What is the largest city in Charles County, MD?

Waldorf is the largest city or town in Charles County, with about 82,943 residents.

How many ZIP codes are in Charles County?

Charles County includes 22 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, including 20601, 20602, 20603, 20611, 20612.

What is the population of Charles County, MD?

About 170,527 people live in Charles County, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

What counties border Charles County?

Charles County borders Fairfax County, VA, Prince George's County, St. Mary's County, Calvert County.

Charles County, MD: Cities, ZIP Codes & Local Data

Population

170,527

Land area

458sq mi

People per sq mi

372

ZIP codes

22

Charles County at a glance

Charles County is 42% less dense than Maryland as a whole.
By population, it ranks 10th among 24 counties in Maryland.
The median household income is $122,816, 18% above the Maryland median of $103,678.
A typical owner-occupied home is valued at $428,500 and median rent is $1,920 a month.
Its largest cities are Waldorf (82,943), Bensville (15,848) and La Plata (10,683).

Local data for Charles County, MD

Counts from official public data

Housing and community stats

Charles County, MD, American Community Survey 2020-2024

Full profile

Median household income

$122,816

Poverty rate

6.9%

Median home value

$428,500

Prices +1.6% in a year

Median rent

$1,920/mo

Homeownership

82.1%

Bachelor's or higher

33.5%

Median age

38.9

Average commute

41.4 min

Largest reported origins and ancestries: German Americans (11,170), Irish Americans (10,690), Italian Americans (4,164).

Home values and rents Income, education and commute

Economy and federal money

Jobs, income, federal spending and pandemic loans

Details

Unemployment rate

3.9%

Sep 2026, -0.7 pts in a year

Average annual pay

$61,774

43,545 jobs, 2025

Income per person

$70,211

BEA, 2024

Federal spending

$1.3B

FY 2026, $7,897 per person

PPP loans

$242M

4,310 loans, 28,298 jobs reported

Campaign donations

$485K

Itemized, 2026 cycle

Economy Federal spending PPP loans

How people get to work

Charles County, MD, workers 16 and older. American Community Survey 5-year estimates

Drove alone70.2%
Carpooled8.5%
Public transit2.5%
Walked0.8%
Bicycle0.0%
Taxi, ride-hailing, motorcycle or other1.6%
Worked from home16.4%

Average one-way commute: 41.4 minutes for people who do not work from home.

Environment and hazard risk

Charles County, MD, from FEMA, NOAA and EPA

Full report

Natural hazard risk

Relatively Low

Top: heat wave

Storm events since 1996

967

Most often thunderstorm wind

Flood insurance policies

547

0.9% of homes, county

July high / Jan low

88° / 28°F

41.0 inches of rain a year

Hazards, floods and storm history Check a flood zone 8 historic places

Health statistics

Share of adults in Charles County, MD, CDC PLACES estimates

All 40 measures

Obesity

41.9%

U.S. 33.3% +8.6 pts

Diabetes

13.4%

U.S. 12.1% +1.3 pts

Smoking

11.5%

U.S. 12.8% -1.3 pts

Uninsured (18-64)

7.5%

U.S. 11.1% -3.6 pts

Cities, towns and ZIP codes in Charles County

Population shown

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Frequently asked questions

What is the largest city in Charles County, MD?: Waldorf is the largest city or town in Charles County, with about 82,943 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Charles County?: Charles County includes 22 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, including 20601, 20602, 20603, 20611, 20612.
What is the population of Charles County, MD?: About 170,527 people live in Charles County, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
What counties border Charles County?: Charles County borders Fairfax County, VA, Prince George's County, St. Mary's County, Calvert County.