Caroline County Demographics

A map of Caroline County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	24,419	24,114	72.5%	72.4%
Black	4,227	4,368	12.6%	13.1%
Hispanic	3,122	2,820	9.3%	8.5%
Multiracial	1,488	1,464	4.4%	4.4%
Asian	249	345	0.7%	1.0%
Native American/Other	164	182	0.5%	0.5%

Caroline County, Maryland has an estimated population of 33,669, a slight increase from the 33,293 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 72.5% White, 12.6% Black, 9.3% Hispanic, 4.4% Multiracial, 0.7% Asian, and 0.5% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Caroline County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Caroline is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Maryland overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Caroline County, that probability was 44.9% in 2020 and 44.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Caroline County is ranked the 20th most populous county in Maryland, out of 24 counties. Caroline County was ranked the 20th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Caroline County's White Population

24,419 residents of Caroline County, or 72.5% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Caroline County is significantly higher than in Maryland overall, where 46.6% of the population is White. Caroline County ranks 11th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 24 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Caroline County's White population has grown by an estimated 1.3%. White residents' share of Caroline County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 72.5%.

Caroline County is more White than neighboring Kent County (56.5% White), and Dorchester County (60.7% White). Caroline County is less White than neighboring Queen Anne's County (82.5% White), Talbot County (73.8% White), and Kent County (75.9% White).

Caroline County's Black Population

4,227 residents of Caroline County, or 12.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Caroline County is significantly lower than in Maryland overall, where 28.9% of the population is Black. Caroline County ranks 14th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 24 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Caroline County's Black population has declined by an estimated 3.2%. Black residents' share of Caroline County's population has decreased from 13.1% to 12.6%.

Caroline County is more Black than neighboring Queen Anne's County (5.5% Black), and Talbot County (12.2% Black). Caroline County is less Black than neighboring Kent County (26.4% Black), Kent County (14% Black), and Dorchester County (24.8% Black).

Caroline County's Asian Population

249 residents of Caroline County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Caroline County is lower than in Maryland overall, where 6.5% of the population is Asian. Caroline County ranks 22nd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 24 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Caroline County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 27.8%. Asian residents' share of Caroline County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Caroline County is less Asian than neighboring Queen Anne's County (1% Asian), Talbot County (1.4% Asian), Kent County (2.5% Asian), Kent County (1.3% Asian), and Dorchester County (1.2% Asian).

Caroline County's Hispanic Population

3,122 residents of Caroline County, or 9.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Caroline County is slightly lower than in Maryland overall, where 12.5% of the population is Hispanic. Caroline County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 24 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Caroline County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 10.7%. Hispanic residents' share of Caroline County's population has increased from 8.5% to 9.3%.

Caroline County is more Hispanic than neighboring Queen Anne's County (5.7% Hispanic), Kent County (8.1% Hispanic), Kent County (5.8% Hispanic), and Dorchester County (6.1% Hispanic). Caroline County is less Hispanic than neighboring Talbot County (9.6% Hispanic).

Caroline County's Native American/Other Population

164 residents of Caroline County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Caroline County is comparable to the share in Maryland overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Caroline County ranks 18th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 24 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Caroline County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 9.9%. Native American/Other residents' share of Caroline County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Caroline County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Talbot County (0.4% Native American/Other), and Kent County (0.3% Native American/Other). Caroline County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Queen Anne's County (0.7% Native American/Other), Kent County (0.8% Native American/Other), and Dorchester County (0.8% Native American/Other).

Caroline County's Multiracial Population

1,488 residents of Caroline County, or 4.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Caroline County is comparable to the share in Maryland overall, where 4.6% of the population is Multiracial. Caroline County ranks 12th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 24 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Caroline County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 1.6%. Multiracial residents' share of Caroline County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.4%.

Caroline County is more Multiracial than neighboring Talbot County (2.5% Multiracial), and Kent County (2.7% Multiracial). Caroline County is less Multiracial than neighboring Queen Anne's County (4.6% Multiracial), Kent County (5.6% Multiracial), and Dorchester County (6.4% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.