026-27
Compare Dorset with another area
Data on this page is sourced from: ONS Private Rental Market Statistics, ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, ONS / HM Land Registry House Price Statistics, MHCLG / Scottish Government / Welsh Government council tax data, Ofgem Energy Price Cap, and Water UK / Discover Water. All official data is published under the Open Government Licence.