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La Plata, MD
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
10,683
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
41.7
years ∙ half population younger than 41.7, half older
Diversity Index
64.3%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
7.1%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
La Plata is a town within Charles County, Maryland, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC38.543467° N, 76.969790° W
DMS38° 32′ 36.48″ N, 76° 58′ 11.24″ W
Population Density & area
1,339/sq mi
(516.8/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
48.9%
male
Male
48.9%
Female
51.1%
males per 100 females
La Plata
95.8
Charles County
92.9
Maryland
94.8
Nativity
7.1%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
La Plata
7.1%
Charles County
8.5%
Maryland
16.6%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
41.7
years ∙ half population younger than 41.7, half older
Dependency ratio
59.5
dependents per 100 working-age adults
La Plata
59.5
Charles County
60.2
Maryland
63.5
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| La Plata | Charles County | Maryland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 19.8% | 23.9% | 22.2% |
| Working age (18-64) | 62.7% | 62.4% | 61.1% |
| Senior (65+) | 17.5% | 13.7% | 16.7% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 59.5 | 60.2 | 63.5 |
| Child dependency ratio | 31.6 | 38.3 | 36.3 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 27.9 | 21.9 | 27.2 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Diversity Index
64.3%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
La Plata
64.3%
Charles County
65%
Maryland
67.7%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.
RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of La Plata population
| La Plata | Charles County | Maryland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.2% | 7.9% | 12.5% |
| Mexican | 0.6% | 2.2% | 2% |
| Puerto Rican | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Cuban | 0% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 4% | 4.1% | 9.1% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 93.8% | 92.1% | 87.5% |
| One race | 86% | 84.7% | 82.9% |
| White | 46.7% | 32% | 46.6% |
| Black or African American | 35.8% | 48.4% | 28.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 3.3% | 3.3% | 6.5% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0% |
| Some Other Race | 0% | 0.7% | 0.7% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 7.8% | 7.4% | 4.6% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
62.1%
family
Family
62.1%
Non family
37.9%
% family households
La Plata
62.1%
Charles County
71%
Maryland
65%
Average household size
2.56
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of La Plata population
| La Plata | Charles County | Maryland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 3,941 | 60,875 | 2,362,928 |
| Average houshold size | 2.56 | 2.78 | 2.57 |
| Family households | 2,447 | 43,192 | 1,535,706 |
| Average family size | 3.43 | 3.33 | 3.19 |
| Married couple family | 1,783 | 31,406 | 1,090,871 |
| Other families | 664 | 11,786 | 444,835 |
| Male householder | 183 | 2,850 | 120,206 |
| Female householder | 481 | 8,936 | 324,629 |
| Non-family households | 1,494 | 17,683 | 827,222 |
| One-person households | 1,388 | 14,911 | 677,124 |
| Male householder | 586 | 6,054 | 282,192 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 287 | 1,910 | 87,532 |
| Female householder | 802 | 8,857 | 394,932 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 527 | 3,850 | 185,255 |
| Other living arrangements | 106 | 2,772 | 150,098 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
4,201
housing units
La Plata
4,201
Charles County
63,813
Maryland
2,560,784
Occupancy status
93.8%
occupied
Occupied
93.8%
Vacant
6.2%
vacancy rate
La Plata
6.2%
Charles County
4.6%
Maryland
7.7%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
83.1%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1995
Half of houses were built before 1995, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| La Plata | Charles County | Maryland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 6.3 | 7.1 | 6.2 |
| 1–3 rooms | 12.3% | 5.7% | 12.3% |
| 4–6 rooms | 40.9% | 36.4% | 42.4% |
| 7+ rooms | 46.7% | 57.8% | 45.2% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 3.1% | 1.3% | 2.1% |
| 1 bedroom | 7.4% | 4.2% | 10.3% |
| 2 bedrooms | 20% | 11.4% | 21.3% |
| 3 bedrooms | 31.8% | 37.9% | 35.8% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 37.7% | 45.1% | 30.5% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1995 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Total housing units | 4,201 | 63,813 | 2,560,784 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
80.4%
owners
Renter-occupied
19.6%
Owner-occupied
80.4%
homeownership rate
La Plata
80.4%
Charles County
82.1%
Maryland
67.6%
Average household size
2.72
Owner-occupied
1.9
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
La Plata
2.72
Charles County
2.88
Maryland
2.7
