Dortch House · National Register of Historic Places
Dortches’s story
125 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1901Dortches is settled
DortchesNC
A town of 1,103, settled in 1901.
2 bordering townsMap →
Dortch House · Photo: Waterman, Thomas T., creator · Public domain
Population
1,103
2025 Census estimate · +5.6% since 2020
Typical home
$328K
+1.2% in a year
Household income
$75K
median
Median age
43.7
years
Jobs based here
267
A commuter town
Is Dortches a good place to live?
Dortches’ weakest subject grade is a C− for schools. Among 291 North Carolina towns, just 4 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Dortches. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 76% of U.S. towns. On civic life, just 1 of North Carolina’s 331 towns do worse. Dortch House and Bellamy-Philips House is on the National Register of Historic Places. On the outdoors, just 14 of North Carolina’s 451 towns do worse. Dortches has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,103 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Rocky MountRed OakDortches
How Dortches grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), ordered by how far Dortches is from typical.
SchoolsBehind 77% of North Carolina districts on tests and graduationC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.1 of 20; 3.7% of households have no carC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 27% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →Cost of livingB−Open →Jobs & income$75K median household incomeB−Open →HealthUNC Health Nash 2.7 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →History1 place on the National RegisterC−Open →Civic life0.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 43.7; 25% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Dortches: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dortches, and how to reach them.
PowerDuke Energy15.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Rocky Mount water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Dortches’ trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereNash County Board of ElectionsNash County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2024
ZIP codes27804, 2780927804 89% · 27809 11%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Dortches.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
About one in three of Dortches’ working residents commute to Rocky Mount
Most working residents leave Dortches for work: only 0% work in town. At 20 minutes, Dortches’ average trip to work is below both North Carolina’s towns (24 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Dortches has added 139 jobs, to 267 in 2023.
0%work in town
| Dortches | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 9.4% | 13% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Dortches0%
Rocky Mount37%
Raleigh9%
Nashville5%
Wilson5%
9 mi
median commute distance
267
jobs based in Dortches
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 24% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Dortches
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
27risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Dortches, expect mild winters and hot summers
Dortches has mild winters and warm summers. At 90°F, Dortches’ July high is near the North Carolina town median (89°F) and above the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
90°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–54°
Spring47–71°
Summer66–88°
Fall49–72°
Nov 5
typical first frost
Apr 1
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
90°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB−
Dortches ranks healthier than 52% of the country’s towns
Dortches beats the North Carolina average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 42% of Dortches adults have high blood pressure.
52%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Dortches | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 80% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
32 measures vs. North Carolina
4 better21 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Dortches | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.1% | 10.4% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.4% | 76.7% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.4% | 3.6% |
UNC Health Nash
2.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade B−
A typical Dortches home is worth about $328K
The typical Dortches home is worth about $328,000, up 1.2% in a year, close to the North Carolina typical home. 84% of households own their home in Dortches.
$328KZillow home value
| Dortches | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 84% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,215 a month | $1,085 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Dortches$328K
North Carolina$332K
+1.2%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dortches
16pages on Dortches
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Dortches
Nash Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rocky Mount3.3 mi$2,866 in-state tuitionNorth Carolina Wesleyan UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Rocky Mount4.7 mi$35,736 tuition
About 9 of every 100 Dortches residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Dortches for work
Where Dortches’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
267jobs based in Dortches
0%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Dortches
Town in North Carolina, United States
Dortches is a town in Nash County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Rocky Mount, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,082 in 2020.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 197 ft
- Area code
- 252
Questions about Dortches
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dortches, NC expensive?
That is 5.5 years of the area's median household income ($59,636 across the Rocky Mount, NC metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.