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City · 10,683 residents · Charles County, Maryland

La Plata , Maryland

In La Plata, a typical home is worth $428,400 and typical rent is $1,559 a month. Compared with all of Charles County, typical rent is 19% lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $428,400

    About the same as the county

    2% above Maryland

    • La Plata
    • Charles
    • Maryland

  • Typical rent

    $1,559a month

    19% below the county

    9% below Maryland

    • La Plata
    • Charles
    • Maryland

  • Typical household income

    $121,208a year

    About the same as the county

    17% above Maryland

    • La Plata
    • Charles
    • Maryland

  • Households that own their home

    80%

    2 points below the county

    13 points above Maryland

    • La Plata
    • Charles
    • Maryland

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$475,505
0.8% less than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$2,680 a month

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

La Plata is in Charles County. The FHA loan limit ($1,249,125 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Charles County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets La Plata apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. La Plata has the 9th smallest share of rent-burdened renters of the 170 cities in Maryland with more than 5,000 people (33%).

  2. The typical rent in La Plata is $1,559 a month, 19% less than in Charles County as a whole ($1,920).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in La Plata

What homes there are in La Plata, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

In La Plata there is a bit of everything: no kind of home reaches half. The most common are detached houses (49%); in Charles County, 70%.

Year built

The typical home in La Plata was built in 1995, 4 years after the typical one in Charles County.

There are fewer big homes in La Plata than in Charles County: 70% have 3 bedrooms or more, against 83%.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$2,527 a month

Charles County: $2,542 a month

Without a mortgage

$791 a month

Charles County: $770 a month

Owners with a mortgage

77%

Charles County: 81%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in La Plata is $2,527 a month, near the figure in Charles County ($2,542).

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Homes in La Plata gained value more slowly than in Charles County: 30% since 2015–2019, against 37%.

Rent in La Plata moved so little since 2015–2019 that the Census cannot say whether it rose or fell.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureLa PlataCharles CountyMarylandUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate5.2%4.7%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate2.1%2.5%3.4%
People per household 2.562.782.572.53
Drive alone 68%70%65%69%
Carpool 9%9%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate3%4%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate1%2%3%
Work from home 17%16%19%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%2%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

On average, a household in La Plata has 2.56 people, fewer than in Charles County (2.78).

In La Plata, 68% of workers drive alone to work; in Charles County, 70%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in La Plata?

A typical home is tight for the typical income

We start with a typical home in La Plata, worth $428,400, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 36% of the typical household income in La Plata, which is $121,208 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $155,184 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Charles County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in La Plata. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $14,994 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$3,621

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$420,641
Total interest
$605,203
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $7,235 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,828 a month

  • Tight

    $2,828 to $3,636 a month

    Your payment · 36%

  • Hard

    more than $3,636 a month

Compared with the typical household income in La Plata ($121,208 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$3,621
Principal & interest$2,850
Property tax$403
Home insurance$179
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$189

You need at least $14,994 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

La Plata and Charles County

La Plata is in Charles County, Maryland. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

La Plata's own numbers

Typical home value
$428,400
Typical monthly rent
$1,559
Typical yearly household income
$121,208
Households that own their home
80%
Effective property tax rate
1.13%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Charles County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$1,249,125
Conventional limit, one unit
$1,249,125
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$2,438
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+39%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
0.6%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Charles County.

Everything about Charles County

Buying

Buying a home in La Plata

A typical home in La Plata is worth $428,400: about the same as the county and 2% above Maryland. With the typical household income in La Plata ($121,208 a year), a typical home costs 3.5 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • La Plata 3.5 years
  • Charles 3.5 years
  • Maryland 4.1 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Charles County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Charles County rose 65% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Charles County.

Period County Maryland U.S.
Last year (2025) +1.6% +2.7% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +39% +40% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +65% +60% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

La Plata next to Charles County, Maryland and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • La Plata $428,400
  • Charles $428,500
  • Maryland $419,900
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • La Plata $1,559
  • Charles $1,920
  • Maryland $1,705
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • La Plata $121,208
  • Charles $122,816
  • Maryland $103,678
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
La Plata next to Charles County and Maryland
Measure La Plata Charles County Maryland U.S.
Typical home value $428,400 $428,500 $419,900 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,559 $1,920 $1,705 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $121,208 $122,816 $103,678 $80,734
Households that own their home 80% 82% 68% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $4,852 $4,339 $4,093 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.13% 1.01% 0.97% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 33% 46% 51% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Charles County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in La Plata

For a typical $428,400 home in La Plata, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, La Plata's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $3,621a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $14,994
    Cash to close
    $27,846
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $189

  • Conventional, 5% down $3,542a month

    Down payment
    $21,420
    Cash to close
    $34,272
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $203

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $2,904a month

    Down payment
    $85,680
    Cash to close
    $98,532
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $3,300a month

    Down payment
    $64,260
    Cash to close
    $77,112
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for La Plata and for Charles County.

Property tax

Effective rate in La Plata

1.13%of the home’s value each year

$4,852 a year for the typical owner in La Plata.

  • La Plata 1.13%
  • Charles 1.01%
  • Maryland 0.97%

What Maryland publishes Homestead tax credit (cap on yearly assessment increases) (Maryland General Assembly (Annotated Code of Maryland, Tax-Property Article))

Exemptions and deadlines in Maryland

Flood risk in Charles County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Charles County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
0.6%
348
Of those, with NFIP insurance
45%
County Maryland U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 0.6% 1.2% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 45% 74% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in La Plata

Typical rent in La Plata is $1,559 a month: 19% below the county. In La Plata, 33% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Charles County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($2,438 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $46.88 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Charles County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $2,111 $40.60 $84,440
1 bedroom $2,204 $42.38 $88,160
2 bedrooms $2,438 $46.88 $97,520
3 bedrooms $3,107 $59.75 $124,280
4 bedrooms $3,658 $70.35 $146,320

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in La Plata

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). La Plata is in ZIP code 20646.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,960: $478 less than the fair market rent for Charles County ($2,438).

  • 20646 $1,960$2,500

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for La Plata when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in La Plata

HUD lists 3 buildings with rents for lower incomes in La Plata. These are the largest.

  • La Plata Manor 1 Hickory Ln, La Plata 20646 101 homes, 100 low-income · In service since 2011 · For older adults (301) 932-1700
  • Maples 101 Wesley Dr, La Plata 20646 75 low-income homes · 1 bd: 56 · 2 bd: 19 · In service since 2001
  • Magnolia Gardens 6014 Washington Ave, La Plata 20646 139 homes, 5 low-income (240) 904-9209

See all 19 buildings in Charles County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in La Plata

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There is 1 HUD-approved agency with an office in Charles County; 1 says it serves in Spanish.

A man leans over the armchair to help a teenage girl with her book.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in La Plata

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for La Plata or Charles County. The ones below are statewide in Maryland: they work in La Plata the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Maryland

  • MMP 1st Time Advantage

    Statewide in Maryland

    Maryland Mortgage Program mortgages for first-time buyers, with a deferred 0% second mortgage for the down payment: $6,000, or 3%, 4% or 5% of the loan. Offered by Maryland Mortgage Program (Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • MMP Flex Loans

    Statewide in Maryland

    Maryland Mortgage Program mortgages for first-time buyers and for people who have owned a home before; Flex 6000 brings $6,000 and Flex 3% brings 3% of the loan for the down payment, as a deferred 0% second loan. Offered by Maryland Mortgage Program (Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • Maryland SmartBuy

    Statewide in Maryland

    Maryland Mortgage Program loan of up to 15% of the price (maximum $25,000) to pay off your student debt when you buy a home; no interest or monthly payments, and forgiven after five years if you stay in the home. Offered by Maryland Mortgage Program (Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development).

    Forgivable

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near La Plata

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of La Plata, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Southern Maryland Tri-County Community Action

    8371 Old Leonardtown Rd, Hughesville · 10 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (301) 274-4474

  • Housing Options & Planning Enterprises, Inc.

    6188 Oxon Hill Rd Ste 700, Oxon Hill · 18 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 11 more
    (301) 567-3330

  • United Communities Against Poverty

    1400 Doewood Ln, Capitol Heights · 25 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 5 more
    (301) 322-5700

Every agency in Charles County All counseling agencies in Maryland

Help in Spanish near La Plata

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of La Plata

HUD’s record names them for La Plata or Charles County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • County Commissioners Charles County Section 8 vouchers (301) 934-0112

All housing agencies in Maryland Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Charles County

These cities are also in Charles County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Charles County Housing in Maryland

Nearby cities

The cities closest to La Plata, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Charles County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in La Plata.

All guides
Three generations of a family gather on the porch of their home.

Questions

Housing questions about La Plata

Short answers with the numbers for La Plata and all of Charles County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in La Plata?

The typical home value in La Plata is $428,400, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Charles County it is $428,500.

How much does it cost to rent in La Plata?

Typical rent in La Plata is $1,559 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Charles County is $2,438.

What is the FHA loan limit in La Plata?

La Plata uses the FHA limit for all of Charles County (2026): $1,249,125 for a one-unit home and $2,402,625 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in La Plata?

The typical homeowner in La Plata pays $4,852 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.13% of the home’s value; in Charles County, the rate is 1.01%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in La Plata?

There is 1 HUD-approved counseling agency with an office in Charles County. 1 says it serves in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).