Charles County, MD

County

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2024 Population

170,527

US Senator

Chris Van Hollen

Democratic Party

US Senator

Angela Alsobrooks

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

38.9

0.258% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

6.87%

3.88% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$122,816

1.84% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$428,500

6.51% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

87,682

1.96% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Charles County, MD reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.6% of the residents in Charles County, MD are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Charles County, MD are College of Southern Maryland (1,599 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Charles County, MD was $428,500, and the homeownership rate was 82.1%.

Most people in Charles County, MD drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 41.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Charles County, MD was 2 cars per household.

Charles County, MD borders Calvert County, MD, Prince George's County, MD, St. Mary's County, MD, Fairfax County, VA, King George County, VA, Prince William County, VA, Stafford County, VA, and Westmoreland County, VA.

About the photo: Cedarville Forest in Autumn

Photo by F Delventhal

United States Maryland Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Population & Diversity

Charles County, MD is home to a population of 171k people, from which 96.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 8.42% of Charles County, MD residents were born outside of the country (14.4k people).

In 2024, there were 1.51 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (82.5k people) in Charles County, MD than any other race or ethnicity. There were 54.6k White (Non-Hispanic) and 11.2k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.6%

2024 Citizenship

96.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.6% of Charles County, MD residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Charles County, MD was 96.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Charles County, MD compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Charles County, MD

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
82.5k ± 1.54k
White (Non-Hispanic)
54.6k ± 325
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
11.2k ± 1.17k

7.92%

Hispanic Population

13.5k people

7.92% of the people in Charles County, MD are hispanic (13.5k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Charles County, MD as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Maryland.

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
130,412 ± 8,772 people
India
62,394 ± 6,102 people
Nigeria
47,653 ± 5,339 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Maryland was El Salvador, the natal country of 130,412 Maryland residents, followed by India with 62,394 and Nigeria with 47,653.

Foreign-Born Population

8.42%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

14.4k people

8.31%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

14k people

As of 2024, 8.42% of Charles County, MD residents (14.4k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Charles County, MD was 8.31%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Charles County, MD compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
7,855 ± 831
Gulf War (1990s)
3,172 ± 456
Vietnam
2,703 ± 343

Charles County, MD has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2.48 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Charles County, MD.

Economy

The economy of Charles County, MD employs 87.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Charles County, MD were Public Administration (17,457 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (9,887 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (9,076 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($115,184), Utilities ($102,059), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($88,131).

Employment

Occupations

87.7k

2024 Value

± 2,740

1.96%

1 Year growth

± 4.24%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Charles County, MD grew at a rate of 1.96%, from 86k employees to 87.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Charles County, MD, are Management Occupations (10,878 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (10,297 people), and Business & Financial Operations Occupations (7,451 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Charles County, MD.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Maryland.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Maryland (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

87.7k

2024 Value

± 2,740

1.96%

1 Year growth

± 4.24%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Charles County, MD grew at a rate of 1.96%, from 86k employees to 87.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Charles County, MD, are Public Administration (17,457 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (9,887 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (9,076 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Charles County, MD, though some of these residents may live in Charles County, MD and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$72,712

Median earning men ± $2,324

$61,292

Median earning women ± $1,491

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($116,731), Public Administration ($114,422), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($84,449).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($115,772), Wholesale Trade ($82,135), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($71,419).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Maryland.

Y-Axis

0.617%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.69M people employed in Maryland. This represents a 0.617% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Maryland.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

216
Construction
200
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
199
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$283k
Retail Trade
$264k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$223k
Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Maryland went to Kamala Harris with 62.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (34.1%), followed by Jill Stein (1.09%).

Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks are the senators currently representing the state of Maryland. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Maryland is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Charles County, MD. Showing the available data for Maryland.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (62.6%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (34.1%)
Republican Party
Jill Stein (1.09%)
Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Maryland went to Kamala Harris with 62.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (34.1%), followed by Jill Stein (1.09%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Maryland for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Maryland

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Maryland.

