Brief Economic Facts

C H A R L E S C O U N T Y, M A R Y L A N D
New York

Charles County is well positioned for

investment, growth and development.
Washington, DC
Strategically located near both Washington
Baltimore
D.C. and Baltimore, the county offers
numerous advantages for businesses. While
just 30 miles from central D.C., commercial
Washington, DC
rental rates are about 40 percent lower
La Plata
Charles County is in the
than in the Capitol, providing access
center of the densely
to many regional assets for less. Under
populated region extending
an hour from Reagan National, Dulles
from Baltimore in the north,
through Washington D.C., to
International, and Baltimore/Washington
Richmond in the south.
International Airports, Charles County
is well connected. The countys Maryland
Airport is the closest airport to D.C.
offering general aviation services and accommodating corporate
Ranked as a best place to live, Charles County offers a high
and private jets without TSA presence.
quality of life which attracts a strong talent pool of educated
professionals and young families. By investing in Charles County,
Charles County offers numerous flexible commercial options
companies can access this workforce and the affordability that
for companies and businesses that are ready to make a move,
brings them here.The county has many workforce development
including hundreds of acres of shovel-ready and build-to-suit sites,
programs including degree and continuing education at the
high-visibility retail space, and acreage in several employment
College of Southern Maryland as well as resources for start-ups
parks. The countys 2,800 private sector employers have more
and entrepreneurs.
than 31,000 workers.

LOCATION

POPULATION2,3

Driving distance from Waldorf:

Miles

Kilometers

Atlanta, Georgia
Baltimore, Maryland
Boston, Massachusetts
Chicago, Illinois
New York, New York
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Richmond,Virginia
Washington, DC

609
56
452
710
241
152
247
91
25

980
90
727
1,143
388
244
397
146
40

CLIMATE AND GEOGRAPHY1

Yearly Precipitation (inches)
Yearly Snowfall (inches)
Summer Temperature (F)
Winter Temperature (F)
Days Below Freezing
Land Area (square miles)
Water Area (square miles)
Shoreline (miles)
Elevation (feet)

2000
2010
2020**

Charles County
Households Population

41,668
51,214
62,350

120,546
146,551
174,350

Maryland part of
Washington DC
metro*
Maryland

2,065,242
2,303,870
2,517,100

5,296,486
5,773,552
6,224,550

*Calvert, Charles, Frederick, Montgomery and Prince Georges counties

**Projections

Selected places population (2010): Waldorf 67,752; Bensville

11,923; La Plata 8,753; Bryans Road 7,244; Indian Head 3,844;
Hughesville 2,197

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION2,3 (2013)

43.6
16.1
75.1
38.7
71.3
451.6
35.2
305
sea level to 235

Age

Number

Under 5
9,247
5 - 19
33,391
20 - 44
50,448
45 - 64
43,504
65 and over
16,274
Total
152,864
Median age (2011-2013)

Percent

6.0
21.8
33.0
28.5
10.6
100.0
37.4 years

Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development

1.888.ChooseMD | www.ChooseMaryland.org

2015

Brief Economic Facts

C H A R L E S C O U N T Y, M A R Y L A N D

LABOR AVAILABILITY3,4,5 (BY PLACE OF RESIDENCE)

EMPLOYMENT4 (2013, BY PLACE OF WORK)

Labor Mkt.
Civilian Labor Force (2014 avg. - prelim.) County
Area*

Industry

Total civilian labor force

80,582
Employment
76,144
Unemployment
4,438
Unemployment rate
5.5%
Residents commuting outside the
Number
county to work (2011-2013)
47,651
Employment in selected occupations (2011-2013)
Management, business, science and arts 31,636
Service
12,985
Sales and office
19,023
Production, transp. and material moving 5,514

Federal government
31
State government
9
Local government
68
Private sector
2,799
Natural resources and
9
mining
Construction
399
Manufacturing
56
Trade, transportation
669
and utilities
Information
21
Financial activities
242
Professional and business 483
services
Education and health
376
services
Leisure and hospitality
289
Other services
255
Total
2,907

