Caroline County, Maryland Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Caroline County, MD Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Maryland
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 70% of counties in Maryland
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D
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in Maryland
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Caroline County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,666 | 6,204,886 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 103.4 | 500.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.38% | 0.51% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.8 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,494 | 2,362,551 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Caroline County grew by 2.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 33,666 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Caroline County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 20.6% of residents. That is 1.7 points below Maryland as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,603 19.6% -0.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,950 20.6% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,930 20.6% -0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,960 17.7% +1.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Maryland, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.1% of the people living in Caroline County and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Maryland 51.5%
- Men 48.9% Maryland 48.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Caroline County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Caroline County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Caroline County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,099 | $103,916 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.78% | 3.98% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Caroline County is about 34% lower than in Maryland.
Housing
| Metric | Caroline County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $357,432 | $267,101 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,104 | $1,704 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.9% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Caroline County is about 27.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,104 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Caroline County spend about 63 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 263 hours, about 11.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Caroline County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 31.6 | 28.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 63.2 | 56.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 263 | 236 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,158 | $7,301 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.9% | 19.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,411 | 16,437 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 821 | 2,353 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Maryland:
Talbot County (17.8 min), Allegany County (17.8 min), Wicomico County (18.1 min).
Slowest:
Charles County (40.0 min), Calvert County (33.6 min), Prince George's County (32.5 min).
The average commute time in Caroline County is 32 minutes, longer than the 28 minutes in Maryland.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Caroline County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Caroline County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.6% | 39.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.65 | 2.57 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Maryland:
Howard County (0.5), Montgomery County (0.5), Talbot County (0.4).
Lowest:
Somerset County (0.2), Caroline County (0.2), Allegany County (0.2).
Health
Caroline County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Caroline County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.8 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.1% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.0% | 15.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Maryland:
Montgomery County (0.8), Howard County (0.8), Frederick County (0.8).
Lowest:
Baltimore city (0.8), Somerset County (0.8), Dorchester County (0.8).
Caroline County, MD Compared With Nearby Counties
Caroline County, MD is the 4th largest of the 5 counties compared here, 33,666 residents against a local median of 44,871. The measure that sets Caroline County, MD apart most is median home price: $357,432, 52% above the local median of $235,566.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 31.6 min against a local median of 21.6 min, 46% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 46% above the local median it puts Caroline County, MD at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $256,564 on median home price, so Caroline County, MD sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Caroline County, MD has the 2nd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caroline County, MD | 33,666 | $69,099 #4/5 | $357,432 #2/5 | 31.6 min #5/5 |
| Queen Anne's County, MD | 51,825 | $112,977 | $231,617 | 30.0 min |
| Talbot County, MD | 37,917 | $85,514 | $472,999 | 17.8 min |
| Kent County, DE | 187,603 | $74,532 | $239,515 | 21.6 min |
| Dorchester County, MD | 32,754 | $62,608 | $216,435 | 21.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Caroline County, Maryland.
How big is Caroline County, Maryland by population?
About 33,666 people live in Caroline County, Maryland, in 12,494 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 38.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is Caroline County, Maryland?
Averaged over its land area, Caroline County, Maryland has 103 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Caroline County, Maryland an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 5.2 times the median household income ($357,432 against $69,099), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,104 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Caroline County, Maryland have a college degree?
16.6% of adults in Caroline County, Maryland hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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