Chris Van Hollen

Senator from Maryland

Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Angela Alsobrooks

Senator from Maryland

Assumed office on January 3, 2025

Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks are the senators currently representing Maryland.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Maryland over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Charles County, MD awarded 1,599 degrees. The student population of Charles County, MD in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,963 male students and 3,021 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Charles County, MD are White (808 and 50.5%), Black or African American (395 and 24.7%), Hispanic or Latino (153 and 9.57%), and Two or More Races (99 and 6.19%).

The largest universities in Charles County, MD by number of degrees awarded are College of Southern Maryland (1,599 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Charles County, MD are Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities (514 and 32.1%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (278 and 17.4%), and Computer & Information Systems Security (109 and 6.82%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 4,984 students enrolled in Charles County, MD, 39.4% men and 60.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,281 records, of which 62% were women and 38% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
278 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
100 degrees awarded
Other Liberal Arts & Sciences, General Studies, & Humanities
91 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Charles County, MD was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 278 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Charles County, MD according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

College of Southern Maryland

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,599 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was College of Southern Maryland with 1,599 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 583 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Charles County, MD, which is 0.574 times less than the 1,016 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 808 degrees mean that there were 2.05 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 395 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($5,880) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,470) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($2,012) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Charles County, MD was $428,500 in 2024, which is 1.29 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $402,300 to $428,500, a 6.51% increase. The homeownership rate in Charles County, MD is 82.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Charles County, MD have an average commute time of 41.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Charles County, MD is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Charles County, MD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.975%.

Housing

Property

$428,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$5,357

$49,958

Median Property Taxes

±$1,574

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Charles County, MD the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Charles County, MD compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

82.1%

Homeownership

2024

71.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 82.1% of the housing units in Charles County, MD were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 81.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Charles County, MD compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$122,816

Median Household Income

± $3,121

60.9k

Number of Households

± 1,996

In 2024, the median household income of the 60.9k households in Charles County, MD grew to $122,816 from the previous year's value of $120,592.

The following chart displays the households in Charles County, MD distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Charles County, MD is from Maryland.

0.451

2023 Wage GINI in Maryland

0.454

2022 Wage GINI in Maryland

In 2023, the income inequality in Maryland was 0.451 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.683% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Maryland was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Maryland in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Maryland across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (70.2%)
Worked At Home (16.4%)
Carpooled (8.46%)

In 2024, 70.2% of workers in Charles County, MD drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (16.4%) and those who carpooled to work (8.46%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

41.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Charles County, MD have a longer commute time (41.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 7.87% of the workforce in Charles County, MD have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Charles County, MD compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Charles County, MD distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Charles County, MD have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Charles County, MD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.975%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

6.87% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Charles County, MD (11.6k out of 169k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Charles County, MD is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 9% of the children was living in poverty in Charles County, MD. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.8%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 357 in Charles County, MD. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 99.7 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

95.4% of the population of Charles County, MD has health coverage, with 53.5% on employee plans, 11.3% on Medicaid, 8.96% on Medicare, 16.5% on non-group plans, and 5.02% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Charles County, MD see 2,636 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,636 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1590 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 465 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.7% were men and 52.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,636 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Charles County, MD

Primary care physicians in Charles County, MD see an average of 2,636 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,636 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Charles County, MD in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.6% under 18 years, 18.7% between 18 and 34 years, 42% between 35 and 64 years, and 13.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.7% were men and 52.3% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

4.63%

Uninsured

53.5%

Employer Coverage

11.3%

Medicaid

8.96%

Medicare

16.5%

Non-Group

5.02%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Charles County, MD grew by 5.35% from 4.4% to 4.63%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Charles County, MD changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 57.9 in Charles County, MD.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Charles County, MD.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 42.9% in Charles County, MD.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Charles County, MD.