Growth Trends

The Charles County Comprehensive Plan articulates Charles County’s long-term vision for growth. The premise of the 2016 Comprehensive Plan is to continue to grow with a smart growth philosophy, balancing growth with strong environmental protection measures. As part of the managed growth philosophy, large lot development is discouraged in rural areas and growth is targeted in the Development District of Waldorf and White Plains where infrastructure exists to support it.

Charles County has a long-standing goal of concentrating 75 percent of future development within the Development District. From 2014 through 2023, Charles County exceeded this goal, averaging 95 percent of approved preliminary plan lots and 77 percent of platted lots in the Development District over the ten-year period.

The targeted mix of housing is currently 80 percent single family homes, 15 percent townhomes and condominiums, and 5 percent apartments. As reported in the 2023 Charles County Planning Commission Annual Report, the County continues to exceed this goal for townhomes while falling short of the stated goal for single family dwellings. Over a five-year period, Charles County averaged 57 percent single family dwellings, 33 percent townhomes, and 10 percent apartments.

In 2016, Charles County anticipated a growth rate of around 1 percent which would yield 37,000 new residents through 2040. The population growth between 2014 and 2023 was 1.2 percent and the average number of residential building permits issued annually in the last ten years is 777.

Additional Resources:

1. Planning Commission Annual Report - Take a deeper dive into growth trends.