Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The city, settled in 1880, counts 82,943 residents.
Where it does best is hazard risk (A+). Waldorf’s overall grade of B− puts it better than 50% of U.S. towns, 162nd of 259 in Maryland. Add incomes to its strengths — the median household earns $116K. Its lowest grade is for schools: its schools rank behind just over two thirds of the state's. Cost of living is weaker too: the typical home is worth about $427K, 3.4 years of the Washington metro’s $127K median household income. Spye Park is on the National Register of Historic Places. The city’s average commute is 41 minutes, where Maryland’s towns sit at 32 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Waldorf is more walkable than 71% of U.S. towns.
Figures: FEMA National Risk Index · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · National Register of Historic Places.
Where Waldorf beats most towns.
67,752 counted in 2010 and 81,410 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Waldorf is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 647 in 1970, 81,410 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1918 and 2 maps from 1892 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Waldorf. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw20 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw20 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw20 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw20 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw20 mi National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a yearWhite House: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Monument: Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · Lincoln Memorial: Aerial_view_of_Lincoln_Memorial_-_east_side.jpg: Carol M. Highsmith derivative w, Public domain
Waldorf is unincorporated, so Charles County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 11, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Waldorf.
Waldorf sends many workers across the state line to Arlington and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Maryland.
Households in Waldorf have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2003. On expected storm and flood damage, Waldorf sits below 96% of U.S. communities. Flood insurance has paid out on 38 claims in the town since 1994. FEMA puts just over half of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 12% to heat waves.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Of its 18 schools, three are listed below, each with the reason. The Charles County Public Schools runs its public schools. 6 public schools serve Waldorf, with 4,139 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Stoddert Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 920 | C+ |
| St. Charles High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,617 | B+ |
| Westlake High SchoolTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,216 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
30% of working residents cross a state line to work, Arlington among the top destinations. The average commute for its 35,154 working residents takes 41.1 minutes, against 31.1 across Maryland.
Only 11% of working residents stay in Waldorf for work; the rest commute out. The top destinations are Washington (22%), La Plata (4%) and Arlington (3%). Half the trips to work are shorter than 21 miles.
| Waldorf | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 41 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $116,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 3.1% | 8% |
| Work from home | 17% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Summer afternoons peak near 88° in July, and January nights bottom out around 27°; snowfall runs to about 15 inches a winter. The seasons in Waldorf: chilly winters, warm summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Waldorf’s median age comes in at 36.1 years. The bachelor’s-degree share among adults 25 and older is 35%, against 44% across Maryland. Among residents in the town, 25% are under 18.
| Waldorf | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 11% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 36.1 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 25% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 42% | 29% |
53.7% women, 46.3% men
About 86 men for every 100 women. Across Maryland, 51.3% of residents are women. Median age: women 37.6, men 35.0.
| Waldorf | MD | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.4% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.5% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.7% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.4% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.7% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.9% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.2% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.6% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.6% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.7% | 8.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.5% | 23.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.9% | 17.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.2% | 6.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.8% | 20.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Within Maryland it is less healthy than 70% of the 261 graded towns: Maryland sets a high bar. Against the 6,291 U.S. towns with household incomes like Waldorf’s, it is less healthy than 77%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
In Waldorf, 12% of adults report frequent physical distress. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Waldorf is ahead of Maryland on 4 and behind on 9. Just over two in five adults in Waldorf sleep under 7 hours; 18% have been diagnosed with depression.
| Waldorf | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 36% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 20% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 33% |
| What stands out | Waldorf | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.5% | 7.6% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.5% | 5.8% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11.4% | 8.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The biggest park or preserve is White Plains Regional Park, at 55 acres. Trails total 11 miles in 16 parks and preserves. In Waldorf, the trail density is 0.3 miles per square mile.
| Waldorf | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.4% | 9.5% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. White Plains Regional Park | 0.4 mi | 55 |
| 2. Robert Stethem Memorial Complex | 0.2 mi | 45 |
| 3. Rail 2 Trail Park | — | 32 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical home value in Waldorf is about $427,000, down 1.9% in a year, close to the Maryland typical home. Its midpoint rent stands at $1,995 a month. Bidding over the asking price: nearly a third of homes sold in the town.
| Waldorf | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,995 a month | $1,809 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 74% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
2 within 15 miles of the center of Waldorf
About 7 of every 100 Waldorf residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Maryland.
Where Waldorf’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
8 notable people were born in Waldorf.
Census-designated place in Maryland, United States
Waldorf is a census-designated place in Charles County, Maryland, United States. Located 23 miles (37 km) south-southeast of Washington, D.C., Waldorf is part of Southern Maryland. Its population was 81,410 at the 2020 census. Waldorf has experienced dramatic growth, increasing its population 16-fold from fewer than 5,000 residents in 1980 to its current population. It is now the largest commercial and residential area in Southern Maryland as well as a major suburb in the Washington metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Waldorf.
It grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Bensville (C) comes closest.
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waldorf | #162 | B− | C+ | — | C | B |
| Accokeek | #210 | C | C− | — | D | B+ |
| Bensville | #195 | C | C− | — | C | B |
| Brandywine | #220 | C | C− | — | D | B |
| Cedarville | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Waldorf, Accokeek, Bensville and Brandywine report no FBI crime data of their own. Cedarville isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Waldorf with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Waldorf grades B− overall, better than 50% of U.S. towns and #162 of 259 in Maryland. It grades B for health and C for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
8 notable people were born here, including Benji Madden and Joel Madden.
