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COUNTY

Charles County

Maryland · 176,593 residents (2025 est.) · 458 sq mi
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Part of the Washington metro area
The short version

Charles County is a county of 170,527 people in Maryland. Few US counties rank higher on income. Owners hold 82% of the housing stock. 49,981 more people live here than in 2000. The average commute runs 41 minutes. The median household earns $122,816, about 49% above the national median.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $122,816, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.9
US median: 38.9
Average education
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 53%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Charles County

What changed most since 1990

  • Black share18.0% → 48.4% (+30.4 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
  • White share78.4% → 32.0% (−46.4 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Population101,154 → 170,527 (+69%)US over the same years: +35%

Among the 24 counties in Maryland

  • 5th in household income$122,816
  • 16th in share with a bachelor's degree33.5%
  • 8th in home value$428,500
  • 3rd in diversity score81.2
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
170,527
+41%since 2000
from 120,546 in 2000
176,593 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
372 / sq mi
+41%since 2000
from 263 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
38.9
+12%since 2000
from 34.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
458 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
94K115K136K157K177K19902000201020202024Charles County
2024171K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.7%(9,805)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.4%(10,836)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.3%(12,383)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.8%(11,569)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246%(10,241)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.5%(21,279)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.7%(23,397)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.9%(23,658)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.1%(24,009)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.5%(14,465)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.8%(6,561)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.4%(2,324)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$122,816
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $62,199 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$51,110
+110%since 2000
from $24,285 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
72.1%
+14.3 ptssince 2009
from 57.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
6.9%
+1.4 ptssince 2000
from 5.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.388
+8%since 2010
from 0.359 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information9.1%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance6.5%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services5.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration2.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Retail trade2.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$428,500
+53%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $153,500 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,920
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $858 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
82.1%
+3.9 ptssince 2000
from 78.2% in 2000
17.9% rent
Vacancy rate
4.6%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 6.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.78 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.84 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
27.9%
−6.3 ptssince 2009
from 34.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
42.6%
−5.3 ptssince 2009
from 48.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.5
−15%since 2009
from 4.1 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
29
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic67.3%(81,111)
Black25.9%(31,203)
Hispanic / Latino2.3%(2,722)
Asian1.8%(2,169)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic32%(54,588)
Black48.4%(82,452)
Hispanic / Latino7.9%(13,500)
Asian3.3%(5,653)
Other8.4%(14,334)
Diversity Score
81
+13%since 2009
from 72 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
41
+5%since 2020
from 39 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Central American2.6%(4,444)
Mexican2.2%(3,723)
Puerto Rican1.4%(2,444)
Salvadoran1.3%(2,263)
Guatemalan0.8%(1,311)
Dominican0.5%(813)
Honduran0.3%(563)
Cuban0.2%(393)
Peruvian0.2%(305)
Panamanian0.1%(189)
Colombian0.1%(176)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Venezuelan0.1%(173)
Uruguayan0.1%(170)
Spaniard0.1%(126)
Nicaraguan0.1%(113)
Argentine0%(71)
Bolivian0%(37)
Chilean0%(1)
Asian origin
Filipino1.4%(2,463)
Asian Indian0.5%(799)
Pakistani0.4%(679)
Korean0.3%(428)
Vietnamese0.2%(335)
Chinese0.2%(256)
Nepalese0.1%(166)
Thai0.1%(89)
Japanese0%(75)
Cambodian0%(63)
Uzbek0%(56)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Taiwanese0%(42)
Hmong0%(32)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(234)
Chamorro0.1%(92)
Ancestry
English8%(13,726)
German6.6%(11,170)
Irish6.3%(10,690)
American3.7%(6,358)
Italian2.4%(4,164)
West Indian2%(3,405)
Jamaican1.2%(2,053)
Nigerian1%(1,772)
Polish0.9%(1,585)
Scottish0.9%(1,535)
French0.9%(1,471)
+ 41 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.5%(856)
Dutch0.4%(674)
British0.4%(629)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(585)
Arab0.3%(520)
Norwegian0.3%(463)
Ukrainian0.2%(378)
Hungarian0.2%(346)
Swedish0.2%(320)
Haitian0.2%(297)
Czech0.2%(265)
Greek0.1%(247)
Russian0.1%(198)
Ghanaian0.1%(184)
Danish0.1%(176)
Lithuanian0.1%(174)
Lebanese0.1%(172)
Brazilian0.1%(157)
Ethiopian0.1%(138)
Slovak0.1%(137)
Austrian0.1%(126)
Finnish0.1%(124)
Portuguese0.1%(94)
Canadian0.1%(92)
Guyanese0.1%(89)
Swiss0.1%(87)
Bulgarian0%(63)
Romanian0%(59)
Croatian0%(53)
Iranian0%(52)
Moroccan0%(40)
Kenyan0%(31)
Belgian0%(28)
Barbadian0%(28)
Syrian0%(24)
Armenian0%(22)
Latvian0%(8)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
33.5%
+13.5 ptssince 2000
from 20.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.5%
+8.7 ptssince 2000
from 85.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
14.9%
+8.0 ptssince 2000
from 6.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
41.4 min
+26%since 2000
from 32.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
70.2%
−7.8 ptssince 2009
from 78.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.5%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.5%
−3.8 ptssince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
16.4%
+13.9 ptssince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
3.9%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.8%
−1.9 ptssince 2011
from 6.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
69.6%
−3.6 ptssince 2011
from 73.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
81.3%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 79.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.7%
+2.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
47.0%
+6.3 ptssince 2009
from 40.7% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 48.6% in 2009
Female
51.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.4% in 2009
Foreign born
8.5%
+4.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
13.0%
−3.1 ptssince 2009
from 16.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.2%
+2.2 ptssince 2012
from 9.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.6%
−2.8 ptssince 2013
from 7.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
93.4%
+8.8 ptssince 2017
from 84.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.6%
+3.7 ptssince 2020
from 92.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
89.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 89.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
89.8%
−2.6 ptssince 2016
from 92.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.6%
+1.3 ptssince 2016
from 3.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married35.1%(22,904)
Married53%(34,634)
Widowed2.3%(1,530)
Divorced9.5%(6,231)
Women 15+
Never married33%(23,836)
Married48.4%(34,927)
Widowed7.1%(5,134)
Divorced11.5%(8,307)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.6%
−2.8 ptssince 2013
from 7.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
67.4%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 68.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
12.1%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 10.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
14.8%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 13.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
15.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 14.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
4.5%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 3.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
81.1%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 81.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
30.4%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 28.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)47.2%(7,855)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)41%(6,828)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era18.9%(3,141)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.7%(285)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.1%(14)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 16,648 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Charles County, decade by decade