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| La Plata | Charles County | Maryland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 3,941 | 60,875 | 2,362,928 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 28.9% | 20.8% | 23.2% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 43.5% | 42.6% | 39% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 14.4% | 17.4% | 17.1% |
| 1999 or earlier | 13.2% | 19.2% | 20.8% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 99.4% | 97.9% | 97.5% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 0.4% | 1.6% | 1.7% |
| 1.51 or more | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 7.1% | 3.9% | 8.8% |
| 1 vehicle | 32.3% | 25.6% | 33.5% |
| 2 vehicles | 35.5% | 38.9% | 35.8% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 25.1% | 31.7% | 21.9% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 11.8% | 30.2% | 46.9% |
| Electricity | 84% | 55.4% | 44.1% |
| Solar | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 3.7% | 11.6% | 6.6% |
| All other fuels | 0% | 2.1% | 1.6% |
| No fuel used | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 0% | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| No telephone service available | 1.4% | 1% | 0.8% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$428,400
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
22.5%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.
Financial characteristics
Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| La Plata | Charles County | Maryland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $428,400 | $428,500 | $419,900 |
| Under $100,000 | 0.4% | 4.5% | 5% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 0% | 2.1% | 7.5% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 14.5% | 10.2% | 14.8% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 61.5% | 52.5% | 37.1% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 21.9% | 29.5% | 29.7% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 1.7% | 1.3% | 6% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 76.9% | 80.9% | 71% |
| Without a mortgage | 23.1% | 19.1% | 29% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $2,527 | $2,542 | $2,347 |
| Without a mortgage | $791 | $770 | $753 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $1,559 | $1,920 | $1,705 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
35.4%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
La Plata
35.4%
Charles County
33.5%
Maryland
43.4%
Adults without a high school diploma
4.7%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
La Plata
4.7%
Charles County
5.5%
Maryland
8.8%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
3,093
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
41%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| La Plata | Charles County | Maryland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 3,093 | 44,250 | 1,533,098 |
| Nursery / preschool | 3.7% | 5.2% | 5.7% |
| K–12 | 64.3% | 69.3% | 66.3% |
| Kindergarten | 1% | 3.6% | 4.9% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 14.3% | 21% | 19.5% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 24.3% | 21.7% | 20.5% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 24.7% | 23% | 21.5% |
| College or graduate school | 31.9% | 25.4% | 28% |
| College, undergraduate | 24.2% | 20.4% | 20.4% |
| Graduate, professional school | 7.8% | 5% | 7.6% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 41% | 33.3% | 41.8% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 79.7% | 83.7% | 80% |
| Private school | 20.3% | 16.3% | 20% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
7,282
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| La Plata | Charles County | Maryland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 7,282 | 115,693 | 4,301,335 |
| Less than 9th grade | 1% | 2.2% | 4% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 3.7% | 3.3% | 4.8% |
| High school diploma or GED | 25.8% | 29.1% | 23.4% |
| Some college, no degree | 24.1% | 23.3% | 17.4% |
| Associate's degree | 9.9% | 8.7% | 6.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.4% | 33.5% | 43.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 19.3% | 18.6% | 22.7% |
| Graduate or professional | 16.2% | 14.9% | 20.8% |
| High School or higher | 95.2% | 94.5% | 91.1% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$74,786
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
2.2%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| La Plata | Charles County | Maryland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $74,786 | $72,226 | $65,293 |
| Less than high school graduate | $— | $50,152 | $35,487 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $41,458 | $52,221 | $45,113 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $77,042 | $65,900 | $54,823 |
| Bachelor's degree | $80,000 | $89,350 | $80,465 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $133,605 | $100,656 | $105,640 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 27.7% | 20.1% | 20.9% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 15.9% | 12.1% | 12.6% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 3.8% | 5% | 8.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 2.2% | 2.6% | 3.5% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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