652,137
614,107
38,030
5.8%
Percent

63.2%

41.7%
17.1%
25.1%
7.3%

* Charles, Calvert, Prince Georges and St. Marys counties

MAJOR EMPLOYERS6,7 (2014)

Employer

Naval Support Facility (NSF)

Indian Head*
Univ. of Maryland Charles
Regional Medical Center
Walmart / Sam's Club
Facchina Construction
Safeway
College of Southern Md.
Target
McDonald's
Southern Maryland Electric
Cooperative (SMECO)
Genesis HealthCare**
Bloomin' Brands
Sagepoint Sr. Living Services
Darden Restaurants
Macy's
Applebees International
Chick-fil-A
Giant Food
ADJ Sheet Metal
Pizza Hut/Taco Bell/KFC+
NRG Energy
Food Lion
JCPenney
Waldorf Ford

Product/Service

Employment

Military installation

3,193

Medical services

850

Consumer goods
HQ / construction services
Groceries
Higher education
Consumer goods
Restaurants
Energy products and
services
Nursing care
Restaurants
Nursing care
Restaurants
Consumer goods
Restaurants
Restaurants
Groceries
Structural metal
Restaurants
Power generation
Groceries
Consumer goods
Car dealers

592
550
475
418
400
396
386
312
300
266
253
250
225
225
200
193
190
186
185
185
181

Excludes post offices, state and local governments; includes higher education
* Employee count includes 500 contractor employees from companies not
appearing on this list
** Includes multiple facilities
+ Single ownership

Estab- Annual Avg. Emp. Avg. Wkly.

lishments Empl.
%
Wage

2,224
565
6,749
31,261
32

5.5 $1,773
1.4
730
16.5
943
76.6
691
0.1
697

3,480
605
10,642

8.5
1.5
26.1

984
912
600

345
1,161
2,981

0.8
2.8
7.3

1,143
950
1,089

5,101

12.5

798

5,502 13.5
1,412
3.5
40,799 100.0

287
577
792

Includes civilian employment only

HOURLY WAGE RATES4 (2014)

Selected Occupations

Median

Entry Experienced

Accountants
$32.25 $22.00
Aerospace engineers
53.00 37.75
Bookkeeping/accounting clerks
18.75 12.50
Computer support specialists
25.00 16.25
Computer systems analysts
41.50 25.00
Customer service representatives 13.50
9.00
Electrical engineers
44.00 32.75
Electronics engineering
39.50 28.50
technicians
Freight, stock and material
10.50
8.25
movers, hand
Industrial truck operators
14.75 10.75
Information security analyst
37.75 28.75
Maintenance and repair workers 19.25 13.50
Network administrators
38.75 26.75
Packers and packagers, hand
9.00
8.25
Secretaries
18.25 12.50
Shipping/receiving clerks
13.50 10.25

$45.50
59.50
22.75
31.50
52.75
18.00
55.25
44.50
13.50
18.75
44.75
23.50
45.50
13.25
21.50
16.50

Wages are an estimate of what workers might expect to receive in Southern

Maryland (Calvert, Charles and St. Marys counties) and may vary by industry,
employer and locality

Brief Economic Facts

C H A R L E S C O U N T Y, M A R Y L A N D

SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES3,8

INCOME3 (2011-2013)

Educational Attainment - age 25 & over (2011-2013)

High school graduate or higher
Bachelors degree or higher
Public Schools
Number: 21 elementary; 8 middle; 7 high
Enrollment: 26,258 (Sept. 2014)
Cost per pupil: $12,742 (2012-2013)
Students per teacher: 15.4 (Oct. 2013)
High school career / tech enrollment: 3,216 (2014)
High school graduates: 2,150 (July 2013)
Nonpublic Schools
Number: 24 (Sept. 2013)
Higher Education (2014)
Enrollment
2-year institution
College of Southern Maryland (CSM)* 8,375

91.5%
27.1%

Degrees

1,215

High-quality, customizable workforce training is provided through

CSMs Center for Trades and Energy Training and the Corporate
Center. University of Maryland Univ. College, Towson Univ. and
College of Notre Dame offer degree programs at the Waldorf Center
for Higher Education. The regions world-renowned universities are
within easy driving distance, and satellite courses are offered locally.
* Includes two campuses in Charles County as well as facilities in Calvert and
St. Marys counties

TAX RATES9

Charles Co.

