Before (end of 1982) (55 seats, Elections Centre)
Other 37 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 8 · Conservative 8 · Labour 2
After (end of 1983) (55 seats, Elections Centre)
Other 33 · Conservative 15 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 6 · Labour 1
Ward results
Beaminister2 seats
| R. Bugler | Independent | 0 ✓ |
| A. Hudson Ms. | Independent | 0 ✓ |
Bothenhampton1 seat
| D. Cracknell | Ind Con | 0 ✓ |
Bradford Abbas1 seat
| E. Garrett | Independent | 0 ✓ |
Bradpole1 seat
| R. Coatsworth | Ind Con | 0 ✓ |
Bridport North3 seats · turnout 31.1%
| A. Tiltman | Lib/Sdp | 780 |
| D. Stebbings | Conservative | 682 |
| D. Cash | Labour | 629 |
| P. Foote | Lib/Sdp | 441 |
| H. Draper | Lib/Sdp | 353 |
Bridport South2 seats
| A. Bell | Lib/Sdp | 0 ✓ |
| C. Samways | Independent | 0 ✓ |
Broadmayne1 seat · turnout 52.7%
| B. Course | Lib/Sdp | 354 |
| I. Cobbold | Conservative | 304 |
Broadwindsor1 seat
| C. Coate | Independent | 0 ✓ |
Burton Bradstock1 seat
| R. Bailey | Independent | 0 ✓ |
Caundle Vale1 seat
| N. White | Independent | 0 ✓ |
Cerne Valley1 seat
| Digby | Lady Ind | 0 ✓ |
Charminister1 seat · turnout 49.0%
| E. Hanford | Independent | 270 |
| B. Woodhouse | Conservative | 252 |
| G. Halliwell | Lib/Sdp | 117 |
Charmouth1 seat · turnout 52.2%
| J. Cockerill | Independent | 441 |
| J. Robinson | Independent | 229 |
Chesil Bank1 seat
| M. Pengelley | Independent | 0 ✓ |
Chickerell2 seats · turnout 23.4%
| E. Stuart | Conservative | 643 |
| W. McCarthy | Independent | 364 |
| P. Brown | Independent | 185 |
| E. Davies | Independent | 172 |
Dorchester East2 seats · turnout 45.6%
| E. Jones | Lib/Sdp | 588 |
| C. Lucas | Conservative | 499 |
| D. Smith | Labour | 428 |
| J. Graham | Conservative | 310 |
| E. Adams | Labour | 123 |
| P. Warner | Labour | 121 |
Dorchester North2 seats · turnout 40.8%
| L. Phillips | Independent | 678 |
| C. Thatcher | Conservative | 499 |
| T. Harries | Lib/Sdp | 262 |
| J. Walker | Lib/Sdp | 262 |
| J. Hertslet | Labour | 141 |
Dorchester South3 seats · turnout 46.3%
| P. Seaton | Conservative | 1,077 |
| D. Maggs | Lib/Sdp | 847 |
| J. Hebb | Conservative | 820 |
| D. Lang | Conservative | 782 |
| H. Nicholson | Lib/Sdp | 781 |
| S. Pritchard | Lib/Sdp | 774 |
Dorchester West3 seats · turnout 67.0%
| G. Powell | Conservative | 743 |
| G. Duke | Conservative | 561 |
| F. Alderman | Conservative | 548 |
| E. Boothman | Lib/Sdp | 544 |
| D. Bowring | Lib/Sdp | 509 |
| D. Jones | Lib/Sdp | 500 |
| D. Watson | Labour | 302 |
| T. Warren | Labour | 284 |
| J. Yeomans | Labour | 241 |
Frome Valley1 seat
| B. Bryant | Independent | 0 ✓ |
Holnest1 seat
| M. Cockburn | Independent | 0 ✓ |
Lyme Regis3 seats · turnout 33.3%
| J. Broom | Independent | 823 |
| D. Applebee | Independent | 819 |
| J. Nuttall | Independent | 729 |
| V. Homyer | Conservative | 531 |
Maiden Newton1 seat · turnout 73.4%
| H. Haward | Independent | 497 |
| N. Patmore | Lib/Sdp | 245 |
Netherbury1 seat · turnout 49.1%
| J. Peake | Conservative | 409 |
| C. Poole | Independent | 247 |
Owermoigne2 seats
| R. Symes | Independent | 0 ✓ |
| P. Gill | Lib/Sdp | 0 ✓ |
Piddle Valley1 seat
| A. Read | Ind Con | 0 ✓ |
Puddletown1 seat · turnout 54.7%
| A. Bowden | Independent | 440 |
| S. Riddell | Labour | 168 |
Queen Thorne1 seat
| J. Brewer | Independent | 0 ✓ |
Sherborne East2 seats
| K. Luxmoore | Independent | 0 ✓ |
| E. Dyke | Independent | 0 ✓ |
Sherborne West3 seats · turnout 26.6%
| E. King | Independent | 927 |
| S. Waddington | Conservative | 792 |
| P. Jenkins | Conservative | 766 |
| S. Somerville | Lib/Sdp | 728 |
Symondsbury1 seat · turnout 42.3%
| H. Summers | Conservative | 360 |
| B. Wheeler | Lib/Sdp | 181 |
Thorncombe1 seat
| P. Atyeo | Independent | 0 ✓ |
Tolpuddle1 seat · turnout 54.7%
| M. Kraft | Independent | 333 |
| J. Hallett | Lib/Sdp | 81 |
Whitchurch Canonicorum1 seat · turnout 46.8%
| C. Gibson | Conservative | 445 |
| P. Lathey | Lib/Sdp | 96 |
Winterbourne St. Martin1 seat · turnout 40.8%
| S. Slade | Independent | 512 |
| T. Shorter | Conservative | 210 |
Yetminster1 seat
| W. Anderson | Conservative | 0 ✓ |