Charles County, Maryland

MD · FIPS 24017 Democrat

Located in Maryland, Charles County has a population of 170,527 residents and a median age of 38.9 years, making it the #402 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 6.9%. The median home value is $428,500, and the median household income is $122,816, which is 63% above the national median.

170,527
Population
#402 of 3,222
$122,816
Median Income
+63.4% #48 of 3,222
38.9 years
Median Age
0.0% #2,401 of 3,222
6.9%
Poverty Rate
-45.4% #194 of 3,222

Demographics

Charles County has a population of 170,527, making it the #402 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.9 years, which is 0.0% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

91.5%
Native Born
8.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Charles County is $122,816, ranking #48 out of 3,222 counties — 63.4% above the national median. The poverty rate is 6.9% and unemployment stands at 4.7%.

Income#48
$122,816
+63.4%
vs nation
99th percentile
Per Capita#203
$51,110
+23.9%
vs nation
94th percentile
Poverty#194
6.9%
-45.4%
vs nation
94th percentile
Unemployment#1,835
4.7%
-10.5%
vs nation
43th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Charles County is $428,500 (+52.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,920/mo and the homeownership rate is 82.1%.

Home Value#232
$428,500
+52.0%
vs nation
93th percentile
Rent#63
$1,920
+65.1%
vs nation
98th percentile
Homeownership#356
82.1%
+27.4%
vs nation
89th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Charles County, 33.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 0.7% below the national average, ranking #548 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
33.5% −0.7% vs nation
Rank #548 of 3,222
83th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Charles County is 76.7 years. 16.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,012
76.7
+2.1%
vs nation
67th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#797
16.0%
-18.2%
vs nation
75th percentile
Diabetes#1,993
11.7%
+5.1%
vs nation
37th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,511
40.8%
+9.4%
vs nation
20th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#361
4.9
-13.0%
vs nation
89th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#188
3.5
-21.5%
vs nation
94th percentile
Uninsured Rate#158
4.9%
-53.0%
vs nation
95th percentile
Physical Inactivity#978
23.6%
-10.5%
vs nation
69th percentile
Food Insecurity#53
7.9%
-45.2%
vs nation
98th percentile

Substance Use

13.4% of adults in Charles County smoke , 42.9% are obese , and 16.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 35.8 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#346
13.4%
-25.4%
vs nation
89th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,794
42.9%
+13.2%
vs nation
11th percentile
Excessive Drinking#379
16.1%
-18.9%
vs nation
88th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,436
35.8
+10.6%
vs nation
32th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Charles County is 8.1 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,021
8.1
+1.5%
vs nation
34th percentile
Suicide Rate#205
11.2
-43.0%
vs nation
92th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#874
14.1
-20.9%
vs nation
65th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,070
15.8
-22.0%
vs nation
62th percentile

Families & Children

9.0% of children in Charles County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.4 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 10.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#911
7.4
+8.7%
vs nation
33th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#483
10.7
-51.1%
vs nation
84th percentile
Child Poverty#238
9.0%
-52.6%
vs nation
93th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Charles County is 75.0%. The mean commute time is 45.6 min, which is 65.4% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
75.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
45.6 min +65.4% vs nation
Rank #10 of 3,222
100th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Charles County voted Democratic with a margin of 40.7%. The vote was 69.2% Dem / 28.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.2 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +40.7%
69.2% 28.5%
Dem 91,650 votes Rep
2020 DEM +40.9%
69.5% 28.6%
Dem 89,498 votes Rep
2016 DEM +30.3%
63.6% 33.3%
Dem 72,480 votes Rep
2012 DEM +31.3%
65% 33.7%
Dem 70,167 votes Rep
2008 DEM +25.5%
62.2% 36.7%
Dem 70,126 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Charles County, Maryland

Charles County, Maryland has a total population of 170,527, making it the 402nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Charles County is 38.9 years.

The median household income in Charles County is $122,816, which ranks #48 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 63.4% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 6.9%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.7%.

The median home value in Charles County is $428,500, 52.0% above the national median. Renters in Charles County pay a median gross rent of $1,920 per month. The homeownership rate is 82.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Charles County, 33.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 0.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 45.6 min.

Charles County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 48.4% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (32.0%) and Hispanic or Latino (7.9%).

All data for Charles County, Maryland comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.