Corporate Income Tax (2015)

Base federal taxable income
Personal Income Tax (2015)

Maryland

none
3.03%

8.25%
2.0%-5.75% *

B
 ase federal adjusted gross income
*Graduated rate peaking at 5.75% on taxable income over $300,000

Sales & Use Tax (2015)

none
6.0%
Exempt sales for resale; manufacturers purchase of raw materials;

manufacturing machinery and equipment; purchases of materials and

equipment used in R&D and testing of finished products; purchases
of computer programs for reproduction or incorporation into
another computer program for resale

Real Property Tax (FY 15)

$1.205

$0.112

Effective rate per $100 of assessed value

In addition to this rate, there are some miscellaneous taxes and/
or special taxing areas in the county; in an incorporated area, the
county rate may vary and a municipal rate will also apply

Business Personal Property

Tax (FY 15)
Rate per $100 of depreciated value

$3.0125

none

Exempt manufacturing and R&D machinery, equipment, materials

and supplies; manufacturing, R&D and warehousing inventory
In an incorporated area a municipal rate will also apply

Major Tax Credits Available

Job Creation, R&D, Biotechnology and Cybersecurity
Investment

Distribution

Percent Households
Charles Co.
Maryland

Under $25,000
$25,000 - $49,999
$50,000 - $74,999
$75,000 - $99,999
$100,000 - $149,999
$150,000 - $199,999
$200,000 and over
Median household
Average household
Per capita
Total income (millions)

13.0
12.0
15.5
15.4
23.1
11.9
9.1
$90,789
$103,187
$36,653
$5,358

U.S.

16.1
23.9
18.1
24.0
17.4
17.9
13.3
11.9
18.0
12.7
8.5
4.8
8.6
4.8
$72,345
$52,176
$94,841
$72,897
$35,837
$27,884
$203,854 $8,436,477

HOUSING2,3,10
Occupied Units (2011-2013) 51,926 (76.5% owner occupied)
Housing Transactions (2013)
Units Median Selling Price
All arms-length transactions
1,677
$285,300
All multiple-listed properties*
1,834
$239,950
*Excludes auctions and FSBO

BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY6

St. Charles - One of the best master-planned communities in
the country and only 11 miles from the Capital Beltway. More
than 500 acres of industrial and commercial property available
in parcels from one to 100+ acres in three employment parks.
Waldorf Technology Park - Master-planned, 400,000 sf Class A
office, luxury residential and R&D complex on 64 acres; home
to Marriott Residence Inn. Certified site: Eight-month delivery
is available for a new, fully permitted, 20,000 sf Class A building.
Indian Head Science and Technology Park - 5 min. from Indian
Head Naval Base and 20 min. from the Capital Beltway. 250+
acre new park will accommodate 1.5 million sf of R&D, office,
and industrial space. ATFP site criteria compliance available.
White Plains Corporate Business Park - Strategically located
along US 301 in the developing White Plains business district.
This park offers Class A lease and condo office space, flex
space, and pad sites. Certified site: Eight-month delivery is
available for a new, fully permitted, 10,000 sf Class A building.
Business Incubator
TechFire
Market Profile Data (2014)
Land cost per acre*
Industrial
Office

