Official Federal Data
Charles County, Maryland
FIPS 24017 · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV · Population 170,527
9 Sources
Updated June 22, 2026
$122,816 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
4.2% ▲
Unemployment
4% national
$8.7B ▲
GDP
33.5% ▲
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$122,816 ▲
Per Capita
$51,110 ▲
Mean Household
$141,768 ▲
Poverty Rate
6.9% ▲
Median Income Comparison
Charles County$122,816
Maryland$103,678
National$80,734
Population Profile
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 23.9%
18-34 · 20.8%
35-54 · 27.6%
55-64 · 14.1%
65+ · 13.7%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
94.5%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +4.9 pts
33.5%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 2.2 pts
14.9%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▲ +0.8 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
170,527
Population
94,138
Labor Force
Employed
87,682
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
4.2% ▲ +0.9 pts YoY
Mean Commute 15 min above national avg
41.4 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
16.4%
Key Takeaways
- Income premium: Households earn well above the national median, supporting strong retail and housing markets.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest sector: Retail Trade employs 7,155 workers (24.5% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $43,290.
- Economic scale: Regional GDP of $8.7B (2024).
- Wage stratification: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services averages $97,052 while Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation averages $20,072, a 4.8x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Cluster Depth
Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Retail Trade Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
5,374
Cluster Employment
2.22x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
3.38x 533
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
2.22x 1,271
Couriers and Messengers
2.13x 670
General Merchandise Retailers
1.79x 1,621
Building Material and Garden Supply Retailers
1.69x 648
Repair and Maintenance
1.67x 683
Food and Beverage Retailers
1.66x 1,507
Specialty Trade Contractors
1.64x 2,392
Food Services and Drinking Places
1.53x 5,209
Furniture, Home Furnishings, and Other Retailers
1.52x 327
Attraction Opportunities
LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.17x
Management of Companies and Enterprises
127 employed
0.18x
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
61 employed
0.22x
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
137 employed
0.22x
Support Activities for Transportation
51 employed
0.28x
Insurance Carriers and Related Activities
206 employed
0.30x
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods
290 employed
0.33x
Securities, Commodity Contracts, Investments
103 employed
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation concentrates at 3.38x the national norm, strong concentration that anchors the local economy and supports supply-chain attraction strategy.
- Cluster depth: 10 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base rather than reliance on a single employer or sector.
- Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment depending on labor-market fit.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$428,500 ▲
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,920 ▲
Rent/Mo
82.1% ▲
Owner-Occ
4.6% ▼
Vacancy
3.5x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents
Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$1,953/mo
1 Bedroom
$2,015/mo
2 Bedroom
$2,246/mo
3 Bedroom
$2,835/mo
4 Bedroom
$3,332/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$3,070/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
- In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.5x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
- High home ownership: 82.1% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
- Affordable rent tiers: 4 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$3,070/mo).
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
106,455 ▲
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 15 min above national avg
41.4 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
16.4%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
85.4%
of prime-age population
▲ vs 2019
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
33.5% ▲
HS Diploma+
94.5% ▲
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
42,931/yr
15,061/yr
12,553/yr
5,915/yr
3,902/yr
2,980/yr
2,520/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
22.6%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
47%
Service
16%
Sales & Office
19.2%
Construction / Maint.
8.1%
Production / Transport
9.7%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 87,682 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Succession risk is real: 22.6% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
- Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 33,529 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.
AI Insights
AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 9 federal data sources
Sample AI Insight
Charles County shows meaningful potential for transit and ground passenger transportation attraction, with a 3.38x concentration and 533 jobs in this sub-sector. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 22.6% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.
The interconnected base across transit and ground passenger transportation, motor vehicle and parts dealers, and couriers and messengers creates supply-chain attraction leverage rather than single-employer risk, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for Charles County, Maryland, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Charles County, Maryland?
170,527 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Charles County, Maryland?
$122,816 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Charles County, Maryland?
4.2% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of Charles County, Maryland?
$8.7B (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).
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