Charles County Demographics

A map of Charles County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
Black	82,452	80,850	48.4%	48.5%
White	54,588	56,832	32.0%	34.1%
Hispanic	13,500	11,677	7.9%	7.0%
Multiracial	12,539	9,535	7.4%	5.7%
Asian	5,653	5,624	3.3%	3.4%
Native American/Other	1,795	2,099	1.1%	1.3%

Charles County, Maryland has an estimated population of 170,527, a slight increase from the 166,617 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 48.4% Black, 32.0% White, 7.9% Hispanic, 7.4% Multiracial, 3.3% Asian, and 1.1% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Charles County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Charles has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is 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 Charles County, that probability was 63.9% in 2020 and 65.1% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Charles County is ranked the 10th most populous county in Maryland, out of 24 counties. Charles County was ranked the 10th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Charles County's White Population

54,588 residents of Charles County, or 32.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Charles County is considerably lower than in Maryland overall, where 46.6% of the population is White. Charles County ranks 22nd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 24 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Charles County's White population has declined by an estimated 3.9%. White residents' share of Charles County's population has decreased from 34.1% to 32.0%.

Charles County is more White than neighboring Prince George's County (10.8% White). Charles County is less White than neighboring King George County (68.8% White), Alexandria County (49.1% White), Arlington County (58% White), and Westmoreland County (62.3% White).

Charles County's Black Population

82,452 residents of Charles County, or 48.4% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Charles County is significantly higher than in Maryland overall, where 28.9% of the population is Black. Charles County ranks 3rd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 24 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Charles County's Black population has grown by an estimated 2.0%. Black residents' share of Charles County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 48.4%.

Charles County is more Black than neighboring King George County (14.9% Black), Alexandria County (21% Black), Arlington County (9.3% Black), and Westmoreland County (23.2% Black). Charles County is less Black than neighboring Prince George's County (58.2% Black).

Charles County's Asian Population

5,653 residents of Charles County, or 3.3% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Charles County is slightly lower than in Maryland overall, where 6.5% of the population is Asian. Charles County ranks 8th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 24 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Charles County's Asian population has remained roughly the same. Asian residents' share of Charles County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.3%.

Charles County is more Asian than neighboring King George County (1.3% Asian), and Westmoreland County (1% Asian). Charles County is less Asian than neighboring Alexandria County (6.2% Asian), Prince George's County (3.9% Asian), and Arlington County (10.5% Asian).

Charles County's Hispanic Population

13,500 residents of Charles County, or 7.9% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Charles County is slightly lower than in Maryland overall, where 12.5% of the population is Hispanic. Charles County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 24 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Charles County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 15.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Charles County's population has increased from 7.0% to 7.9%.

Charles County is more Hispanic than neighboring King George County (6.9% Hispanic), and Westmoreland County (6.4% Hispanic). Charles County is less Hispanic than neighboring Alexandria County (18.3% Hispanic), Prince George's County (22.5% Hispanic), and Arlington County (15.9% Hispanic).

Charles County's Native American/Other Population

1,795 residents of Charles County, or 1.1% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Charles County is comparable to the share in Maryland overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Charles County ranks 1st statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 24 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Charles County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 14.5%. Native American/Other residents' share of Charles County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.1%.

Charles County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Alexandria County (0.6% Native American/Other), Prince George's County (0.9% Native American/Other), Arlington County (0.8% Native American/Other), and Westmoreland County (1% Native American/Other). Charles County is less Native American/Other than neighboring King George County (1.6% Native American/Other).

Charles County's Multiracial Population

12,539 residents of Charles County, or 7.4% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Charles County is slightly higher than in Maryland overall, where 4.6% of the population is Multiracial. Charles County ranks 3rd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 24 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Charles County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 31.5%. Multiracial residents' share of Charles County's population has increased from 5.7% to 7.4%.

Charles County is more Multiracial than neighboring King George County (6.5% Multiracial), Alexandria County (4.7% Multiracial), Prince George's County (3.8% Multiracial), Arlington County (5.5% Multiracial), and Westmoreland County (6% 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.