Low

High

Average

$20,000 $250,000 $110,000

$60,000 $1,200,000 $310,000

*Higher pricing typically reflects subdivided, shovel-ready pad sites

Rental Rates per square foot

Warehouse / Industrial
$4.00
Flex / R&D / Technology
$5.00
Class A Office
$10.00

$17.00
$13.00
$30.00

$7.00
$10.00
$21.00

Brief Economic Facts

C H A R L E S C O U N T Y, M A R Y L A N D

TRANSPORTATION

UTILITIES

Highways: U.S. 301, MD 5 and MD 210; Routes 5 and 210

connect to the National Capital Beltway (I-495) providing
access to D.C. and Northern Virginia; Route 301 connects
the region with Baltimore and Richmond, and serves as an
alternate to I-95 through the D.C. area
Rail: CSX Transportation
Truck: 46 local and long-distance trucking establishments are
located in Southern Maryland
Water: Served by the Port of Baltimore and the Potomac
River
Air: County business district lies 45 minutes from Washingtons Reagan National Airport and about an hour from both
Dulles International and BWI Marshall Airports; Maryland
Airport (2W5), near La Plata, is upgrading to a 4,200 foot
runway and is the closest airport to DC for corporate jet
traffic without the requirement of additional security agents

Electricity: Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative;

customers may choose their electric supplier; county is home
to NRGs Morgantown power generation plant with a capacity
of 1,467 megawatts
Gas: Washington Gas; customers may choose their gas supplier
Water: The county provides water for Waldorf, White Plains
and Bryans Road; Indian Head and La Plata have municipal
water systems
Sewer: Waldorf, White Plains, Bryans Road, Cobb Island,
Cliffton, and Bel Alton are served by the county; the towns of
La Plata and Indian Head have municipal sewer systems
Telecommunications: Broadband services include Verizon FiOS
and Comcast Business Class

RECREATION AND CULTURE

County Seat: La Plata

Government: Five commissioners elected at large for four-year
terms; code home rule government allows for broad local
legislative authority
Peter F. Murphy, President, Board of County Commissioners
301.645.0550
Deborah E. Hall, Acting County Administrator 301.645.0550
Website: www.charlescountymd.gov
County Bond Rating: AAA (S&P); Aa1 (Moodys); AAA (Fitch)
Charles County Department of Economic Development
Marcia Keeth, Acting Director
10665 Stanhaven Place, Suite 206
White Plains, MD 20695
Telephone: 301.885.1340
Email: info@MeetCharlesCounty.com
www.MeetCharlesCounty.com

Parks and Recreation: 300 miles of shoreline on the Potomac

and Patuxent Rivers create opportunities for boating, fishing,
kayaking, picnics, jet skiing, water skiing, sailing, bird watching,
and treasure hunting; the county is home to miles of hiking
and biking trails and 30 county parks totaling 3,626 acres
with a variety of activities including a 13-mile hiker/biker trail,
60-acre lake, fishing piers, swimming, skate park, tennis courts,
picnic facilities and lighted athletic fields; three state parks and
four natural wildlife areas cover nearly 10,000 acres; Capital
Clubhouse offers a 90,000 sf ice rink, multi-purpose field,
30-foot climbing wall, eatery, summer camps, and an on-site
sporting equipment shop
Golf: White Plains Golf Course, Hawthorne Country Club and
Swan Point Yacht and Country Club
Entertainment: Regency Furniture Stadium is home to the
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs professional baseball club with
over 70 home games, as well as concerts, expos, and other
entertainment events throughout the year
Cultural and Historical: The College of Southern Maryland
features theater, musical performances, art, and cultural events;
award-winning Port Tobacco Players are known for excellent
stage productions; Black Box Theatre offers professional
theatre, music, and music festivals; the countys rich history is
preserved in a number of historical sites and scenic trails
Events: Friday Night Concerts, Bass Tournaments, ASA Softball
Tournament, Annual Festival, Charles County Fair, and Powwow

GOVERNMENT11

Sources:
1 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1981-2010 normals);
Maryland Geological Survey
2 Maryland Department of Planning
3 U.S. Bureau of the Census
4 Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Office of Workforce
Information and Performance
5 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
6 Charles County Department of Economic Development
7 Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development
8 Maryland State Department of Education; Maryland Higher Education
Commission
9 Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation; Comptroller of the
Treasury
10 Maryland Association of Realtors
11 Maryland State Archives; Maryland Association of Counties

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