Charles County, MD elected officials: county council or commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Charles County: 21 seats on 7 elected bodies. 20 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 5 local governments in Charles County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
1
Cities, towns, villages and townships
3
0
School districts (school boards)
0
1
Special districts (elected boards)
1
0
Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).
About these counts
The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments (2 in Charles County), though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.
Who lives in Charles County
170,527people
38.9median ageU.S.: 38.9
$122,816 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
6.9%below the U.S.: 12.5%
33.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$428,500median home valueU.S.: $332,700
4.8%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
8.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
13%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.6%U.S.: 8.4%
46.4%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
32.4%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 7.9% · White 32% · Black 48.4% · Asian 3.3% · Other or more than one race 8.4% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)
Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).
About these figures
The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.
Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.
Jobs in Charles County
3.9%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.6%. Maryland: 3.5%.
83,489people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
86,867in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
3.9%
3,378
83,489
86,867
August 2026
4.6%
3,984
82,449
86,433
July 2026
4.7%
4,122
83,120
87,242
June 2026
4.5%
3,876
82,681
86,557
May 2026
4.3%
3,710
81,715
85,425
April 2026
4.7%
4,102
82,622
86,724
March 2026
4.7%
4,137
83,061
87,198
February 2026
5.2%
4,552
82,696
87,248
January 2026
5.0%
4,305
82,103
86,408
December 2025
4.1%
3,534
83,645
87,179
November 2025
4.7%
4,071
83,409
87,480
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
4.6%
4,048
84,558
88,606
August 2025
5.0%
4,460
84,090
88,550
July 2025
4.7%
4,199
86,083
90,282
June 2025
4.4%
3,925
85,247
89,172
May 2025
4.0%
3,522
84,707
88,229
April 2025
3.6%
3,182
85,852
89,034
March 2025
3.9%
3,496
86,065
89,561
February 2025
3.9%
3,471
85,912
89,383
January 2025
3.6%
3,255
85,963
89,218
December 2024
3.1%
2,776
86,363
89,139
November 2024
3.5%
3,094
86,296
89,390
October 2024
3.4%
3,054
86,570
89,624
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.2%
3,742
85,048
88,790
2024
3.3%
2,927
86,438
89,365
2023
2.3%
2,015
86,588
88,603
2022
3.0%
2,684
85,363
88,047
2021
5.1%
4,470
82,651
87,121
2020
6.4%
5,658
82,654
88,312
2019
3.4%
3,101
87,065
90,166
2018
3.7%
3,279
84,411
87,690
2017
3.9%
3,393
83,125
86,518
2016
4.1%
3,437
80,551
83,988
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Maryland's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.9% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.
Crime reported in Charles County
260.9 per 100,0002025. Maryland: 358.0.
961.2 per 100,0002025. Maryland: 1,819.7.
5murders2025, 459 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
459
260.9
1,691
961.2
2024
544
309.1
1,892
1,075.0
2023
561
325.5
1,990
1,154.6
2022
519
303.7
1,887
1,104.0
2020
539
327.4
2,129
1,293.4
2019
586
360.4
2,529
1,555.6
2018
651
406.2
2,503
1,561.6
2017
537
336.8
2,674
1,677.1
2016
559
355.9
2,576
1,640.1
By police agency (2)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Charles County Sheriff's Office
2025
441
1,535
164,219
La Plata Police Department
2025
18
156
11,700
Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Maryland · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.97 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 175,919 people.
347sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
295civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Charles County Sheriff's Office
322
291
164,219
La Plata Police Department
25
4
11,700
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
347
1.97
295
2
2024
345
1.96
304
2
2023
336
1.95
299
2
2022
323
1.89
191
2
2021
315
1.87
166
2
2020
319
1.94
169
2
2019
306
1.88
143
2
2018
306
1.91
135
2
2017
314
1.97
133
2
2016
313
1.99
129
2
Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.
Quick answers
Who is the Charles County Clerk of the Circuit Court?
Lisa E. Yates (Democratic) is the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Charles County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Charles County Chief Judge of the Orphans' Court?
Darlene M. Breck (Democratic) is the Chief Judge of the Orphans' Court of Charles County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Charles County Judge of the Orphans' Court?
Reginald I. Kearney (Democratic) is the Judge of the Orphans' Court of Charles County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Charles County Judge of the Orphans' Court?
Russell A. Yates (Democratic) is the Judge of the Orphans' Court of Charles County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Charles County Register of Wills?
Loraine Davies Hennessy (Democratic) is the Register of Wills of Charles County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Charles County Sheriff?
Troy D. Berry is the Sheriff of Charles County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Charles County State's Attorney?
Anthony B. (Tony) Covington (Democratic) is the State's Attorney of Charles County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Charles County commissioners?
Reuben B. Collins II (President, Board of County Commissioners); Ralph E. Patterson II (District 4); Gilbert Obie (B. J.) Bowling III (District 1); Thomasina O. (Sina) Coates (District 2); Amanda M. Stewart (District 3).
Who is on the Charles County School Board?
Nicole M. Kreamer (District 3); Samichie K. Thomas (District 1); David Hancock (District 1); Jamila Smith (District 2); Brenda L. Thomas (District 2); Dottery Butler-Washington (District 3); Yonelle Moore Lee (District 4); Linda Warren (District 4); Letonya Y. Smalls (At Large).
What is the population of Charles County?
About 170,527 people, with a median age of 38.9; the median household income is $122,816 and 6.9% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Charles County?
3.9% in September 2026 (preliminary): 3,378 people unemployed in a labor force of 86,867, against 4.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Charles County?
5 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal and 1 special district governments.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Maryland Manual On-Line published by the Maryland State Archives; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.
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