United States › Mississippi › Laurel CITY
Laurel Mississippi · 17,662 residents (2025 est.) · 16.2 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Laurel is home to 17,679 people in Mississippi. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 22% of adults. The typical home is worth $125,800, having more than doubled since 2000. The poverty rate is 23.3%, above the 12.5% national rate. This skews young, with a median age of 35.1. Getting to work takes 16 minutes on average.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 37%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 18,393 in 2000
17,662 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1,089 / sq mi
−4%since 2009
from 1,139 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 34.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
17K 17K 18K 18K 19K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Laurel Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $47,661
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $24,988 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $15,561 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 28.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.530 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 4.6%
Education & health services 3.2%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.1%
Public administration 2.7%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.8%
Transportation & warehousing 0.3%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$125,800
+37%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $50,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$909
+37%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $364 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 61.3% in 2000
36.8% rent
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.50 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 23.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 48.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.9 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 40.3%(7,413)
Hispanic / Latino 3.9%(712)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 28.7%(5,070)
Hispanic / Latino 9.1%(1,611)
from 72 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 11 more ancestry groups with data from 17.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 72.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 6.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 12.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 82.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 13.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 9.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 7.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 53.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 63.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 13.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 24.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 7.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 7.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 20.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 21.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 45.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 85.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 90.8% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 97.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 1.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 45.1%(2,849)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 21.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 41.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 12.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 20.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 31.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 1.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 53.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 46.3% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 20%(119)
Gulf War (1990s) 37.8%(225)
Share of the 595 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Laurel, Mississippi? Laurel, Mississippi has about 17,679 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Laurel, Mississippi? The typical household in Laurel, Mississippi earns about $47,661 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Laurel, Mississippi expensive? In Laurel, Mississippi, the median home is worth about $125,800, and the typical rent is about $909 a month.
How educated are people in Laurel, Mississippi? About 21.8% of adults age 25 and over in Laurel, Mississippi hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Laurel, Mississippi? About 23.3% of people in Laurel, Mississippi live below the federal poverty line.
Has Laurel, Mississippi grown since 1990? Yes, Laurel, Mississippi has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 1,148 residents, a change of about -6 percent over that period.
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