Charles County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990101,154$111,399$292,80816.2%44.0
2000120,546$113,305$279,62420.0%59.8
2010146,551$127,781$511,84326.1%74.9
2020166,617$125,662$396,09430.0%79.9
2024170,527$122,816$428,50033.5%81.2

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Charles County

Carroll County
Pop 176,677
Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region
Pop 177,311
El Dorado County
Pop 192,323
Kendall County
Pop 145,470
Places similar to Charles County
Head to head

Compare Charles County to nearby counties

CHARLES COUNTY VS
King George County
Income$116,884−5%
Home value$428,300same
Population29,646−83%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLES COUNTY VS
Stafford County
Income$137,807+12%
Home value$485,100+13%
Population170,803−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLES COUNTY VS
Alexandria
Income$119,681−3%
Home value$735,100+72%
Population160,662−9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHARLES COUNTY VS
Prince George's County
Income$101,798−17%
Home value$426,000−1%
Population970,374+449%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Charles County, Maryland?

Charles County, Maryland has about 170,527 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Charles County, Maryland?

The typical household in Charles County, Maryland earns about $122,816 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Charles County, Maryland expensive?

In Charles County, Maryland, the median home is worth about $428,500, and the typical rent is about $1,920 a month.

How educated are people in Charles County, Maryland?

About 33.5% of adults age 25 and over in Charles County, Maryland hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Charles County, Maryland?

About 6.9% of people in Charles County, Maryland live below the federal poverty line.

Has Charles County, Maryland grown since 1990?

Yes, Charles County, Maryland has grown since 1990. The population has added about 69,373 residents, a change of about 69 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →