New Construction in Charles County, MD: A 2026 Buyer's Guide
"Are there any new construction homes in Charles County, or is everything resale?"
That's a question I get almost every week — usually from buyers who are open to new construction but aren't sure where to start looking, or who assume the market is mostly existing homes. The answer in 2026 is genuinely surprising to a lot of people: Charles County is one of the most active new construction markets in Southern Maryland, and the development picture goes well beyond individual subdivisions.
Waldorf is in the middle of a meaningful transformation. Mixed-use development, infrastructure investment, new retail corridors, and multiple active residential communities are all happening simultaneously. La Plata is growing too, with a large master-planned community now well into its buildout. And for buyers looking at 55-plus options, White Plains has one of the more complete active adult communities in the region actively selling right now.
This post covers the active new construction communities, the larger development projects reshaping the county, and what buyers need to understand before they start shopping new builds in Charles County.
What New Construction Is Available in Charles County, MD Right Now?
Charles County has multiple active new construction communities in 2026, with homes ranging from the upper $300s to over $700,000 across townhomes, single-family homes, and active adult villas. The most active corridors are Waldorf and White Plains, with a large master-planned community also selling in La Plata. Major builders currently active in the county include Stanley Martin Homes, Lennar, D.R. Horton, and Ryan Homes, among others. Alongside residential development, the county is also undergoing significant commercial and mixed-use investment, particularly in the Waldorf urban core.
Active New Construction Communities in Charles County
Waldorf: The Most Active New Construction Corridor
Waldorf has the highest concentration of active new construction in Charles County right now, with multiple communities at different price points and product types all selling simultaneously.
Sunstone Preserve Townhomes — Waldorf
Sunstone Preserve Townhomes is a Stanley Martin Homes community on Halmstad Drive in Waldorf, offering 3- to 4-bedroom townhomes starting in the upper $430s. Amenities include pocket parks, playgrounds, and a dog park. The location puts residents close to Route 495, National Harbor, and the retail corridor along Charles County Plaza. It's a well-positioned option for buyers who want low-maintenance living with D.C. commute access.
Sunstone Preserve Single Family Homes — Waldorf
On the same site, Stanley Martin also offers single-family homes at Sunstone Preserve, with 4- to 5-bedroom homes starting around $700,000 and offering larger floor plans and additional living space. Both collections share community amenities, which makes the site worth evaluating across both product types depending on your budget and space needs.
Bensville Crossing — Waldorf
Bensville Crossing is another Stanley Martin community in Waldorf, offering larger single-family homes starting from the low $630s and reaching into the high $700s. Floor plans run from approximately 3,675 to over 5,000 square feet, making this one of the more spacious new construction options in the county. It's aimed squarely at buyers who need room — larger families, buyers who work from home, or anyone who has been in a townhome and is ready to spread out.
White Plains: St. Charles and the 55+ Market
White Plains sits within the St. Charles master-planned community, which has been one of Maryland's best-selling communities for years and continues to expand with new phases and product lines.
St. Charles Highlands — White Plains
St. Charles Highlands is Lennar's active selling section within the St. Charles master plan, offering multiple collections including townhomes starting in the upper $390s and single-family Signature homes from around $407,000. The community is located about 20 miles south of the Capital Beltway and benefits from the established infrastructure, trails, parks, and amenities that come with a mature master-planned community. For buyers who want the feel of a built-out neighborhood without waiting for a community to develop around them, St. Charles Highlands is worth a serious look.
Parklands 55+ — White Plains
Parklands is Lennar's active adult community within the St. Charles master plan in White Plains, offering both Villa homes and Signature single-family homes for buyers aged 55 and better. Villas start around $385,000 and Signature homes run from approximately $474,000 to the low $520s. The community includes a dedicated amenity center, pool, fitness room, walking trails, and an event space. It's one of the more complete 55-plus communities in Southern Maryland in terms of amenity delivery, and it's actively selling now — not a future phase.
La Plata: Pinegrove Master-Planned Community
Pinegrove — La Plata
Pinegrove is D.R. Horton's master-planned community in La Plata, set on more than 1,000 acres of land threaded with streams, forest, walking trails, and green space. It offers both single-family homes and townhomes across separate collections. Single-family homes are currently priced from around $454,000, with townhomes starting in the mid $390s. The community is well into its buildout but still actively selling, which means buyers can access the established trail system, green space, and community infrastructure while still choosing from new construction. It's one of the largest active new construction sites in the county.
Major Development Shaping Charles County in 2026
I'm Amanda Holmes, a Realtor with eXp Realty serving St. Mary's, Calvert, and Charles Counties — and when buyers ask me whether Charles County is "growing," I tell them the residential communities are only part of the story. The commercial and infrastructure development happening right now is genuinely reshaping the county's long-term character.
Waldorf Station
Waldorf Station is the county's flagship mixed-use development project. The first residential phase — Ironwoods — delivered 302 apartments. The full build-out calls for 800 total residential units alongside retail, office space, and a hotel. Starbucks and Honeygrow are among the retailers expected to open in 2026. This is not a strip mall redevelopment — it's an attempt to create a genuine walkable urban core in Waldorf, and it's the most significant commercial development in the county in years.
The Shops at Fairway Village
The Shops at Fairway Village is a $115 million, 120,000-square-foot mixed-use development in Waldorf that will include retail, restaurants, and 186 residential units. The Farmhouse Cafe and Creperie — a 7,700-square-foot farm-to-fork concept from Titan Hospitality — is set to debut here in Fall 2026. It's part of the broader diversification of the Waldorf commercial corridor that makes the area more attractive for buyers who want walkable amenities near home. It's part of the broader diversification of the Waldorf commercial corridor — I cover the full Charles County dining picture in my guide to the best restaurants in Southern Maryland.
Charles County Sports and Wellness Center
The former Sears building at St. Charles Towne Center is being converted into a regional sports and wellness facility featuring a 50-meter competitive pool. For buyers with families or active lifestyles, this kind of public infrastructure investment is a quality-of-life factor worth knowing about.
Kaiser Permanente Medical Center
A new Kaiser Permanente medical center in Waldorf is targeted for completion in 2026. Healthcare access is consistently one of the top factors buyers mention when evaluating a new market, and this addition meaningfully improves the county's picture on that front.
Waldorf Urban Redevelopment Corridor (WURC)
The WURC is the county's ongoing framework for transforming the downtown Waldorf area — improving the commercial tax base, modernizing infrastructure, and creating a more coherent urban identity for the area. Waldorf Station and Fairway Village are both products of this broader effort. The long-term trajectory for downtown Waldorf is significantly more urban than where it started.
How the New Construction Picture Varies Across Charles County
Northern Charles County — Waldorf and White Plains
This is where the volume is. Waldorf and White Plains have the most active communities, the most diverse price range, and the most significant commercial development happening simultaneously. Buyers who want new construction with near-term D.C. commute access and walkable retail in the pipeline should focus here. The Waldorf Station and Fairway Village projects are within reach of multiple active communities.
Central Charles County — La Plata
La Plata is the county seat and has a more established small-town character than Waldorf. Pinegrove's 1,000-plus-acre master plan is the dominant new construction story here. Buyers who want more land, a quieter pace, and proximity to downtown La Plata's independent restaurant scene will find La Plata a meaningfully different experience than Waldorf. Price points overlap but the lifestyle tradeoffs are distinct.
Southern Charles County — Indian Head
Indian Head is experiencing its own growth driven by the Naval Surface Warfare Center modernization. New retail is coming in — including the Oasis Fresh Foods Market — and the area is attracting investment tied to the defense corridor. For buyers specifically serving NSWC-IHD, this end of the county is worth watching. It doesn't have the volume of new construction that Waldorf does, but the long-term trajectory is positive. For the full housing picture across Charles County, my Charles County buyer guide covers neighborhoods, commute dynamics, and market context in more depth.
Common Misconceptions About New Construction in Charles County
"New construction is always more expensive than resale." Not always. Some new construction in Charles County is competitively priced against existing homes, particularly townhomes in Sunstone Preserve and entry-level collections in St. Charles Highlands. The total cost picture — builder incentives, warranty coverage, and deferred maintenance — sometimes favors new builds more than the list price suggests.
"Builder incentives aren't real savings." Builders do use incentives — rate buydowns, closing cost contributions, design center credits — as a marketing tool. But those incentives can represent real value, particularly rate buydowns in the current interest rate environment. The key is understanding what you're actually getting and whether it's priced into the home.
"You don't need a buyer's agent for new construction." The builder's sales representative works for the builder, not for you. Having your own agent doesn't cost you more — the commission is built into the builder's pricing — but it means someone is reviewing the contract on your behalf and helping you negotiate.
"All new construction in Charles County looks the same." The gap between a Pinegrove townhome in La Plata and a Bensville Crossing single-family home in Waldorf is significant in terms of size, location, community character, and price. The county has a wide range of new construction products right now, not a single template.
"Affordable housing means lower property values nearby." Charles County's PILOT-program affordable housing projects — including Eagle Point Phase 1, Lenville Crossing, and Pine Way Village in Waldorf — are structured developments with income restrictions and design standards, not ad hoc projects. The broader market dynamics in Waldorf are driven by the same forces as any growing suburban corridor.
People Also Ask
What new construction communities are available in Charles County, MD?
Active new construction communities in Charles County in 2026 include Sunstone Preserve Townhomes, Sunstone Preserve Single Family Homes, and Bensville Crossing in Waldorf (all by Stanley Martin Homes); St. Charles Highlands and Parklands 55+ in White Plains (by Lennar); Pinegrove single-family and townhomes in La Plata (by D.R. Horton); and multiple Ryan Homes communities in Waldorf. Prices range from the upper $300s to over $700,000 depending on product type and community.
How much do new construction homes cost in Charles County, MD?
New construction home prices in Charles County range broadly depending on product type and location. Townhomes in active communities start in the upper $390s to low $440s. Single-family homes in communities like St. Charles Highlands start around $407,000, while larger homes in Bensville Crossing start in the low $630s and go higher. Active adult villa homes at Parklands start around $385,000. Median new construction listing prices in the county are currently around $449,000.
Is Waldorf, MD a good place to buy a new construction home?
Waldorf is one of the most active new construction markets in Southern Maryland and offers a range of product types from townhomes to large single-family homes. The area is undergoing significant commercial development — including Waldorf Station mixed-use, The Shops at Fairway Village, and a new Kaiser Permanente medical center — that is improving its long-term livability. Commute access to D.C. via Route 301 and Route 5 is a primary draw for buyers working in the metro area.
What is Pinegrove in La Plata, MD?
Pinegrove is D.R. Horton's master-planned community in La Plata, Maryland, set on more than 1,000 acres with walking and biking trails, green space, tot lots, and planned resort-style amenities. It offers both single-family homes and townhomes, with single-family prices starting around $454,000 and townhomes from the mid $390s. It opened in 2023 and is still actively selling.
What is Parklands 55+ in Charles County?
Parklands is an active adult community for buyers aged 55 and better, located in White Plains, MD within the St. Charles master-planned community. It is built by Lennar and offers Villa homes starting around $385,000 and Signature single-family homes from the mid $470s to low $520s. Amenities include a community center, pool, fitness room, walking trails, and event space.
What is Waldorf Station and how does it affect the housing market?
Waldorf Station is a major mixed-use development in Waldorf that will ultimately include 800 residential units, retail, office space, and a hotel. The first apartment phase delivered 302 units. Retailers including Starbucks and Honeygrow are expected to open in 2026. As part of the Waldorf Urban Redevelopment Corridor initiative, it is one of the most significant investments in the county's commercial infrastructure in years and is a positive long-term factor for surrounding residential values.
Looking at New Construction in Charles County?
New construction shopping has a lot of moving parts — builder contracts, lot premiums, design center decisions, builder timelines, and financing options that are different from a standard resale purchase. Having someone in your corner who knows the communities, the builders, and the current market makes a real difference.
I work with buyers across Charles, St. Mary's, and Calvert Counties and cover Maryland, D.C., and Virginia broadly. If you want a straightforward conversation about which communities are worth visiting and what to watch out for in a builder contract, reach out through the contact page at amandaholmesrealestate.com.
Amanda Holmes | Realtor, eXp Realty | Southern Maryland Real Estate
